Lord mayors and mayors from 11 cities, including Dublin, Belfast and Derry, gathered in Limerick yesterday to join with the City Council in celebrating the 800th anniversary of the granting of a charter to the city in 1197. Among the guests at a special commemoration meeting of the council and a celebration banquet later at Bunratty international convention centre was the Earl of Limerick, the Right Hon Patrick Sexton Pery KBE. One of his ancestors, Edmond Sexton, was mayor of Limerick in 1535, and another, Edmond Sexton Pery MP, was Grattan's Speaker of the Irish parliament in 17751787 and developer of Newtown Pery, the modern Georgian city of Limerick.
The Mayor of Limerick, Mr Frank Leddin, welcomed the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Le Mans, Mr Jean Bonboust, and members of the chamber. He said the link with the French city was established by the late Mr Jim Kemmy when he was mayor. He then paid a special tribute to the late deputy for using "his enormous energy in working for the benefit of Limerick".