TLC2 draws over 13k

Paul O'Connell and a young volunteer at TLC2

Maser and Paul O'Connell at Maser Mural on Thomas Street Limerick

Over 13,500 people were out on the streets of Limerick city and county on Friday 25th March to take part in the biggest one-day clean-up ever staged in Ireland.

This was the second year for the Team Limerick Clean-up initiative to be staged and the 2015 event attracted over 10,000 volunteers. Sponsored by the JP McManus Benevolent Fund, Team Limerick Clean-up2, (TLC2) is fronted by Paul O’Connell and was launched at the O’Connell Monument in Limerick today, where volunteers joined JP and Paul as they raised the starter flag to launch the countywide event.

Co-ordinated by Limerick City & County Council, Team Limerick Clean-up2 (TLC2) brought a diverse range of volunteers together including families, community groups, schools, residents’ associations, parishes, businesses and sports clubs from all over the county to clean-up their local area in a bid to make Limerick the tidiest and cleanest city in the country. It is estimated that 50,000 bags of litter will have been collected on the day by the event partner, Mr Binman.

Tea/coffee gatherings for volunteers, neighbours and friends were hosted at hundreds of locations throughout the county. These took place in people’s homes, community & sports centres and schools where over 7,000 people attended to celebrate their clean-ups.

Commenting at the launch, TLC sponsor, JP McManus said: “We are delighted that Team Limerick Clean-Up is taking place for a second consecutive year. The increase in numbers by over 3,500 volunteers is testament to last year’s inaugural event and shows how much people really wanted to get out to clean up their neighbourhoods and help make a difference. We also have a huge interest in the many tea/coffee gatherings hosted after the clean-up which provide a great opportunity for neighbours and friends to catch up over a well-deserved cup of tea”

He concluded; “The entire event is a huge community effort from the people of Limerick and we want to thank each and every one of them for taking part.”

Paul O’Connell added: “It’s great to see so many hi-vis jackets dotted along the roads with people busy picking, brushing and cleaning their areas. It makes me very proud to be a Limerick man and to witness this clean-up event having grown from strength to strength in the space of 12 months. We have started the ball rolling with a simple concept and it’s really positive that other counties are following suit.”

Team Limerick Clean-Up (TLC) is an initiative sponsored by the JP McManus Benevolent Fund and administered by Limerick City and County Council. Endorsed by Paul O’Connell, the official partners include Mr. Binman, The Limerick Leader and Limerick’s Live 95FM. Participants this year included current and ex-Munster rugby players Keith Earls, David Wallace and Jerry Flannery.