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Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
'Easier to get cocaine in Limerick than a pint', students tell author
Best-selling author Joseph O'Connor has revealed how students have told him "it is easier to get cocaine in Limerick than it is to get a pint." His comments come amid growing concern that the city is now the "go-to place" to get crack cocaine. O'Connor, who is head of creative writing at University of Limerick (UL), said students have highlighted situations where 'menus' advertising a range of different drugs have been dropped through the letterboxes of their houses near campus. 'Not unlike a delivery service, flyers have been put through the letterboxes of premises where students are staying with a kind of menu of what's available, to give us a call and we'll have it round to you in 30 minutes," O'Connor said. The easy availability of different types of drugs in the city is something he said he finds frightening as a parent. 'If you are 18 or so, and if you're a first year, you go into a bar in Limerick, you'll be asked for ID. But that is not the case with cocaine. If you're a parent of university students as I am, that's a very frightening situation. I have worked at UL for 11 years and over the years, the students have spoken to me mentioning the drug situation in Limerick, and how prevalent drugs are. 'Drugs menus' are also being shared on WhatsApp groups with prices ranging from €20 to €850, depending on the type of drugs or quantity, the Irish Examiner can reveal. In addition to these 'menus', QR codes are being plastered on lamp posts in different parts of the city, including near Mary Immaculate College and on O'Connell Street. Those interested scan the code, which brings 'customers' direct to a website which promises a range of drugs delivered direct to their door. There are growing concerns that Limerick is at risk of becoming the 'becoming the drug capital of Ireland' according to local Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan. He said Limerick has became the 'go- to place' to get crack cocaine, with people travelling from other parts of the country to avail of the drug which is now easily available and cheaper than heroin, with a spike in addicts resulting in a 'Walking Dead-type' of situation in parts of the city. Last week, gardaí made a number of arrests following searches in the city. Drugs worth over €500,000 were seized, along with €30,000 in cash, close to 200 rounds of firearms ammunition and other drug-related paraphernalia. Last month, Owen Treacy, aged 28, with an address at St Ita's St, St Mary's Park, Limerick, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to storing cocaine, heroin, and cannabis in Kinder chocolate eggshells before selling them on the street. His sister, Stephanie Treacy, was previously jailed for two years for the same offences. Read More Former Ryanair pilot remanded over €10m cannabis seizure in Clare
Associated Press
29-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Applegate Farms, LLC Expands Chicken Product Line with APPLEGATE NATURALS® Lightly Breaded Chicken Tenders and Popcorn Chicken
Made with Applegate Humanely Raised1 all white meat chicken, these lightly breaded, gluten-free frozen offerings bring crispy and delicious protein to dinner plates in minutes. BEDMINSTER, N.J., April 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- APPLEGATE®, the nation's leading natural and organic meat brand, is proud to introduce two new additions to its frozen chicken portfolio: APPLEGATE NATURALS® Lightly Breaded Chicken Tenders and APPLEGATE NATURALS® Lightly Breaded Popcorn Chicken. Made with all whole cuts of white meat chicken that is Applegate Humanely Raised 1 with no antibiotics ever, the new Lightly Breaded line is gluten-free and packed with crispy, craveable flavor from natural, minimally processed ingredients. With 12-14 grams of protein per serving and a gluten-free rice flour coating, the Lightly Breaded line has two fewer grams of carbs and two more grams of protein per serving than APPLEGATE NATURALS® Gluten Free Chicken Breast Tenders. As with Applegate's other frozen offerings, APPLEGATE NATURALS® Lightly Breaded Chicken Tenders and Popcorn Chicken are ready in minutes. The two new offerings come in resealable 'family size' bags for added convenience. 'Applegate's Lightly Breaded product expansion fills American's hunger for more delicious, easy-to-make protein options available right from their freezer, " said Joseph O'Connor, President of Applegate. 'With Lightly Breaded, we've dialed back on the breading for extra crispiness and continue to deliver the nutritious and high-quality chicken Applegate is known for. We know it'll be a hit with chicken tenders and popcorn chicken fans -- including those who are concerned with or sensitive to gluten!' In the Frozen Breaded Chicken category, Applegate has a repeat purchase rate that's 1.9 times higher than the category average2. Applegate hopes to extend its success in the aisle with the introduction of the Lightly Breaded line, bringing 14 offerings now to shelf, including natural and organic lines, as well as gluten-free options. APPLEGATE NATURALS® Lightly Breaded Chicken Tenders and Popcorn Chicken will be available on store shelves at select retailers including Whole Foods, Stop & Shop and Demoulas in May 2025 and has an MSRP of $12.99-14.99. For more information, visit or connect with us on social media at About Applegate Farms LLC Founded in 1987, Applegate Farms, LLC produces high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Our products are made without GMO ingredients, and we source from farms where animals are treated with care and respect, pursuant to our Applegate Humanely Raised 1 guidelines, and are allowed to grow at their natural rate, all part of our mission – Changing The Meat We Eat®. Natural can mean many things, but to Applegate natural means our food is: Applegate became a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015. For more information about our products, visit or talk with us on or send a text to (908) 725-5800. 1 - Applegate Humanely Raised is a system that raises animals with space to engage in natural behaviors to promote natural growth. 2 - Nielsen x-AOC latest 52 weeks ending 3.30.24 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE APPLEGATE
