Limerick

Understand

thumb | 300px | The Treaty Stone near Thomond Bridge Limerick grew up at the limit of tides and navigation of the River Shannon. In the 9th century the Vikings first raided it then settled, calling it Hlymrekr which probably means low-lying and fertile. As elsewhere in Ireland, they were overthrown by the native Irish in the 10th and 11th centuries, who in turn came under the rule of the Anglo-Normans. In 1205 King John ordered the construction of the castle on the river island in the Shannon, and the English settled in this area of King's Island, with their "Englishtown" protected by massive walls. South across the small River Abbey lay "Irishtown", with the natives firmly put in their place.

Limerick became a prosperous port, so it was worth fighting for. Some of the many conflicts were the proxy war that was part of the medieval England—Scotland wars; a siege as Oliver Cromwell crushed Royalist opposition in Ireland; and the siege which was the last stand of King James II/VII forces against William of Orange, ended by the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. Supposedly this was signed over the "Treaty Stone", which now stands near Thomond Bridge.

The city benefited from local agriculture and by growing trade with North America, with Irishtown rebuilt on a grid pattern as a Georgian city comparable to Dublin, and fine public buildings. It slumped with the Napoleonic wars, with the draining of political power to England, and with the great Irish famine of 1847. Not until the mid-…

Get around

thumb | 300px | Abbey River Footbridge Walking will get you everywhere in the city centre.

Bikes need to be rented weeks in advance. There is only one bike rental shop in town.

See

thumb | 300px | King John's Castle on the River Shannon Widows Alms Houses just south of the castle were built in 1691 to house soldiers' widows. 100 m east of the castle is a home for elderly nuns, embellished by a vivid mural. There are stretches of the old city walls alongside, including a sally port. is lined with confident Georgian architecture. The Daniel O'Connell monument perches at the top of the street. next to Thomond bridge is a rough limestone block used for mounting horses. It was supposedly upon this stone that the Treaty of Limerick was signed on 3 Oct 1691, ending the siege of the city and the war between the Jacobites and William of Orange. The Treaty permitted the defeated Jacobite soldiers to leave for France (which most did), or to enlist in William's army, or to go home. It also ensured protection of the defeated Catholic gentry provided they swore allegiance to King William. But few did so, the Pope proclaimed James as the rightful king, the Catholics were oppressed, and the conflict rumbled on for the next 300 years. is a dam and hydroelectric power station, upstream in County Clare but more easily accessed from Limerick. Built 1924-29 just after independence, it changed not only the lower Shannon, but the entire face of rural Ireland through electrification. A canal lock takes boats through the 30 m drop in river level, and there are fish ladders for the salmon and eels. There are tours of the power station.

Do

thumb | 300px | St John's Cathedral has the tallest spire in Ireland What's on? Listen to Live 95 FM on 95.0 MHz, or read Limerick Post or Limerick Leader. The Peoples Park is south of the centre by the Gallery of Art. Gaelic games: the County GAA team play hurling and Gaelic football at Páirc na nGael, capacity 44,000, on Ennis Rd 1 km west of city centre. University Concert Hall has music, cinema, comedy and other events. It's on Castletroy campus 4 km east of city centre. UL Arena is a large sports facility on the University campus east of the city.

Buy

Cruise's Street, pedestrianised, is the main retail strip. Arthur's Quay is a shopping centre on Patrick St, open M-Sa 7:30AM-10PM, Su 10AM-8PM. Milk Market is a covered market on Cornmarket Row, open F-Su. O'Mahony's is a good book shop at 120 O'Connell Street, open M-Sa 9AM-5:30PM.

Eat

thumb | 300px | University of Limerick

Drink

thumb | 300px | Frank McCourt raises a glass to Limerick life Strand Hotel (see Sleep) is on Ennis St just north of Sarsfield Bridge on the way to Thomond Park, so its public bar is thronged with both home and visiting fans before and after a match. Those without tickets can watch the match on the large screen TVs. Treaty City Brewery is at 24 Nicholas St by the castle. They have a tap room and offer tours, €23. Crew Brewing is at 35 Thomas St. The tap room is open M-F 4-11:30PM, Sa 1PM-12:30AM, Su 1-11PM. Thomond Gate is a distillery producing small batches of Irish whiskey. No tours.

Stay safe

thumb | 300px | Ardnacrusha power station City centre is safe and cosy, even at nights and weekends. Standard advice: beware traffic, safeguard valuables and avoid the occasional drunk.

The police station (Gardai) is on Henry Street in the city centre. Their non-emergency number is +353 61 212 400. In emergencies dial the standard 112 or 999.

Connect

As of 2025, Limerick has 5G from all Irish carriers. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Go next

Drive west past Shannon Airport into County Clare and Ennis and take N68 to Kilrush and Kilkee. This brings you onto the wild Mizzen Head, with the grey Atlantic heaving below. On the road north towards Galway, stop to admire the Cliffs of Moher. Lough Gur, 15 km south of the city along R512, is a remarkable collection of Neolithic sites and artefacts. Along the south bank of Shannon, Adare is an attractive old town, pity about the traffic and the hordes. Nearby Foynes is where the transatlantic flying boats used to berth, and the likes of Sinatra and John Wayne stepped out to the pop of flash-guns; see the museum and step aboard a plane.