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The future of the Groody Student accommodation village in Castletroy may be in doubt following the decision by Bank of Scotland (Ireland) to pull out of the Irish market.

According to reports the bank has appointed a receiver to the student village in a bid to get back nearly 15 million euro that it had put into the development.

“BoSI has appointed Brian McEnery, a senior partner with Limerick accountancy firm Horwarth Bastow Charleton, as receiver over the property, which is controlled by Clare developer Peter Stritch.

An open day for prospective students will go ahead as planned next weekend.”
Via SBP.

It’s expected the village, which can accommodate hundreds of U.L students, will continue to operate while in receivership.

The U.L students union had stated Friday the village would operate as normal saying there would be “no effect on bookings for the coming year”.

Bank of Scotland Ireland announced last week it had decided to exit the Irish market and will no longer offer banking activities in Ireland from the end of December this year.

Open water swimmers are preparing for action on the River Shannon this Wednesday when the next Thomond Swim takes place.

Members of the public are invited to support the swim which takes place at 7pm and will be officially launched by Mayor of Limerick, Maria Byrne.

Top swimmers from around the country, including members of the Limerick Masters Swimming Club and Swim Ireland Masters swimmers from Dublin, Cork and Galway will compete in challenge.

Two swimmers from the Aran Swim Challenge will also be taking part as well as swimmers from the UL High Performance Team.

The 1.7km swim will start at St Michael’s Boat Club slipway, head up to the Curragower Falls to Thomond Bridge and return to finish at Howley’s Quay.

The money raised from the swim will be donated to Limerick Marine Search and Rescue, who will be keeping a watchful eye on the swimmers during the near 30 minute swim.

“It is one of our great annual sporting spectacles and the sporting rivalry between the swimmers is immense,” Thomond Swim PRO John Garrett said this week.

“Even describing the route engenders a sense of pride in the proud history of this great place. This will not be lost on the swimmers who will be representing the city with the Treaty Stone emblazoned on their swim caps. We would love if the people of the city would come out and support what is truly a unique Limerick event.”

Best viewing points for the public are on Sarsfield Bridge and along the re-furbished Riverside Boardwalks on Clancy’s Strand and O’Callaghan’s Strand.

Prizes for the first home male and female swimmer and for the fastest male and female swimmer will be awarded following the event.

A father of five from Newcastle West chained himself to the ESB headquarters railing Wednesday in a desperate protest at the company’s threats to disconnect him.

Seamus Sherlock, who is unemployed, travelled from his home in Newcastle West to Dublin after the ESB refused to accept his offer of paying fifty euro a week off his outstanding bill. According to reports he was left with a 2,261 euro bill when he took over the household this past June.

His protest did eventually garner the attention of management inside the building.

“I just want the people of Ireland to know what is going on with ESB,” he said after unlocking the chains and meeting with the company’s management.

He continued: “I went in to ask them to stop disconnecting people who are genuinely trying to pay bills.”
Via Irish Independent

The incident comes on the heels of an announcement by the electricity company that it is cutting off an average of 900 people a month from their supply for failure to pay.

A Shanagolden child remains in a serious condition in a Dublin hospital following a freak accident in which he was struck on the head with a golf ball on Tuesday evening.

The nine year old was playing with friends at the Parkview estate when he was struck by a golf ball and fell and hit his head. Advanced paramedics were called to the scene around 7.30pm.

He had sustained serious head injuries and was rushed to the Mid Western Regional Hospital. The youngster has since been moved to Dublin.

An alliance to alert the people of Limerick to new proposals by Dublin City Council to extract water from the river Shannon at Lough Derg at high volumes and to pipe it directly to Dublin, has been formed.

The new Limerick branch of the ‘Shannon Protection Alliance’ has been established to warn people and stakeholders in Limerick and environs, the damage the proposal could do to the region.

‘Water would be extracted at a rate of upwards of 500 million litres per day. This equates roughly to the amount of water which currently leaks from the Dublin water delivery system.’

The group believes that if the proposal were to gain approval it would “signal the beginning of the plunder of Ireland’s finest waterway”, have serious consequences for the life of the river and upset the balance and natural order in the water.

Limerick SPA branch spokesman, Gerry Siney says that if abstraction were allowed to proceed, a precedent would be set and it would be just the thin “edge of the wedge,”

“Demand would grow exponentially, and opportunist extractors would emerge to put even more pressure on the river, and in time the Shannon would go the way of an increasing number of rivers around the world that have been disastrously compromised, many beyond recovery.”

In the coming weeks and months the SPA say they will engage in an active campaign of awareness including holding public meetings on the matter.

“The people have a right to know what others are planning for them, and are entitled to have their say,” the alliance said.

Gardai have detained a man following a street attack in the city center Thursday.

It’s understood a man received a stab wound to his lower back following an altercation on Thomas Street just before 3pm. Gardai and Ambulance personnel were quickly on scene and the victim was taken to the regional hospital in Dooradoyle.

A man was subsequently arrested by Gardai a short time later at Colbert train station. It’s thought the victims injuries are not serious.

Gardai are seeking witnesses.

A man has been charged with the attempted murder of another man in the city last May.

Shane Mason, of Sean Heuston Place, was further charged by Gardai following a shooting in May which left a 20 year old man, Daniel Phillips, fighting for his life in hospital.

The accused appeared at Limerick District Court Wednesday where Gardai gave evidence of charging the 28 year old with the attempted murder of Daniel Phillips at St John’s Square on May 24th, 2010.

He is already been charged with the possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life at St John’s Square on the same date.

“Sarah Ryan, solicitor for the accused, said bail had been refused in the High Court and she was not making any new bail application.

Judge Olann Kelleher on the application of Insp Brendan McDonagh returned Mason for trial to the Central Criminal Court.”

A man arose from the visitors gallery during the hearing and began shouting at the accused before being escorted out of the courtroom.

Gardai say the book of evidence in the case is still being assembled and the accused was remanded to appear again, via video link, on August 18th.

Investigations are underway into an assault on a member of the Limerick Athletics Club in the city last week.

Ethiopian born runner, Labeta Debela, who won the half marathon at the Great Limerick Run event this year, was badly assaulted by two men on the Old Cratloe Road, as he made his way to a training session last Thursday.

His coach, Willie Logan, told the Limerick Chronicle Tuesday, the 22 year old was “covered in blood” following the attack.

He was immediately taken to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle where he was treated for head injuries and discharged later that night.

Gardai revealed Tuesday they had not been informed of the attack until early this week and are now liaising with the victim.

Garda Superintendent Frank O’Brien also discussed possible motives.

“We would be very concerned about a serious assault. If there was a racist undertone to it, that would be a particularly distressing and worrying development, if this victim was targeted because of his race. We are very anxious to try and identify the culprits.”

Supt O’Brien said they had no report of the attack on the Garda Pulse System and they will try and ascertain why they did not receive a report or complaint.
Via Irish Examiner.

The Irish Times reports the numerous wins under the young man’s belt, winning the Salty Faces 10km in Co Clare in May, the Jacinta O’Brien Plassey 10km in April.

“He is such a quiet young boy, everybody is mad about him. All his training companions are always very keen to run with him and I’d say everybody is upset at what happened.”
Via Irish Times.

The attack has sparked furious outrage and debate among online communities including Boards.ie and local blogs.