A REVIEW of Limerick featured on a pre-installed travel app on the new Microsoft Windows 8 system paints a grim picture of the city. The app, which features content from the Frommer’s travel guide series, labels Limerick as a “gritty’ city that is “is working hard to throw off the grim legacy” bestowed by Frank McCourt’s novel ‘Angela’s Ashes’.
The review continued: “Still, despite the effort to scrub itself up, the city suffers from a crime problem so serious that the Irish who once wryly dubbed this place ‘Stab City’ have started calling it ‘Slab City’.
In 2008 it was the murder capital of Europe while Ireland was named the safest country in the same report.”
The guide also warns tourists visiting King John’s Castle to “use extra caution when carrying handbags or pricey cameras, and pay to park in a parking lot rather than on the street”.
The review acknowledges the work of the tourist board in “making efforts to clean the place up” but concludes that Limerick city “still feels like a rough old town”.
The app is slightly more favourable towards Limerick County, describing it as “much less scary” than the city, and encourages tourists to visit Adare, Lough Gur, Glin Castle and Rathkeale.
The app, which has been installed on millions of Microsoft operating systems, has prompted local tourism interests to promote a more positive image of the city and its many attractions.
Among those helping to counteract the inaccurate representation of the Riverside City is Orla O’Connor, web coordinator for Limerick.ie, who is currently developing the first official Limerick iPhone app which highlights its many attractions and events.
Ms O’Connor told Limerick Post: “Limerick’s online image has improved greatly due to the Limerick.ie website which is the number one result on a Google search for Limerick. The aim of the new app, which will be launched in January 2013, is to reflect a positive image of Limerick by highlighting the wealth of attractions, accommodations and events that are available to visitors in Limerick city and county.”
“Limerick’s image is directly affected by the availability of the right information and every effort must be made to present this information to a global audience. The new Limerick app will use content from the Limerick.ie website to present relevant and up-to-date information about Limerick to the growing numbers of mobile app users.”
The Limerick Communications Office is currently investigating the Windows 8 travel app and attempts have been made to contact Frommer’s. However no reply had been received at the time of going to press.
