Regeneration chief ‘flip flops’ on gang meetings issue

As reports circulated last week of fresh so called ‘peace talks’ between rival limerick gangs, the head of the Limerick regeneration agency Brendan Kenny has defended his efforts to chair similar meetings earlier this year, meetings he denied previously his agency had any involvement with.

Speaking to today’s Limerick leader Kenny confirmed he ‘facilitated the rival factions’ who had allegedly said they wanted to end their feuds. He confirmed he chaired three separate meetings earlier this year.

Mr Kenny also stressed that "meetings" took place, not "talks" or "negotiations", and added that it was understandable that some people would be outraged that such meetings took place at all.

However, he points out that it was unavoidable that staff at the Regeneration offices would have to interact with residents engaged in serious criminality during the course of the Regeneration programme because plans are in place to demolish houses in Southill, Ballinacurra Weston, St Mary's Park and Moyross, where a number of feuding families live.

Mr Kenny confirmed that a request to facilitate meetings was initially refused, "but after a period of relative calm in gangland activity we agreed to meet both sides separately and then one meeting was held where both sides attended in our meeting room in the Agency Offices at Roxboro".
Via Limerick Leader

But wait a minute, flashback to a September Irish Examiner Article,

“A person linked to the Limerick Regeneration Agency has been meeting with individuals involved in the feud and last night’s planned meeting followed on these discussions.

Its chief Brendan Kenny denied last night that his organisation was involved in any discussions with feud gangs.”

These meeting were criticised by Mayor of Limerick John Gilligan at the time.

Last Sunday it was reported in a national paper that two Limerick families were involved in talks for Christmas. The paper claims that rivals Jack Collopy and Jimmy Collins exchanged Xmas good will through their paper. Read that here. grano salis required though.

It was just this past May that a provisional truce was supposedly agreed between the rival factions.