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Limerick

Irish City of Culture - 2014

imerick made history by Working partnerships were esta- City and County
winning the prestigious blished in the ambitious project
L accolade of Ireland's first and a full time Cultural Team pul- of Limerick
ever City of Culture 2014. It was led together to organise a specta-
announced on 9 July 2012 by cular programme transforming
Jimmy Deenihan TD, Minister for the city's stages and streets and Conquered by the Vikings, it was
Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. placing of giant screens for all to originally a Norse settlement
established in 922 as a maritime
The aim of Limerick's bid for the share. A number of high quality
initiative was to put the city firmly events are in progress to explore trading post. It stands at the es-
tuary of the River Shannon and is
on the map by delivering a calendar the city's history and heritage, art
of cultural and other events during and music culture, traditional and part of the province of Munster.
Today as Ireland's third city it is
2014 to showcase the city and its modern, providing outside and
people at home and abroad, to the indoor events that include 'pop up the capital of the mid-west region
with an urban and hinterland
overall benefit of Ireland. The city venues', filling places and spaces to
underwent major developments capacity. One highlight is a week population of over 200,000. It
has a rich medieval past that re-
in preparation to be fully equip- of traditional music classes held
ped and demonstrate internatio- at the Irish Harp Centre, Castle- sounds in its ancient streets. The
older city consisted of three parts
nally putting arts, sport, culture connell for harp, uillean pipes and
and music to the fore. Original and bagpipes with added concerts and and historically much of the city's
innovative new technologies are also many theatre productions. industry was based on a rich agri-
cultural hinterland. In old times
being used to the full.
Limerick was famous for its ham
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LCulture