Ancient cities invariably attract tourists from all over the planet. Among them is Limerick, so today we are waiting for a brief virtual tour to one of the most beautiful, mysterious, romantic and ancient corners of the Kingdom of Ireland.
General information
Limerick Ireland, located on the west coast of the Shannon River, ranks third in size – its population is more than 90 thousand people. It got its name from the Gaelic Luimneach, which means “empty space.” The history of this county town, dating back over 1000 years, began with a small colony founded by Viking tribes. At that time, the endless steppe stretched on the site of the modern metropolis, now Limerick is the main tourist stronghold of the country.
In addition to unique historical monuments, numerous attractions and picturesque surroundings, this city is known for a large number of entertainment venues, cultural events and branded shops. But three things brought special fame to Limerick – the absurd humorous five-stanzas, meat products and traditional performances of Irish dances (“riverdance”). In addition, Limerick has its own harbor, to which merchant and cruise ships now and then stay. With regard to industry, the dominant sectors are food, clothing, electrical and steel.
The architecture of Limerick deserves no less attention. Theoretically, the city can be divided into 2 completely different parts. Most of it (the so-called new Limerick) is built in the classic British style. But in the smaller one (the historical part of the city or Old Limerick), the influence of Georgian history is clearly traced.
sights
The sights of Limerick are known far beyond Ireland. Here are just a few of them.
King John’s Castle, erected on the Royal Island, is the main pride of the Limerick inhabitants. Combining historical architecture and modern technology, it allows tourists to feel the atmosphere of the medieval era.
The history of the castle-fortress totals more than 800 years and includes a lot of dramatic stories. King John’s Castle is surrounded by a picturesque park, on the alleys of which you can see medieval forges and theatrical plays telling about the events of that time. The secrets of the former inhabitants of the castle can share and its current workers.
The fortress has exhibition halls and a wax museum. If you wish, you can order both a personal and group tour. The cost of an adult ticket is 9 €, for a child – 5.50 €.
Address: Kings Island, Limerick, next to st. Nicholas street.
Opening hours:
- November – February – 10.00-16.30;
- March – April – 9.30 – 17.00;
- May – October – 9.30 – 17.30.
Hunt Museum in Limerick is an old customs building erected on the Shannon River in the mid-18th century. Within the walls of this attraction is stored a unique collection of values. These are antiques collected by members of the Hunt family, and works of art belonging to different historical periods, and valuable artifacts found during archaeological excavations. Not less attention should be paid to the collection of jewelry, numbering several dozens of gold and silver jewelry, and samples of medieval English ceramics.
Other exhibits include the sketch of Pablo Picasso, the sculptures of Apollo, the engraving of Paul Gauguin and the sculpture of Leonardo.
Address: Rutland St, Limerick
Opening hours: daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Limerick Cathedral or St. Mary’s Cathedral, located in the very center of the city, is considered one of the oldest buildings in Limerick. Harmoniously combining two different styles (Gothic and Romanesque), he entered the list of the main historical heritage of Ireland.
The history of this Cathedral began back in 1168, when the royal palace was erected on the site of the main territorial center of the Vikings. After the death of King Thomond Domnall Mohr Wa Briein, the lands of the royal family were immediately transferred to the Church, and a huge temple was built on the site of the castle.
Of course, numerous historical events have made changes in the architectural appearance of the Cathedral of St. Mary. However, scientists believe that in the building you can still find architectural fragments of that time. These include a door on one of the facades of the building (the former main entrance to the palace), an impressive (36.5 m) cathedral tower, built in the 14th century, and an organ dating from 1624.
Another attraction of Saint Mary’s Cathedral are misericordia, made in the late 15th century. These are narrow wooden shelves located on folding seats and decorated with patterned symbols. You should also pay attention to the old altar, carved from a monolithic limestone block and served even during the Reformation. Now Limerick Cathedral is the current church of the Anglican community, so everyone can visit it.
Address: Kings Island, Limerick, next to King John’s Castle.
The city of Limerick in Ireland is famous not only for historical sights, but also for many educational institutions. One of them is the University of Limerick, founded in 1972 and included in the list of leading universities of the country.
In fact, this is not even a university, but an entire campus, spread out in the middle of a huge park. The main feature of the University of Limerick is the campus, on the territory of which there is everything necessary for study and relaxation. No less attention is paid to sports activities. So, the university has a 50-meter professional pool and a variety of sports facilities (including football and rugby fields). Local landscapes, represented by unusual natural objects and numerous architectural monuments, are also amazing. Another feature of the institution is an interesting staggering bridge.
