Limerick Gathering shortlisted for national award

Limerick City and County Council’s work in promoting the Limerick International Fashion & Design Festival has led to the Local Authority being shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

The Council has been nominated in the newly introduced ‘Gathering Award’ category of Chambers Ireland’s Excellence in Local Government Awards 2013, which is being hosted in association with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and sponsored by EirGrid, The Gathering Ireland 2013 and Tipperary Crystal.

As one of Limerick’s three flagship events for the Gathering 2013, the Limerick International Fashion and Design Festival is hoping to attract in excess of 140 overseas visitors to the City later this month. The Festival is organised by the Limerick-based Holman Lee Agency with the support of Limerick City and County Council.

Mayor of Limerick Cllr. Kathleen Leddin, who will be attending the awards ceremony on Wednesday 13th November in Dublin’s Hilton Hotel, commented: “For the Limerick International Fashion & Design Festival to be shortlisted in an exceptionally competitive category is a reflection of the time and effort invested by communities right across Limerick in promoting the Gathering initiative.”

According to Mary Killeen Fitzgerald, Gathering Limerick Coordinator: “In considering a local  Gathering for this awards scheme, Limerick City and County Council looked for a festival or event that not only was in keeping with the ethos of the Gathering Ireland initiative but also helped to showcase Limerick to an international audience. The fact that the Limerick International Fashion & Design Festival has been shortlisted before the event has even taken place is testament to the many months of hard work carried out by the organising committee in conjunction with the Limerick Gathering Team based at City Hall.”

“Unlike many other Gathering events, this Festival will uniquely attract people who are not exclusively part of the Diaspora to Ireland, many probably for the first time,” stated Ms. Killeen Fitzgerald.

She added: “I am delighted to learn that the organisers hope to hold the event again in 2014 as part of the Limerick National City of Culture initiative. Links have been established with fashion design schools in Britain, Europe and the USA and it is hoped that the exchange of Ideas and contacts will be of benefit to Irish students on an ongoing basis in the furtherance of their careers in the fashion industry. Furthermore, clothing retailers will play a central role in the event as will the local fashion and business community in ensuring that this will be an international event of a significant economic benefit to the wider Limerick region.”

The event from 29th October to 2nd November will see fashion students from all around the world competing for the prestigious title of International Fashion Student Designer 2013. Other highlights of the Festival include a Sybil Connelly Exhibition at the Hunt Museum who will be exhibiting a selection from its extensive collection of Sybil Connelly’s archives of design notebooks, swatches, illustrations and photographs from Tuesday, 29th October – Saturday, 2nd November.

‘Limerick Style’ on Wednesday, 30th October, a morning coffee fashion presentation highlighting Limerick as a desirable shopping destination featuring the region’s premier clothing retailers, also in the former Franciscan Church, Henry Street, Limerick. ‘Fashion Fusion’ Friday 1st November gala dinner and fashion show in association with Bóthar and Masterchefs Hospitality, with special guest celebrity TV chef Rachel Allen, showcasing the best of Irish and International designer collections in Thomond Park.

The Festival is one of 161 Gathering Limerick festivals and events taking place during 2013. Other events scheduled to take place during the coming weeks include the Legends International Tag Rugby Festival (25-26 Oct) and Richard Harris International Film Festival (6-8 Dec).

For more visit www.thegatheringireland.com or follow the Gathering Limerick on Facebook (TheGatheringLimerick) or Twitter (@TheGatheringLk).
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