by Alan Jacques
JANESBORO woman Sarah Lee Kiely was so inspired by the recent Six Nations’ success of local rugby stars Paul O’Connell and Niamh Briggs that she is now campaigning for a ‘wall of fame’ in the city to honour Limerick-born heroes.
Sarah Lee, a chef, mother of two, and Fine Gael party member, was spurred into action following Paul and Niamh’s double victory to do something that would hone that uplifting and positive buzz on the whole city and county for more than just a single weekend.
“The idea is a for a wall of fame for Limerick City and County to honour our Limerick-born sons and daughters who have had a positive impact on peoples lives,” the 36-year-old explains.
“I was listening to all the well wishes and positivity around in relation to Paul O’Connell and Niamh Briggs. It has had such an uplifting and positive effect on our city and county.
We have a lot to be proud of in Limerick, sometimes we do get negative press nationally but we are so resilient and bounce back. I really believe Limerick people, born here or settled here, are a strong positive community,” she said.
After attending a conference in Thomond Park as part of the citywide children and youth forum, where speaker Dr Fergus Heffernan’s lecture on positivity and mental health had a huge impression on Sarah Lee, she decided to take the bull by the horns.
“That night and the following day I was doing a lot of thinking and on Live 95 FM’s ‘Limerick Today’ programme there was lots of chat about how to honour Paul O’Connell and Niamh Briggs. That’s when I got the idea,” Ms Kiely told the Limerick Post.
“I was thinking of people from all walks of life and as Limerick is a walled city, a wall is fitting for this kind of project. It could be a focal point in the city, a meeting place, a learning tool, a reminder of positivity, and a tourist attraction.”
Sarah Lee admits that she often admires the black and white wall outside the main entrance to UL and believes a similar structure would be a beautiful addition to the city centre.
“The wall would have an image of each person on it, maybe made of bronze or copper to give it texture and depth and a short bio of each person. I would love to use braille as well as Irish and English,” she reveals.
Ms Kiely is now hoping Limerick City and County Council will come on board to support her with her idea. She is also planning to give a proposal to Arts Minister Heather Humphreys this week at a meeting in Dublin.
Some of the names she envisions on Limerick’s wall of fame include Paul O’Connell, Richard Harris, Patrick Sarsfield, John Shinnors, Mick Mackey and Terry Wogan.
