Welcome to Limerick. Take a look around. Look at our, ah, market and, ah, there’s a castle over there, but, ah, I wouldn’t actually go over there.
Labeta Debela
The papers are running with the story of Labeta Debela today. An African guy who lives in Limerick and likes to run. He landed in hospital after running through Moyross. The Examiner are claiming that it may be racially motivated. The Irish Times focuses on how many races he’s won since he arrived here. (He’s Ethiopian, running races against mostly Irish people = Big fish. Dried up pond). The Limerick Leader runs with its usual ‘isn’t it awful, this is not in the spirit of real Limerick people’ self-aggrandising, even quoting his trainer at one point saying ‘He’s a lovely young man.’
It is awful what happened to the poor guy but to be honest this stuff happens in Limerick every day. The papers are wondering why it wasn’t reported to the guards but hardly any of these events are reported to the guards. (I was headbutted on O’Connell Street in Limerick back in 2000, in the middle of the day, for no reason. I didn’t tell anyone because I was supposed to be at school.)
Here’s what I think happened. The guy is running along the road. A bunch of Moyross’ finest are standing by a wall. They joke about the guy (after all why would you run unless there’s a guard chasing you) and then the guy sees a car coming, runs onto the footpath and is tripped by an outstretched leg. His momentum etc. was probably enough to land him unconscious. And then they laugh the haughty laugh of the scummer.
I don’t think it had anything to do with the fact that he’s African. If it’d been anybody running through Moyross the result would have been the same. Most people I know reacted to this story saying ‘What the fuck was he doing running through Moyross for?’ Perhaps he was in training for the Olympics in London thinking he’ll have to run through Hackney during the marathon. I think that’d be a great sport. Running through the world’s most problematic estates. They’ll run faster, the locals get to be on TV hurling petrol bombs and abuse in equal measure, and I get to see the estates without having to go there. Everyone’s a winner. Sponsored by Buckfast. If ITV or TV3 hear about this it’s going to happen.
And to end this I’ll say what all Limerick people would say in response ‘There’s plenty of nice people living in Moyross too you know.’
I know there is. It’s their delinquent kids I’d be worried about.
Hi, I know the lad in question, and your analysis is a little off, it was even worse than you say. He was running through moyross at it was his way home to knocknalisheen, the only other way from the city is to get a bus which only runs twice a day. Secondly, a car was on the road so he had to move in by the footpath. He was then grabbed by one of the scummers, and they punched the heck out of him and then woke up in hospital with blood all over him and his nose broken. Hopefully there’s cctv of the incident because the two who did it (young, 20ish, and drunk by the sounds of things) should quite simply be tortured, they could easily have killed him. Scum like this don’t deserve a life to be honest.
Hi, thanks for your comment. I don’t pretend to know what happened. I’m just saying it happens all the time and we don’t hear about it. The bus service in Limerick is a joke so I see what you’re saying. It’s just random violence. I don’t think torture is the answer though. That’s just lowering to their level. In saying that I don’t know what the answer is. I hope the lad makes a proper and speedy recovery.