Address: Limerick V94 T9PX (about 5 km from the city center)
The dairy market is a unique place located in the historical part of the city. Unfortunately, the exact date of its foundation was lost in the mazes of time, but historians believe that this outlet has been operating for more than one hundred years.
The main advantage of The Milk Market is a wide variety of products. Here you can buy something that you will not see in standard chain supermarkets – organic meat, milk, bread, fish, sweets, cheeses, sausages, etc. And also locals and tourists go to the Dairy market to drink delicious coffee – it is famous for the whole town.
Address: Mungret Street, Limerick
Working days: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Looking through the photo of Limerick, one just can not help but notice the Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, designed by Philip Harduik, a famous British architect. The foundation of the future Limerick sight was established in 1856, and after 3 years the first service was held in it.
St. John’s Cathedral, built of pale blue limestone, is a magnificent neo-Gothic building. He is often called the modern record holder. The height of the tower and the spire towering above it is 94 m. Due to this feature, St. John’s Cathedral is considered the tallest church building in the Kingdom of Ireland.
The main pride of the church is the colorful stained glass windows and a one and a half ton bell cast by the best specialists of that time. The interior of the temple, decorated with beautiful statues, is also striking.
Holidays in Limerick
Limerick in Ireland has a well-developed tourist infrastructure, so here you can easily find both budget and quite expensive housing. The minimum cost of living in the latter is 42 € per day (the price is indicated for a double room in a hotel 3-4 *).
In addition, the city has many houses marked “B & B”, indicating that here you can rent an apartment for 24 € per day. Those who do not want to search for housing on their own can use the services of travel agencies.
In Limerick, you certainly won’t stay hungry, because there are more than 20 gastronomic establishments in the city – this does not include bars or street cafes. They serve both traditional and “overseas” dishes – Thai, Asian and Italian. Most establishments focus on O’Connell and Denmark Street.
The national cuisine of Ireland is quite fresh – it is distinguished by an abundance of fish, meat and potatoes. The main culinary attraction of any local restaurant is sea kale with oysters, creamy cream soup with salmon, tender homemade cheese, meat stew and rice pudding as a dessert. But the most famous dish of Limerick is considered to be ham with a juniper flavor, prepared from whole ham by special smoking. A traditional lunch or dinner for two in an inexpensive restaurant will cost 11 €, in a mid-range restaurant – 40 €, in McDonalds – 8 €.
As for drinks, they do not strike with special originality, but they strike with the highest quality. Among them, one can distinguish Irish coffee, wine made from thorns and, of course, famous for all whiskey and beer.
How to get there
The nearest airport is in the nearby county of Clare in the city of Shannon, which is only 28 km away. The problem is that there are no direct connections between Shannon and Russia, so it is more convenient to get to the city of Limerick from Dublin, the capital of Ireland. There are several ways to do this. Let’s consider each of them.
You can rent a transport directly at the airport. To do this, just contact the company that provides these services. The distance from Dublin to Limerick is 196 km – it is a 2 hour drive and 16 liters of gasoline costing 21 € – 35 €.
At Dublin Airport, you can find a taxi for almost all companies. The driver will meet the client in the arrivals hall with a nameplate and drive to the destination at any time of the day. A free car seat is provided for children. There is also support in Russian. For services you will have to pay a tidy sum – at least 300 €. Travel time is 2.5 hours.
Bus routes between Limerick and Dublin are provided by several carriers:
- Bus Eireann. The fare is 13 €, travel time is 3.5 hours. Departing from the bus and railway stations – both are located near the center of Dublin;
- Dublin Coach – bus number 300. It runs every 60 minutes from the Dublin Arlington Hotel to the Limerick Arthur’s Quay stop. Travel time – 2 hours 45 minutes. The cost of one trip is about 20 €;
- Citylink – bus number 712-X. Departs from the airport every 60 minutes, continues to Limerick Arthur’s Quay stop. Travel time is 2.5 hours. Ticket price – about 30 €.
Buses in Ireland are very popular, so it is better to buy tickets for them in advance. This can be done at national.buseireann.ie. It is also worth checking the relevance of prices and schedules.
Station from Dublin Limerick daily runs 6 trains. The journey takes 2.5 hours. A one way trip will cost 53 €. Tickets can be bought at ticket offices, special terminals, and on the Irish Railroad website – journeyplanner.irishrail.ie.
The first flight – at 07.50, the last – at 21.10.
As you can see, Limerick Ireland is a wonderful place where you will see interesting sights and can fully relax.
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