Limerick bags major event after negative Forbes article

LIMERICK has turned negative publicity on its head as it scooped a major event, following a controversial US magazine article.

Forbes magazine has now committed to hosting a ‘30 Under 30’ initiative for Limerick to celebrate the city’s entrepreneurs.

The event is due to be covered across its global platforms, which reach a monthly audience of approximately 200million.

Mayor of Limerick Michael Collins wrote to the publication after an article was published last week branding Limerick a ‘warzone’. The piece – which profiled Ireland’s youngest billionaires, John and Patrick Collison – claimed the Stripefounding brothers had ‘escaped’ from ‘Stab City’ to Silicon Valley, while claiming Limerick was ‘known as the “murder capital” of Europe.

John Collison described the article as ‘daft’, while Patrick said the idea of ‘overcoming’ anything is crazy.

The piece was removed shortly after publication, as it was admitted it failed to meet Forbes’s standards.’ Now the magazine’s editor, Randall Lane, has told Mayor Collins he will visit Limerick personally and host a Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ gathering.

Mayor Collins said: ‘This is a creative solution and a positive opportunity that Randall Lane has presented so that a global audience can see the talent Limerick has incubated. In a city where more than 50% of the population is under 35, I think Forbes will be spoilt for choice.’