Cranberries man Noel Hogan is lending his support - and impressive beard! - to Limerick’s bid to become the 2020 European Capital of Culture.
“When the Cranberries took off I was privileged to play and travel all over the world experiencing the many different cultures and music on offer, which really  broadened my life experiences,” he reflects. “But even when we stayed for any length at time in the most amazing places at the back of my mind I was still thinking of home, Limerick my hometown with family, friends and the beautiful Georgian landmarks.
 “I love Limerick, we have seen so many changes since the heady days of the Cranberries of the 90s, it’s almost unrecognisable, physically and culturally since then and it’s still continuing to evolve on every level. Limerick has had a raw deal over the years in the press, every big city has had its share of crime but outsiders seem to the think we have more. A lot of outsiders generally don’t realise the wealth of culture and beauty in the city. Last year was an extraordinary year for the city when it was City of Culture, there were so many amazing projects from FuerzaBruta, Royal De Luxe and the visit of the Granny to the music legacy project called the Pigtown Fling – which I worked on. It was a truly ambitious project where we put together a year of workshops , songwriting , rehearsals  and recordings with over 50 performers/songwriters across all musical genres. We recorded 17 news songs on CD. The project demonstrated the sheer scale of musical talent in Limerick city and how sustainable it was. I was blown away by the talent and couldn’t imagine this happening anywhere else in the country.
 “This September there was a month long culture extravaganza in Limerick called the 061 (the dialing code for Limerick) I got involved in Love Letters from Limerick, which was an art and collaboration gift project to the city. The top international sign writers from all over the world came to Limerick and in addition to workshops they worked on a huge sign which they gifted to the city. The sign title was taken from our very first 10 million selling album title ‘Everyone else is doing it, so why can’t we?’
And that’s how I feel about Limerick, with the wealth of experience we garnered from last year’s City of Culture, there is no city better placed to be European Capital of Culture 2020.  Not to mention it’s a fun city!”
Echoing those sentiments is Limerick rugby legend Paul O’Connell.
“Sport is a huge part of our culture and in Limerick it’s in our blood; it crosses all cultures and boundaries, bringing people from all backgrounds, age groups and ethnicity together,” he proffers. “In Limerick there is a huge wealth of cultural activity be it sport, music, art, theatre, fashion, community and heritage. Personally, I really saw that proven in 2014 during Limerick’s reign as national City of Culture. It was fantastic to see the crowds of people at all the various cultural events that were put on across the city and county; who would have thought that in Limerick, a Giant Granny could captivate the hearts of more people than a Heineken Cup game in Thomond Park! In the past Limerick had a misconceived reputation, 2014 really worked on the regeneration of that and if Limerick won the European Capital of Culture bid for 2020 it would capitalise on that regeneration, bringing Limerick to the very top of the cultural realm in both Ireland and Europe.
“Considering its size, our home in Limerick has produced some amazing artists, designers, entertainers, writers, performers and much more. Given my career, I’m extremely familiar with the importance of teamwork and the Limerick of today is now working as a strong team. It is a confident, energetic place that is clearly on the road to a great future. Limerick 2020 would give many Limerick people the opportunity to excel on a broader stage, connecting the people of Limerick, culturally and I believe the Limerick 2020 European Capital of Culture bid comes at a perfect time. The Limerick 2020 bid is about teamwork and my belief is that our team has everything it needs to be a winning one.”
Completing an impressive hat-trick is Booker Prize-nominated author Donal Ryan who adds: “For anyone who has an artistic mind set but has yet to explore it fully I think the opportunity that the bid presents is endless. So many talented creatives feel the urge to drop their talent in return for a ‘traditional job’. They feel they need to play safe. The fact that a place like Limerick, a small city, a scrapper of a city, could win such a prestigious bid would give such a boost not just to the city but the vast number of talented creatives the city is now generating.
“There is a performance in the everyday in Limerick. The smallest little thing can become a fascinating drama. There is an addictive quality to the way Limerick people tell their stories, a sense of fearlessness that goes back almost a thousand years. Limerick stood against so many invaders and was never conquered. It says it all really.”
They’re up against Dublin, Galway and the Three Sisters - Kilkenny, Waterford & Wexford - with the winning bid being announced on November 13.

Picture: Noel Hogan with Cranberries bandmate Fergal Lawlor and one of his many Gold Discs