The new mayor of Limerick today defended the city's reputation against comments made by a judge suggesting it deserved to be known as "stab city".
Dozens of knife attacks in Limerick over the past number of years, understood to be linked to ongoing feuds between gangland families, has earned it the name.
Judge Tom O'Donnell, dealing with an assault case involving a knife, told Limerick District Court yesterday: "It never ceases to amaze me the fact that citizens cannot go about their business or out for an evening's entertainment without somebody somewhere producing a knife.
"The city has a very bad name for this type of thing. I sometimes wonder if Limerick deserves the name it has due to a variety of weapons that are available at night on the streets of the city.
"It never ceases to amaze me the amount of assaults with a knife in the city."
Councillor Dick Sadlier, newly appointed mayor of the city, said today: "I think they [his comments] are unfortunate in that his judgment is influenced by the fact that he is constantly dealing with the criminal element of society.
"I can understand how one would become frustrated under those circumstances."
But he said: "It is very unfair to Limerick. It doesn't reflect the reality of Limerick people. We are being put on the back foot where we are having to defend ourselves."
He denied that the level of serious crime in Limerick was worse than in other parts of the country: "There are figures available which showthe town is considerably better than a number of other cities in Ireland."
Judge O'Donnell sentenced Patrick Moloney (20), a plasterer, of Garryowen, to three months imprisonment for stabbing another man twice in a late-night attack in February.
PA