THERE may not have been a toll charge, but the estimated 30,000 plus, who walked the Limerick Tunnel last weekend, sank an estimated €100,000 into collection buckets for local charities.
The brainchild of both Limerick and Shannon Rotary clubs, collection points were strategically placed on the route, and according to one club member, tunnel walkers were more than generous.
Said a Rotary member: “One lady came along with a bag full of coins. We haven’t counted the value yet, but it looks substantial.
“Notes of various denominations were dipped into our buckets….it seemed that just about everybody wanted to donate. It was an historic occasion, of course, for Limerick. The weather was most favourable and everybody was in good mood…. there was no hint of recession. The atmosphere was like Croke Park on All-Ireland final day”. There was a possibility, he continued, that the fund might even top the €100,000 mark.
“We are still counting…we were weighed down with cash and thankfully, all Limerick charities will be beneficiaries. We did not anticipate such a response”.
The same source had a tip for those engaged in tourism.
“At the entrance to the tunnel on the Dock Road side, there are two magnificent lakes, of which few, other than locals, could have been aware until now. There was an abundance of wildlife there last weekend, and now that the site has opened up, maybe they could now be highlighted”.
