Alan Jacques asked the opinions of some well known Limerick people on the possibility of the Shannon Bridge being renamed as the ‘John Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge’ and the area at Merchant’s Quay in the vicinity of Limerick City Hall and St Mary’s Cathedral, taking the title of Brian Ború Square’.
Joe Leddin (Labour councillor)
1. Do you think the names of these two city landmarks should be changed and why?
Yes, I think we should rename the Shannon Bridge in favour of a more prominent name while the area/ square at Merchants Quay is currently without a definite name.
2. What do you think of the proposal to name them after JFK and Brian Ború?
Naming or in this case renaming existing landmarks always creates an element of debate and reflection on our cities distinguished history and the Limerick people who have over the years excelled in their careers bringing national and international positive publicity for our City. In regard to the bridge we have already named the approach road the ‘Condell Road’ after Limerick’s first lady mayoress Francis Condell who was one of the city’s most distinguished and impressive Mayors. Mayor Condell welcomed the late JFK to Greenpark in 1963 and there is an obvious connection for renaming the bridge JFK bridge.
3. Anyone you might like to see The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay renamed after?
Renaming the area in front of City Hall I have a more open mind on and while again Brian Ború as the last ‘High King of Ireland’ and military leader was legendary this historic area located between our majestic King John’s Castle and St Mary’s Cathedral is worthy of a legendary name that befits the history of this part of our City.
4. What about our own Limerick heroes, shouldn’t we consider naming The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay after one of our own instead?
Limerick is fortunate to have a long list of native Limerick people who have brought great pride to our city internationally, rather than starting to name them individually we should as a City examine carefully the options available to us to properly honour these people over time.
Denis O’Shaughnessy (Writer)
1. Do you think the names of these two city landmarks should be changed and why?
The name Shannon Bridge is unimaginative and too obvious. Merchants’ Quay should to be named after some outstanding citizen or Irishman.
2. What do you think of the proposal to name them after JFK and Brian Ború?
The connections of John F Kennedy with Limerick are too tenuous to have a landmark named after him. A touristy gimmick. Brian Ború, yes.
3. Anyone you might like to see The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay renamed after?
The Brian Ború Bridge, our greatest King, with historical connections to the city, a fitting tribute on the millennium anniversary of his great victory at Clontarf.
Merchants Quay to be renamed Leonard Quay, after Denis Leonard, one of the great Limerickman of modern times: founding member and guiding light of Limerick Civic Trust: his conservation legacies can be seen all over the city.
4. What about our own Limerick heroes, shouldn’t we consider naming The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay after one of our own instead?
The Brian Ború Bridge and Leonard Quay.
Diarmuid Scully (Fine Gael councillor)
1. Do you think the names of these two city landmarks should be changed and why?
The space in front of City Hall and St Mary’s Cathedral doesn’t have a unique name — it’s simply part of Merchants Quay, so naming that for the first time is highly appropriate. The bridge, I’m less sure about. Shannon bridge is a reasonably good name and any change would have to be for the better.
2. What do you think of the proposal to name them after JFK and Brian Ború?
Cllr John Gilligan proposed the idea of Brian Ború Square about a year ago and I supported that then and would do so now. The city has never formally honoured the O’Brien family who were the ones who made Limerick the capital of the Kingdom of Munster and the reason why King’s Island is called King’s Island. It’s also the point where the Vikings originally landed.
St Mary’s Cathedral — our most historic landmark — is built on the site of the Palace of the Kings of Munster, which in itself was built on the site of the Viking Thingmoot — our very first elected City Council, so I think some piece of public artwork commemorating the Vikings, the O’Brien Kings of Munster and Limerick’s more than 1,000 years of history as a self-governing city should also be considered for the square.
Limerick has, deservedly, heaped honours on JFK. He was made a Freeman of the City and had Kennedy Park named after him not to mention JFK school. Is he an appropriate person to name a bridge after? Most certainly. Is he the most appropriate? I’m not so sure.
