LIMERICK’S fighting spirit is well documented throughout the annals of history.
An ancient city well versed in the art of war, its sieged defences stood strong against William of Orange’s forces in 1691 as heroic Limerick men staved off an attack with sticks and stones from its battlement walls.
The history books also show that from the flight of the Wild Geese to the unforgiving battlefields of Gallipoli, many brave Limerick sons have fought and died in the world’s bloodiest conflicts.
Of course, Limerick men also have a proven record of standing tall and strong on the sporting field and doing battle with the best of them.
To borrow Munster rugby’s motto: “To the brave and faithful, nothing is impossible”. Limerick giant-slayers have shown this in iconic fashion down the years. Munster beating the All Blacks at Thomond Park in 1978 and Andy Lee being crowned WBO middleweight boxing champion are just two such memorable occasions.
Last Saturday evening another mammoth battle took place on a Limerick playing field; one that is sure to live on in the memory of the 822 people in attendance at the Markets Field.
The spirit and skill displayed by Limerick FC in a gutsy 4-3 win over Bohemians was straight off the pages of ‘Roy of the Rovers’. It was a magical and thrilling night of football, the kind little boys and grown men dream about. For 90 minutes, the glory years were back again.
With 21 games without a win and relegation looming, there had not been much to cheer about at the Markets Field. Well, not until, a nerve-wracking victory over Sligo Rovers two weeks ago anyway.
Despite this, a small band of resilient and ever-loyal supporters, in true heroic Limerick fashion, continually don the blue and white every weekend to come out and cheer on their team.
The ‘Super Blues’ have a new fire in their bellies and they need the people of Limerick to stand up and get behind them. So, get up to the Markets Field next Monday, August 17 at 7.45pm and let the battle cry ring out: “We are staying up, we are staying up!”
