Limerick - a scary uncultured lawless City!

pencil

Limerick - a scary uncultured lawless City!

I 'don't know if this is the right place on boards for this topic/rant, mods move it if you think it should be elsewhere.

First of all just to let everyone know I'm from Limerick but currently living in Dublin. I left Limerick when I was 18 to go to college and have been living in Dublin since (10 years).

This post is inspired by my last few visits home and by the fact that my brother was mugged and put in hospital for the second time in a year & a half last Monday night.

Last Monday night at 10.30pm he was walking home down Henry St. after meeting a few people. 30 yards from Henry St. Garda station he was asked by some punter for a cigarette. Without stopping he told the Guy he didn't smoke. As this was happening another two guys
appeared from an adjacent alleyway, the three of them dragged him up the alley to mug him, when they discovered that he had no money, they kicked the sh!t out of him. He had to fend off a knife attack from one guy while receiving an beating from the other two.

They left unconscious him in the alleyway. When he came too he made his way back the 30 yards to the Henry St. Garda station, he was in such a bad state that the Garda on duty jumped over his desk when he saw him.

An Ambulance was called & bought him to hospital. There was no serious long term damage done but ending a social evening with a face that's a mess, a nose that needs to 'be put back in to place' and cuts on your arms and stomach from fending off a knife attack isn't much fun.

(It's comical that scumbags choose their ambush point on the same street and 30 yards from the main Limerick Garda Station, maybe this says something about the rule of law in this part of the country!)

From what I hear this is a nightly occurrence in Limerick, it seems like the scumbags are queuing up to mug people as they make there way home from the city centre. The sick thing about this is that quite a few of these muggings seem to done just for the sport of it. People are walking home and just receiving beatings for no reason at all, no money is being looked, this muggers are doing it for fun.

I've lived in the heart of North Dublin City Centre (D1, D3 & D7) for the last 10 years, I've walked in & out on the city alone at all hours of the day & night, never once have I felt threaten or been mugged. The last few times I've been out in Limerick City at night has scared the sh!t out of me. At One o'clock in the morning, the only difference between O'Connell St. Limerick and a Mad Max movie is the lack of costumes! - I kidd you not.

Gangs of young fellas are marauding around looking for fights or people to mug (It doesn't take a detective to cop that these guys are up to no good). Everyone else is hanging around waiting for Taxis as no one will take the risk of walking the mile or two home for fear of having to spend the night in the regional hospital.

The saddest thing about this is that all my family live in Limerick and one day I might like to entertain the idea of moving back down, given the current state of affairs down there, this is not an option - I'd rather stay in the relative harmony of city life in Dublin.



There is a completely different rant about Limerick turning in to a car orientated Americanised city with no public transport, but that's for another day.

amp

Well as we have yet to create a board specifically for rants with no particular point other than to share with the group, I guess I can't really move it. Can't really lock it either. I suspose I could ban you for making me have to think about this, but that wouldn't even be funny.

I dunno, suggestions?

pencil

Sorry amp, rather cruel to make you think this late on a Friday - guest this is also the reason for a pointless post.


Suppose my point/question would be:

Why is this let happen and why aren't people up in arms about it?

Is there anyone from (or who has visited) Limerick who feels the same? Am I being a 'nancy' about it?

amp

Ah so the question is: "Does Limerick suck ass?". Hmmm, bit low brow but I'm feeling generous today.

Ruaidhri

personally i think limrick(city) is a far safer place to be in rather than galway.

Turner

I wonder which is worse, Dundalk or Limerick....???
hmmmm

zAbbo

I`ve lived in Dundalk for 2 years, never seen any trouble heard about loads tho.

Its a pretty safe place to live.

Heard bad things about Limerick tho(Stab City), Seems as if too many Limerick-donians(sp?) have seen Falling Down once to often.

irishguy

i have lived on the southside of limerick city for nearly 19 years.I am normaly in town [on my own]at 2.30 am every thursday,friday and saturday [i work in a pub].you see the odd fight but mainly its drunks doing stupid stuff.i have never been attacked when out at nite or after work and i have walked home a good few times [cant say i felt particulary safe but i was on my own].i lived in dublin city center for 2 months last summer and i felt alot safer walking around at night but that was because there was alot more people around.I think i have become amune to the random violence because i have liven in limerick so long,but also i have come to know alot of people in limerick and limerick isnt that big so there is nearly allways someone around i know.It might be scary for people not used to all this stuff happing but it doesnt bother me that much.thats my 2 c.anyone else from limerick??

