I’ve seen it all now …. tree stump worship on church grounds in Co. Limerick.

Hundreds of people are flocking to St. Mary’s Church grounds in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick to pray and touch a willow tree stump which people are claiming depicts an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary herself.

Candles have been lit, multiple rosaries recited and a 24 hour vigil has been mounted to ensure that nobody removes the offending tree trunk!

Last Monday, unsuspecting FAS workers (recognisable in their fluorscent yellow jackets,)  cut down the tree as its branches were overhanging a primary school (have to bring in the education system somewhere …. they’ll be blaming the Principal for the manifestations shortly) when one of the FAS workers had a revelation …. “Jesus, Look …. it’s herself …. yer wan …. the Virgin Mary”. (Last time they’ll allow a clinically recognised depressive on the FAS scheme).

30 minutes later the “Holy Joe Society” was out in force ….. jibbering, jabbering and mouthing all sorts on incantations.

The local priest is, apparently, quite sceptical about the whole thing …. he has claimed (apparently) …. “There’s nothing there … it’s just a tree. You can’t worship a tree”.

And he then said (apparently) …. “Don’t forget to contribute to the donation box!”

The gift shops in Rathkeale have noticed a surge in sales …. tree stump icons, plastic glowing crosses, FAS badges …. “I saw the Virgin Mary FIRST”.

The gift shop owner (who shall remain nameless), Seamus Horgan is reported to have said (apparently) that “people are looking for hope in these times and if they find it in a piece of wood then God knows it’s a good thing.”

A passing pensioner said he felt better having seen the stump.

Another said ’twas great …. it was getting the young people interested in the church again (albeit the church grounds).

One man, who travelled from West Cork (God help his head) prayed to the stump asking to be reunited with his ex-girlfriend.

Plans are at an advanced satge to have a glass case place around the wooded stump to protect it from the elements (and the Parish Priest who is away on holidays at the moment).

Ah shure ….. twil all work out grand in the end …. touch wood.

To his family, friends and people of Limerick I extend my sympathies.

Rest In Peace Shane.

I see we have attained the distinction of having the dirtiest city in Ireland!

(I guess we can’t sing ‘Beautiful City …. my home by the Lee’ anymore? We could try ‘Pollutiful City, green and so smelly, pollutiful City my home by the green Lee’. We’d have a devil of a time getting the words to rhyme but what the hey it’s worth a piece of paper!)

Poor old Cobh is the dirtiest town in Ireland …. must be all that slag and pollution in the harbour etc. I don’t see John Gormley running to clean it up. Only guy with guts to stand up to him was John Mulvihill Snr.

Cavan is named the cleanest place in Ireland ….. where?

Galway comes second.

Celebration time …. Limerick is litter free! Woo hoo to them and rat-a-tat!

Waterford has no litter either ….

They must be shipping it to Cork!

Dublin has the ‘rare auld’ occurance of litter at ‘times’ …..  being moderately littered.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Dell is planning to sell its computer factories around the world.

That being the case the Dell manufacturing plant in Limerick (employing 3,000 people) and the the Dell sales and marketing operation in Dublin (employing 1,350 people) would appear to be under threat.

My last few computer purchases have been Dell branded products. I have been 100% happy with the products (The accents of the sales and after sales people are another story!).

What I like about buying a Dell product is the fact that I can build my machine from the ground up …. I can specify what bells and whistles I want.

There is never smoke without fire and Dell is probably planning to leave Ireland, if not in the short-term most definitely in the long-term. Dell have built a carbon copy factory of its Limerick plant in Poland.

The idea that Dell will sell its plants and outsource its manufacturing is something that would disturb me a little. A Dell built machine built by a third party wouldn’t be a Dell machine in my book. If that happens I’d have to start reconsidering what brand of computer product I’d be purchasing in the future.

Don’t go Dell ….. you have a lot of loyal customers here in Ireland.

I see that a land owner in Limerick has applied for planning permission to build the country’s first underground shooting range.

The muder capital of Europe and an underground shooting range ….. now that’s more than a little ironic!

The adage “Limerick: Open your mind, hand over your wallet.” could now be changed to “Limerick: Open your gun case, shoot to your heart’s content.”

Guns it seems are becoming more and more common place …. both officially and unofficially. Even hand guns are held legally by more people than ever before.

I see that a guy in Dublin pulled a gun on a barman who had refused to serve him. When Gardaí tracked him down they were surprised to discover that he had never been in trouble before.

He is now!

The Sunday Independent reports that the latest killings in Limerick have raised the city’s crime figures to such an extent that it now has the highest murder rate in Western Europe.

Central Statistics Office data states that Limerick has a ratio of more than 7 murders per 100,000 population.

Glasgow in Scotland previously had the highest murder rate in Western Europe. It recorded just over 5 killings per 100,000 people.

It appears that Gardaí are seizing more than 500 guns a year countrywide (10 times more than they recovered from republicans during the Troubles).

Operation Anvil, set up by the Gardaí in May 2005, has recovered almost 1,500 firearms to date with most of these being seized in Dublin.

If Gardaí know who is involved (and it appears they do), why can’t they do something about it? Why don’t they do something about it?

Violent crime is rampant throughout the country (not just Limerick and Dublin) …. drug related offences are occurring in all our towns and villages …. we all know who’s involved …. so why isn’t a harder line being taken?

In my own local town the dogs on the street know who’s involved in drug dealing. Some of these people are the nicest guys you’d meet. They have profited quite quickly from the sale of drugs and then they moved on to legitimate business ventures.

Many of them have built houses, bought shops and have become involved in other businesses. They also have a multitude of rental property scattered throughout the town. Their initial illgotten gains have set them up quite comfortably for the rest of their lives.

The government needs to take a much firmer stance against these people.

The only way to get them is through their money. The only place you’ll hurt these people is in their pockets.

If a person can’t prove the legitimacy of their earnings then take it away.

Simple as that!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7yETQ6OvqQ[/youtube]

“An ideal destination for sightseers to watch drive-by shootings, muggings and Piebald ponies crashing through housing estates.

A five-day break will cost you 240 pounds, your wallet, your keys and whatever else you had in your jacket.”

Limerick people may not agree with the sentiment expressed in the video.

It does, however, have a little tinge of truth to it!