Limerick Travel Guide
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Limerick is 24km (15 miles) E of Shannon Airport, 198km (123 miles) SW of Dublin, 105km (65 miles) N of Cork, 111km (69 miles) NE of Killarney, and 105km (65 miles) S of Galway
Situated along the midwest coast of Ireland, Limerick is the third-largest city in the Republic, with a population approaching 80,000. As a port on the River Shannon, Limerick has been a city of strategic and commercial importance since its beginnings as a Viking settlement in the 10th century.
If you've read Frank McCourt's best-selling novel, Angela's Ashes, you may envision Limerick as a sprawling, struggling, hard-working city with limited resources. But that's only part of the picture. In recent years, it's been shaking off its reputation for high unemployment and general neglect and is reemerging as a city revitalized by new industries and impressive renovation projects. In particular, Limerick's recently developed riverside cultural and historic area, the Medieval Heritage Precinct on King's Island, has considerable appeal both by day and by night, when the 13th-century King John's Castle is floodlit. Don't miss the excellent Hunt Museum, which houses the best collection of Bronze Age, Celtic, and medieval treasures outside Dublin. The Limerick City Gallery of Art is well worth a visit for its excellent permanent collection, which includes works by Jack B. Yeats. Limerick has also seen a resurgence in the number of stylish cafes and fine restaurants serving a range of different cuisines. After dark, you can head for one of the city's lively pubs or take in a play at the well-known Belltable Arts Centre. This is a time of renaissance for this proud city, which has known such a turbulent past.
The countryside around Limerick has a number of interesting sights. Southwest of Limerick, the village of Adare is worth a visit, as are Glin Castle, Lough Gur, and Rathkeale.