Ronan|Raven

Originally posted by Ruaidhri
personally i think limrick(city) is a far safer place to be in rather than galway.

Really? I lived in Galway for the last two years and never felt "unsafe" walking through it, although the last month maybe I was in it, there is a large amount of skangers seeping out at night causing hassle. Shame really as its a great place imho.

Moriarty

I live in Limerick and have rarely if ever felt unsafe walking home/whatever after a night out. Having said that, two friends of mine got bottled over the back of the head last summer basically just outside Docs, totally unprovoked - attacked from behind when they were minding their own business. Another friend got his cheek slashed by a broken bottle after some scumbag decided to lift his gf's bag one night while walking home.

More dangerous than dublin/cork/galway? I honestly dont think so. There are tossers that are just out for a fight no matter where you go, best bet is to stay in as big a group as you can for as long as you can. Walking alone late at night will make you a target no matter where you are unfortunatly .

Mr E

Dublin, 1988 to 1990 - mugged once, attacked twice (Dun Laoighre area)...
Limerick, 1990 to 2002 - haven't been touched.

I reckon its just bad luck if you get attacked - wrong place, wrong time. I mean, you could walk down the main street in any town in Ireland at 2am on a Friday/Saturday night and encounter trouble.

- Dave.

Biffa Bacon

Originally posted by pencil
Why is this let happen and why aren't people up in arms about it?

Because no one knows what to do about it. The criminal justice system is a joke and can't keep knackers off the streets.

Fortunately, I know what to do about it. It involves building large slave labour camps to put knackers in where they are forced to repay their debt to society.

Winters

Originally posted by Biffa Bacon
Fortunately, I know what to do about it. It involves building large slave labour camps to put knackers in where they are forced to repay their debt to society.

I like your idea..... Tis the only thing to do with knackers but the thing is what would define a knacker? Is there gonna be like 3 levels of knackerness?? Ive seen a lot of class A knackers that should be locked up ...

redser

Well i've lived worked and studied in Limerick for near 20 years and to be honest i've never had any grief. The only real way you will get trouble in Limerick is if you ask for it. There are very few unprovoked attacks in Limerick..i'm not saying none but very few...Most of Limericks trouble is family related and is now confined to areas like Moyross/southill and other blackspots around the city..The ccty centre is now relatively quiet because the "knackers" as you so affectionately put it know that going to town is not an option anymore...they cannot get into clubs/pubs/shops or fast food places and in general don't even bother coming into the city anymore. this was not the case 3-4 years ago when there were dodgy heads at every corner/.
I recently was in Cork and Dublin and felt a lot less safe in those cities. I always have felt unsafe in Dumpland so thats nothing new but up to a year or two ago I loved Cork. Now it just feels edgy all the time...there is tension everywhere down there which is a big change from the one love society that was there in the early nineties..
Limerick is a great place,it has its issues but the biggest one i think myself is the negativity of people from the town. Why if you are from Limerick, do you feel the need to post truly negative comments about your home on a national messgae board. You are not helping anything..if you feel that badly about the place then you have the option to stay gone..the negativity won't be missed! rome wasn't built in a day and Limerick has changed hugely in the last number of years...and continues to do so.
Thousands of students/workers etc have come here over the last few years and love it...but there is a certain section of Limerick society that supports things/places very selectively and disses anything they want. A little like the Dublincentric media we have in this country..

I will agree though that the presence of an Garda Siochaina is woeful...Monday - Wednesday ..you will see cops all over town...strolling around...flexing their muscles so to speak...but where are they at weekends...nowhere to be seen ?

from someone who is not from Limerick but have lived there for some time I feel your comments are a little OTT. I think the incident that happened is unfortunate but don't tar a city because of one incident. This type of stuff happens in every city..possibly a matter of wrong place , wrong time..look at the Limerick student who got kicked to within inches of his life a few months back in cork..even this morning news reports of a masked gunman attacking a 19 year old in Thomas Davis St in cork and then followed him into a chip shop and shot him twice..
A lot of this happens in dublin too but our great national media choose not to highlight it...it much better to highlight some where elses problems

Far away hills look greener ?

