I am looking forward to leading a focused investment delegation to New York this week.
On my previous trip, I made contact with officials at the IDA and EI teams in New York. I am looking forward to reconnecting with my old colleague Gerald Angley, newly appointed as Irish Consul General, to share Limerick’s priorities and plans.
This second trip is about telling Limerick’s story to a range of other stakeholders who we believe, in one way or another, can help us in continuing to make our city and county a better place to live, work, learn and invest in.
Throughout the week, I will be meeting with a range of individuals and organisations who share a belief in Limerick’s potential - including the Friends of Limerick network, whose ongoing support for our city in New York is invaluable to us.
One key highlight of the trip will be a visit to New Brunswick, New Jersey, which as many of you will know, has shared a twinning agreement with Limerick since 1999, with the view to the development of a holistic international strategy for Limerick.
This week will be an opportunity to explore how we can revitalise and strengthen the long-standing connection with New Brunswick in a way that benefits both of us into the future.
I’m also looking forward to attending a fundraising event for Munster Rugby, following on from my meeting with CEO Ian Flanagan in City Hall last month. It really is a testament to the international strength of our sporting culture that such an event can be held in New York. It will be a powerful reminder of the strong connection between Limerick and Munster Rugby, and how sport continues to unite and promote our city, our county and our region on a global scale.
We’ll also be paying a special visit to the Brooklyn Fashion Incubator. People will be aware of my keenness to establish a ‘museum of fashion’ and fashion incubator in the More for Limerick mayoral programme.
There’s a real opportunity this week for us to bring back practical insights from Brooklyn to help shape a vision for a Fashion Quarter in our own city.
This week isn’t just a standalone visit. I will be following up on some of these initial engagements and seeking other investor engagement in a couple of weeks’ time when I intend to return to New York. During that next visit, towards the end of the month, I will also take in some of the 2025 Ryder Cup, which, as we know, will next be stopping in our own Adare in 2027.
We are continuing to tell Limerick’s story at home and abroad.
More for Limerick.
Full itinerary:
Tuesday 9th September:
- Meeting with Executive Coach and Thought Leadership Consultant, Worth Media Group and Chief Counsel at Oliver Wyman Group
Wednesday 10th September:
- Meeting with Executive Director, Irish Centre
- Friends of Limerick Business Networking Lunch
- Meeting with New York State Comptroller
- Attending Munster Rugby Fundraising Dinner
Thursday 11th September:
- Travel to New Brunswick
- Meeting with Mayor of New Brunswick
- Tour of the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center & Premiere Building
- Meeting with President of New Brunswick Development Corp (DEVCO)
- Tour Helix & Cancer Center
- Travel back to New York
Friday 12th September:
- Tour of the Brooklyn Fashion Incubator
- Site visit to Create-A-Marker, Manhattan
- Visit to business New York Embroidery
- Tour of and visit at NORDSTROM's new flagship women's and men's stores