3. Anyone you might like to see The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay renamed after?
Brian Ború Square is about right, though perhaps O’Brien Square should also be considered, given that Brian Ború himself never reigned from Limerick.
Shannon Bridge is a much harder one. I’ve gotten a lot of suggestions, some I don’t want to make public, but have conveyed to the Mayor. The general consensus is that the bridge should be named after a Limerick person. Kate O’Brien is one of the names mentioned by several people, but there are others. If we are determined to mark the link with the Kennedy family, then Limerick’s connection is actually through the Fitzgeralds, something already honoured in Bruff and with the Honey Fitz theatre in Lough Gur.
4. What about our own Limerick heroes, shouldn’t we consider naming The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay after one of our own instead?
The O’Brien’s are “one of our own”. We might be stretching the point slightly with Brian Ború, but he’s descendants were definitely Limerick people.
JFK could also be considered “one of our own” through his mother’s side and the Fitzgerald family from County Limerick, but the link to the city is more tenuous. My gut feeling is to press ahead with the square and reflect a little more on the bridge.
Leanne Moore (Singer)
1. Do you think the names of these two city landmarks should be changed and why?
The trouble with changing the name of well known landmarks is that more often than not people will still opt to use their old names. It’s hard to adapt in some cases. But I personally would have no objection to any reasonable suggestion to rename these two landmarks.
2. What do you think of the proposal to name them after JFK and Brian Ború?
Though history wasn’t my finest subject, I do remember learning about Brian Ború in school. The proposal to have a ‘Brian Ború Square’ in the city — especially in a year of such significance seems reasonable. Although I do think many will not immediately understand the significance of Brian Ború and JFK to the city. I needed a brief history lesson myself!
3. Anyone you might like to see The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay renamed after?
How about some great Shannon men? Marcus Horan or Jerry Flannery perhaps? I joke!
4. What about our own Limerick heroes, shouldn’t we consider naming The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay after one of our own instead?
Limerick is loaded with people we are proud to say hail from the city and county. The people have always been the greatest asset. Dwindling down the names to just two would be difficult and require a lot of thought. Different people mean different things to everyone. But there are so many Limerick people born and reared in the city, it would be an exercise well worth while.
Blindboy Boatclub (Rubberbandits)
1. Do you think the names of these two city landmarks should be changed and why?
I liked it when the Shannon Bridge was called the ‘Whistling Bridge’ and it actually used to whistle.
2. What do you think of the proposal to name them after JFK and Brian Ború?
Not JFK anyway, that’s just yanky arse-licking. Brian Ború was a Clare man technically but certainly a legend worthy of serious recognition.
3. Anyone you might like to see The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay renamed after?
Yes, Dr William Brooke O’Shaughnessy. He was a Limerick doctor who introduced Western medicine to the therapeutic use of cannabis. He also invented electrolyte salts, which is a fluid replacement drug that has saved more lives than any other in Africa. For some mad reason he’s been forgotten by Limerick. Given that the world’s attitudes towards cannabis, in particular it’s medicinal use is changing. We need to embrace the legacy of O’Shaughnessy and get Limerick the recognition it deserves for producing medicinal hash.
4. What about our own Limerick heroes, shouldn’t we consider naming The Shannon Bridge and Merchant’s Quay after one of our own instead?
Here’s my proposal. On the Shannon Bridge there should be a plaque reading ‘Dr William Brooke O’Shaughnessy Bridge’ with a picture of a hash leaf on the plaque. Also, through clever acoustic engineering of the bridges railings we could get it to whistle out the opening melody of ‘Kingston Town’ by UB40 whenever there’s a strong breeze. This would also pay homage to the bridge’s former folk name of “the singing bridge”.
I challenge anyone to tell me why that’s a bad idea. “There’s a bridge in Limerick named after the man who invented hash and it whistles UB40 tunes during strong gales”. Imagine if that was a real sentence in the English language? We’d be inundated with tourists.
