05/08/24
April 20, 2006
The Irish Rugby Match "of the Century": might just cost Limerick its status as a city. Mayor Diarmuid Scully explained just what that would mean on NPR's Day to Day. In short, the loss of potential EU grants and Irish tax funds.
So if you're not home you don't live there anymore? I don't get it. How can you conduct a census based on who's home on any given day? There once was a city named Limerick, The population of which was quite sick, On census day, They left home to play, Now their economy is on the downtick. Ugh...I should be able to blame alcohol on that, but shamefully, I can't.
posted by tselson at 01:46 PM on April 20, 2006
Umm, is this for real? It sounds like an episode of Father Ted. How can you take a census in one day?!
posted by afx237vi at 03:16 PM on April 20, 2006
How else would you take a census? It seems obvious to me that you'd need to do it on one day - at some specific time if at all possible - rather than vaguely based on what's usually the case, but then I'm Irish, and it would seem that we can come out with such senseless rubbish as: "I'm asking for a flexible interpretation of the morning -- let morning stretch throughout the day," he said. "Let it stretch until midnight." As for it souding like an episode of Father Ted - that's what made Father Ted so funny. It's all real. It could virtually have been live. Regardless of what happens to Limerick's status as a city, I'm really looking forward to the match!
posted by JJ at 03:28 PM on April 20, 2006
In the USA we also do our census on a single day, but most people don't realize it. Most everyone receives either a short or long form and you're asked to send it back in on a certain day. We also send census takers to areas where we don't get a lot of forms returned. They'll try to get numbers on the day if possible, but there is leeway. People on vacation on Census Day are counted at their home address. From the 2000 Census rules: "Applying the usual residence concept to real living situations means that people will not always be counted at the place where they happen to be staying on Census Day (Saturday, April 1, 2000). For example, people temporarily away from their usual residence, such as on vacation or on a business trip on Census Day, will be counted at their usual residence." Yes, I used to work for the Bureau of the Census.
posted by ?! at 04:01 PM on April 20, 2006
Reminds me of hippies at Woodstock in 1969 calling Max Yasgur's farm "the third biggest city in New York." Always good to see some rugby stuff here, I posted it on my column. BTW, any thoughts about Rua Tipoki's 16-week suspension for smashing James Hilgendorf's eye-socket with his elbow? Too harsh? Too light?
posted by the red terror at 08:17 AM on April 21, 2006
I think Andy Dalton said it all: "We will not be appealing" Hard to make a comment without having seen it (I can't get the video link to work), but if he did what the Herald say he did, then it's right he was banned. 16 weeks seems a long time mind you. It's a game of controlled violence, so it's hardly surprising that sometimes it spills over. But, as I said, I haven't seen it.
posted by JJ at 08:51 AM on April 21, 2006
enough of this census rubbish- limerick is a kip and would be great if it was forgotten bout- bit harsh but just jokin!! the game on sunday is going to be ridiculous. basically irelands backs (and friends) vs irelands forwards (and friends)- drico and darc will run rings around munster and contepomi will kick em off the pitch
posted by charlo at 09:38 AM on April 21, 2006
My sister, who lives in that Isle of Serenity, Belfast, wrote to say Limerick is known as "Stab City", so the population problems might have a different source.
posted by yerfatma at 07:14 PM on April 21, 2006
I heard about this story, so did a quick search on the BBC for Limerick. The top story was about four donkeys stolen in Armagh which had shown up in Limerick. These Ulster donkeys will do jobs the Irish donkeys just won't. They should build a wall.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 10:13 AM on April 22, 2006
That made me cackle. (Well done Munster!)
posted by JJ at 07:52 AM on April 24, 2006
interesting links! But, I know nothing about any of this. So, they actually take census via head-count on 1 specific day? At first I was tempted to ask if this was a hoax, but from the multiple stories it seems like a significant issue ... Or, maybe this yankee (me) is just dense.