The Long And the Short Of It
The Mayor of Limerick, Jim Long, has been embroiled in a number of controversies recently. So who is he? What does he represent? And is he really a racist, as his accusers claim?
Olaf Tyaransen, 18 Apr 2012
At what age did you get married?
Oh, I was married at 20 years of age. A local girl, Mary. We have five children. 40 years on, we’re still married and still depend on each other. I have a great relationship with my wife and family. I made a good move that day and I never regretted it. Can’t give her back now anyway, the guarantee is up on her! She’d love to hear that (laughs).
Do you drink?
I love a bottle of Miller. I wouldn’t be an excessive drinker. I can handle it. I can walk away from it. Fair to say that I enjoy a bottle of Miller most evenings. I take one in the comfort of my own home. Might have one or two on the way home. It’s down to one now. When I go home, I might pop three bottles.
You were 52 when you became a councillor.
But I elected an awful lot of people in Limerick! We had the ability to go to the door and listen to people, that’s where it paid off. We didn’t go looking for something. We’d hear what they had to say and then we’d ask for something, but even if we couldn’t do it, we’d go back and say, “Sorry, we can’t do it.” And that’s what won them over. Again, it’s having the ability to engage with people.
What’s your feeling on Limerick’s reputation as ‘Stab City’?
I used to get annoyed but, then again, we made a gallant effort about seven years ago... We created a pin that you wear on your lapel called ‘Fab City’. We were really chuffed with it and we nearly got the message out, but when we launched ‘Fab City’, Limerick City Council were also rebranding the city as ‘Riverside City’. They had the money, the power and the marketing, and we lost. But Limerick City is a fabulous city. I know I’m being biased and Limerick City has its problems, but the problems were given to the city. We were the only local authority in the region that was given the remit of social housing. There’s very little in the county. Limerick took 60% of the social housing units. In fairness, people needed houses. Limerick City Council responded. They were servicing the needs of the people, but it had an adverse effect on the city.
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