• November 30, 2016
• More by this Author

Global Limerick is connecting you!

Pat Daly, Minister Patrick O’Donovan, Tim O’Connor, Clair Hayes and John King at the launch of Global Limerick. Pic Sean Curtin.

LIMERICK is spreading its reach around the world with a new web platform that aims to connect up to 3.5m people with their native place.

The region is aiming to reach out to the Diaspora abroad with the new Global Limerick platform, which was launched by tourism minister Patrick O’Donovan.

The web platform features local stories specifically aimed at a global audience and intends to “formalise the Limerick Diaspora family and make it real”.

A critical step is for story readers to engage with Global Limerick and thereby enable communication and conversation with them and between them.

There are an estimated 3.5m million people of Limerick descent worldwide, and Mr O’Donovan said Global Limerick could become a “hugely important way for up to 3.5m people of Limerick descent to keep in contact with what is happening in their city and county”.

“The Diaspora have played and are playing an important role in shaping the Limerick we see today. Their input into the economic, tourist and culture life of Limerick cannot be underestimated and I’m delighted to launch such a platform which will further connect those around the world with their homeland,” he added.

Pat Daly Patrick O’Donovan, TD, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport and Tim O’Connor at the launch of Global Limerick. Pic Sean Curtin.

John King of Global Limerick said the project was seeking to link with, or establish, actual Diaspora groups in key locations, nationally and internationally and already strong links are being developed with Club Limerick Dublin and with the Capital Limerick initiative, also based in Dublin, to achieve these aims.

“Over time the spread of connections and groups will be visible across a map of the globe indicating the locations and reach of the Limerick diaspora, with services adapting to user demand,” he said.

He added: “We are indebted to Limerick City and County Council, the Departments of the Taoiseach and Foreign Affairs for their support in getting Global Limerick set up.

“We are connecting with Limerick groups across the country and globally to spread the message and help grow our networks. There is amazing goodwill among the Limerick diaspora for their home place and we want to tap in to that for benefit of everyone.”

The project has been overseen by a steering committee chaired by Limerick City and County Council. Mary Immaculate College Limerick also part funded the Scoping Study & Survey which found that, among other things, the Limerick diaspora want a closer engagement by way of communication about and from Limerick.

Welcoming the new platform, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon said: “I particularly welcome Global Limerick’s strategy which is helping Limerick reach out to its diaspora in order to build new relationships that will be of mutual benefit.