THE CITY OF LIMERICK – SIGHTS AND ACTIVITIES

Limerick is one of the larger cities in Ireland, but it’s not really that big. It’s big enough to be interesting, but manageable enough to still be cosy. Is Limerick a good stopover for your trip? Let’s take a look…

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Limerick Medieval Quarter (photo: Limerck Ryan on Google Maps)

Intro

A limerick is a poem with the rhyming form “aabba” and a relatively fixed metrical scheme. In other words, a good limerick sounds melodic and the lyrics are often very funny.

The limerick has been proven to originate from the English-speaking world, although experts are still debating whether it actually comes from the city of Limerick.

For me it is clear: the Irish love “craic”, i.e. fun, and also good music. Limerick therefore definitely comes from Ireland and then definitely also from the city of Limerick.

What does that have to do with you? You can also have a lot of fun in Limerick! The city is often neglected in travel literature.

Street art in Limerick (photo: Limerick Ryan on Google Maps)

Even the Wild Atlantic Way, which many tourists take on holiday, does not pass through the city of Limerick, but stays on the coast. A ferry crosses the estuary of the River Shannon and the city of Limerick is skipped by most travellers.

Why might you want to take the detour through the city of Limerick, or even spend the night here? There is a lot to see and do here.

Below I’ve put together a few tips with links to help you plan your trip. So let’s get started…

Limerick harbour (photo: Limerick Ryan on Google Maps)

Places to see

King John’s Castle: An impressive medieval fortress from the 13th century on the banks of the River Shannon. https://www.kingjohnscastle.com/.

St Mary’s Cathedral: Limerick’s oldest church, founded in 1168, with impressive architecture. See: https://www.saintmaryscathedral.ie.

The Hunt Museum: Houses an extensive collection of artworks and antiques. https://www.huntmuseum.com/.

Limerick City Gallery of Art: Displays contemporary Irish art in a Georgian building. https://gallery.limerick.ie/.

The Treaty Stone: A historic stone on which the Treaty of Limerick was signed in 1691. The Treaty Stone stands on the west bank of the River Shannon, opposite the Castle.

People’s Park: A Victorian park in the heart of the city with beautiful gardens and a monument. It is located by the Gallery of Art (or vice versa).

Saint Mary`s Cathedral (photo: Google Maps)

Music and Arts

Limerick City Museum: Tells the story of the city from the Stone Age to the present day. See: https://www.limerick.ie/limerick-museum.

Dolan’s Pub: A popular venue for live music and traditional Irish sessions. https://dolans.ie/.

Lime Tree Theatre and Belltable: A modern theatre with a varied programme of performances. https://www.limetreetheatre.ie/, as well as a cinema and various exhibitions.

University Concert Hall: Limerick’s largest venue for concerts and performances. https://www.uch.ie/.

Limerick Museum (photo: Orest Bolohan on Google Maps)

Food and Drink

Milk Market: A lively market with local produce, street food and crafts. https://www.milkmarketlimerick.ie/.

The Locke Bar: A traditional Irish pub with good food and live music. See: https://lockebar.com.

The Curragower Bar & Restaurant: Offers fantastic views of the Shannon and local specialities. See: https://curragower.com.

The French Table: An upmarket French restaurant in the heart of Limerick. See: https://www.frenchtable.ie.

Cornstore Restaurant: Renowned for steaks and seafood in a stylish setting. See: https://cornstorelimerick.ie.

Limerick Milk Market (photo: K Oloroso on Google Maps)

Guided Tours

Angela’s Ashes Walking Tour: A tour through the locations of Frank McCourt’s famous book. See: https://www.irishtourism.com/angela_s-ashes-walking-tour-of-limerick-.

For even more walking tours, check out Limerick City Walking Tours. See: https://www.limerickcitywalkingtours.com/.

Limerick Kayaking Tours: Here you can experience Limerick from a completely different perspective, namely from the River Shannon. See: https://www.limerickadventures.com/activities/kayaking/.

Hunt Museum Limerick (photo: Google Maps)

Self-guided Tours

Limerick Street Art Trail: Discover the colourful murals and graffiti in the city. See: https://www.limerick.ie/discover/eat-see-do/tours/self-guided-tours/limerick-street-art-trail.

Limerick Shannon Riverside Walk: A beautiful walk along the banks of the River Shannon. See: https://www.limerick.ie/discover/eat-see-do/sports-recreation/activities/walking/limerick-city-routes/city-centre-to-0.

Three Bridges Walk: A scenic route along the River Shannon that crosses three bridges. See: https://www.limerick.ie/discover/eat-see-do/sports-recreation/activities/walking/limerick-city-routes/three-bridges-walk.

Georgian Quarter: Explore the beautiful Georgian architecture in the Newtown Pery neighbourhood.

Coffee at River Shannon (photo: Shalvi Raj on Google Maps)

Sports and Outdoors in and around Limerick

Families with children will find what they are looking for at Nevsail Watersports in Limerick. From kayaking to paddleboarding, climbing wall to abseiling and archery, there are plenty of activities on offer. See: https://nevsailwatersports.ie/.

Curraghchase Forest Park, west of Limerick, offers plenty of trails for walking and hiking. See: https://www.coillte.ie/site/curragh-chase-forest-park/.

Ballyhoura, south of Limerick, is another forest area where there are wonderful mountain bike trails and where you can also hire mountain bikes. See: https://www.limerick.ie/discover/eat-see-do/sports-recreation/activities/cycling/ballyhoura-trailriders.

People`s Park Limerick (photo: William Murphy on Google Maps)

More things to do and see

Roller Jam: A roller skating rink in Limerick for fun with the family. See: https://rollerjam.ie/prices-and-times/.

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park: Very beautiful, quite large, well-preserved medieval castle and open-air museum west of Limerick. https://www.bunrattycastle.ie/.

Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum: Here you will find old flying boats that used to cross the Atlantic, an aviation museum and a maritime museum. Foynes is a short distance west of Limerick. See: https://flyingboatmuseum.com/.

Dolphin Watch: There are two dolphin boat tour operators on the Shannon Estuary. In addition to dolphins, you can also see sea lions, lots of seabirds and occasionally whales. See: https://www.dolphinwatch.ie/ and https://discoverdolphins.ie/.

Lough Gur Heritage Centre: Prehistoric site with a stone circle and visitor centre south of Limerick. See: https://www.loughgur.com/heritage-centre/.

Adare Village: Old village near Limerick with pretty cottages and historic buildings south of Limerick.

King John`s Castle (photo: Michael Starkie on Unsplash)

Conclusion

If you deviate a little from your tour on the Wild Atlantic Way, you can add Limerick to your route as a stopover or for an overnight stay.

What do you get in return? A thoroughly charming city on the River Shannon that offers a few interesting sights and activities.

I’ve summarised a few tips for you in this article and hope there’s something interesting for you.

I wish you lots of fun in Limerick!