Just my opinion..

Cerdito

Ok, my 2 cent.....

I've been in UL for 3 years now and I've never had hassle in Limerick (though to be fair, I rarely visit the city centre). I must admit that walking through the city at night definitely feels dodgy...but then again no more so then Dublin.

Pencil, it's a terrible shame what happened to your brother. we all know people who it's happened to and it makes me despair and fear for my own safety when I hear such tales. Why do people feel the need to assault and harm innocent strangers? Was Ireland always like this? To be honest I don't think it's a phenomenon exclusive to Limerick. One of the columnists in the Irish Times recently spoke of "the underlying menace" that seems to exist on O'Connell St. (the Dublin one). I know exactly what he was talking about, I never feel safe at night on any city street in Ireland.

My advice? When walking the streets at night, always be vigilant. Try to spot trouble/danger in advance...and cross the street to avoid it. We all know what dangerous skangers look like....it just takes a bit of awareness to sidestep a beating/mugging.

take care out there people.....:)

Ruaidhri

Originally posted by Ronan|Raven


Really? I lived in Galway for the last two years and never felt "unsafe" walking through it, although the last month maybe I was in it, there is a large amount of skangers seeping out at night causing hassle. Shame really as its a great place imho.

i've been living in galway since iwas born(in the county) and i'm not fan of gawaly. imho it brings out the worst in everyone.it's dirty and there are WAY to many knackers. so many ppl i know have been beaten up in galway.there are numberous stabbings(you just dont hear about)

everytime i have to go anywhere in galway after dark i personally dont feel safe.in all the times i've been in limrick i've only felt unsafe ONE night,when there was some weirdo in the same taxi rank as me.

But that's just my 2c

BJJ

Uncultured and Lawless?

Yes some parts of Limerick are lawless, I recall stories of extortion on Postmen and Milkmen having to pay large sums of cash to Gangsters so they could do their job.

Dublin per person, may be less lawless than Limerick City.


But Dublin has No Culture

memphis

I am currently on co-op from college in Limerick. i live well out from the city... Raheen area. And to be honest I seldom go into the city for the simple reason that I don't wanna encounter any trouble. I must admit however that i hate waiting around O'Connell st, waiting for a taxi or whatever, it does seem scary at times (even at 9.30pm - 10.30pm).

But having said that I have never experienced any problem or trouble around where I live. I often go into the Crescent area, and feel no fear walking to and from there. It certainly isn't a rough area by any means.

I think that the city centre is a danger zone, but then all cities, even some towns have rough spots. I have encountered trouble in my own home town (not saying were, but i'm a Tipp man) which involved getting my ass kicked during a drunken sprawl on 3 occassion. I have also had my noise broken in the nite club for trying to get off with a guys g/f. (my own fault!!!).

In my opinion trouble only comes if you go looking for it, or if you are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Kepler

I'm from kildare meself and I know exactly how your bro feels. I was hospitalised twice courtesy of the local scum as a kid, partly for having long hair, but chiefly because these people tend to be quite unselfish when sharing with you the tragedy of their own lives, which they communicate in the language they know best, violence.
I'd be reluctant to blame any particular town or city. It's just Ireland
.
Living in Italy for the past 3 years I haven't so much as seen a punch thrown, never mind someone getting a hiding, But then the first night walking down the main street in my home town last christmas, three different groups of lads tried to start on me, and my gf.

I repeat, it's just Ireland.It's our culture, and ain't civilized.

Aspro

Originally posted by BJJ
But Dublin has No Culture

Oi! You deserve a bashing for that!:p

Seriously though, you could go through your whole life spending time in different cities and have different experiences as has shown to be the case above. I've lived in the city centre and Dolphin's Barn - walked from town to Dolphin's Barn at 1am, 2am, 4am, whatever, all the time and never had an ounce of hassle. But then again I know where you find hassle and can avoid it. Or maybe I'm just lucky.

My younger brother on the other hand is a trouble magnet. In the space of three months he was hopped on three times in the city centre (Dublin). But can you teach someone to be streetwise? No. They have to have the cop-on themselves. Or maybe he's just unlucky?

mayhem#

Originally posted by Ruaidhri
personally i think limrick(city) is a far safer place to be in rather than galway.

Yup, the chances of catching ringworm or scabies from all the crusties in Galway is just terrifying!