Limerick's Municipal Museum has been renamed in memory of the socialist and trade unionist whose name was synonomous with the city. It is now the Jim Kemmy Municipal Museum in recognition of his contribution to the preservation of the city's heritage.
As well as being a nationally known politician and lifelong trade unionist, Mr Kemmy was a keen local historian. He died in September, 1997, aged 61.
Last week the mayor of the city, Cllr Jack Bourke, said he had been determined to carry out the dedication in memory of a friend who had done much for the arts in his native city and who had donated so many of the museum's exhibits. "He never thought about any other place but Limerick. That was his absolute God and he wanted everything kept and everything preserved," he said.
Jim Kemmy would have had a great interest in the artefacts recently found in the Abbey river, Cllr Bourke added, among which is a mortar ball, dating from the 1690 Williamite siege of Limerick.
The museum's curator, Mr Larry Walsh, said the mortar ball was packed with gunpowder and had a fuse attached. "It is very rare to be able to say they were from a known battle. That was the only time such a bomb was fired into the city," he said.
The mortar ball was found along with other artefacts during the excavation of the Abbey and Shannon rivers, being undertaken as part of Limerick's main drainage project. An exhibition will be held this month in a joint operation between the museum staff and the drain project's archaeologist, Mr Ed Donovan.
"It includes material from the Stone Age up to the 19th century," Mr Walsh added.
Although Mr Kemmy described his native city as conservative, he was only too aware of its rebellious history. A stonemason by training, he donated a collection of ceremonial aprons from the building trades, a series of illuminated addresses to retiring trade and labour council officials and a postcard collection commemorating the funeral of IRA activist and hunger striker Robert Byrne, whose funeral led to direct military control being imposed on the city. The general strike of 1919 ensued.
Mr Kemmy founded the Democratic Socialist Party but later rejoined the Labour Party. He was first elected to the Dail in 1981.
Mr Joe Kemmy said he believed his brother, who was twice mayor of the city, would have been pleased at the dedication. "I suppose he would have approved of something like this located near King John's Castle," he said.