Top Limerick Attractions

King’s Island remains the hub of the city. King Johns Castle has been excavated, restored and opened to reveal the Viking foundations, along with the fabric of the great fortress itself and an exciting audio-visual presentation. Across the road from the castle is the superbly restored 18th century Bishop’s Palace. St. Mary’s Cathedral – still a place of worship – with marvelous 15th century oak sculptured misericords stands to the south and, between castle and cathedral, the Limerick Museum and the modern City Hall.

Crossing the Abbey River leads to what once was the Irish Town, passing the classical Customs House, now the home of The Hunt Museum. This houses an internationally important collection of some 2,000 original works. Selected according to the quality of their design, craftsmanship and artistic merit the pieces appear here representing all periods of the past from the Stone Age through to the twentieth century. Among the many important works of art in the collection are the personal seal of Charles I of England, the Mary Queen of Scots Cross, a coin revered since the middle Ages as being one of the “30 pieces of silver” and a bronze horse by Leonardo da Vinci. There are also paintings by Renoir, Picasso and Yeats. Farther to the south – but still within an easy walk – the 18th century streets offer shops, hotels, restaurants and then the stately town houses. The Georgian House, No. 2 Pery Square, has been restored to show what life was like for the wealthy in those days, while its mews building is the home of an exhibition devoted to Frank McCourt’s novel ‘Angela’s Ashes’which tells of life at a rather less comfortable level.

Limerick is an established University City with a highly reputed educational establishments including University of Limerick, the Limerick School of Art and Design, the Limerick Institute of Technology and a Teacher Training College. These all contribute to the vibrancy of the City which offers nightlife for both the young and the young at heart, with live music venues offering a range of music choice from traditional Irish music to contemporary.

Such are some of the specialities of the city of Limerick. However the city also considers itself the national capital of sport, with innumerable playing fields for football and hurling, golf clubs, horse and greyhound tracks and boating. And, within an hour’s drive, seaside, mountains, lakes and rivers, castles and historic towns. Limerick has everything.

GREAT SHOPPING & ENTERTAINMENT
The annual celebrations begin in the last week of January with the Unfringed Festival, a week of theatre at the Belltable Arts Centre. In February the Kate O’Brien weekend is a literary gathering. March sees the EV+A, Ireland’s premier exhibition of contemporary art. March also sees the Limerick International Band Festival and the extension of St. Patrick’s Day to a week of music and all sorts of entertainment.

The Fresh Film Festival in April aims to encourage young people to produce film and video. EXPO Limerick, centred on the May bank holiday, has street parades, concerts, fireworks and general festivities to open the summer season. October is the time for the Sionna Festival of European Traditional Music and in December the turf beckons for the Limerick Christmas Racing Festival.

Year-round theatre can be enjoyed at the Belltable Arts Centre while the University Concert Hall in the University of Limerick offers great diversity with concerts, theatre performances and many popular national and international acts. Dolan’s Warehouse in the docklands area provides a variety of entertainment from Rock and Traditional Music to Comedy. During the summer the Irish Rambling House is an enjoyable Irish entertainment experience.

In nearby Bunratty, you can enjoy a world-famous mediaeval castle banquet or a dinner-evening at the Traditional Irish Music Nights in Bunratty Folk Park.

Limerick City offers the best shopping options in the West or Mid-West of Ireland. The City Centre has major department stores and a diverse range of smaller retail outlets from fashion and jewellery stores through to books and crafts. Shopping Centres include the Arthur’s Quay shopping centre is in the City Centre; the Cresent Shopping Centre (on the Cork Road) which has recently completed a major expansion and the Parkway Shopping Centre on the Dublin Road. Next to the Parkway is the new Parkway Retail Park.

PUBS
Limerick has lots of great pubs each attracting a different type of clientele. W.J. Souths Pub (all ages) in Quinlan Street, dates back to the 40’s, and is one of Limerick's great ‘character pubs’. Frank McCourt, of Angela’s Ashes fame, has been known to have a drink or two here. Nancy Blakes in Denmark Street Upper is very popular with the younger age groups as is the very spacious and modern Smyths Bar in Denmark Street (lunches and coffee stop). Dolans Bar, established 1878, in the developing docklands area is very popular with locals and visitors (all ages) as is its restaurant ‘Sean Cara’ which translates into ‘Old Friend’. Next to the Pub is Dolan’s Warehouse, the domain of the young. At week-ends this is a nightclub, but ‘the Warehouse’ also showcases lots of National and International acts. The Locke Bar on Georges Quay, on the banks of the River Shannon, is popular with all ages and offers pub food and has its own restaurant. Limerick is ‘the home of the Spirit of Rugby’ and former Lion and Irish International Peter Clohessy’s pub ‘The Sin Bin’ (all ages) at Howley’s Quay, facing the Shannon River is worth a visit. The Bank Bar & Restaurant (all ages) is a new drinking and dining establishment in Limerick’s O’Connell Street. Formally an AIB Bank it has been converted, retaining many of the bank’s original features. 'The Bank’ offers evening cuisine and a lunch-time carvery. ‘Rogue Traders’ is the restaurant upstairs. The new Trinity Bar and Night Club (in the Granary Complex, Michael Street) attracts a young clientele while The Tavern at the Castle, next door to King John’s Castle in the mediaeval quarters of Limerick, attracts a mixed age group. ‘Pier one’ (all ages) in the Sarsfield Bridge Hotel is one of Limerick’s newest pubs and worth a look-in.

There are many, many more pubs and most pubs are also good coffee and lunch stops.

RESTAURANTS
Good food and dining is a tradition in Limerick City. Some of the restaurants worthy of mention include Aubars, an award-winning trendy restaurant, in Thomas Street; Brulées for fine dining at the corner of Henry Street and Mallow Street; Du Cartes at the Hunt Museum for a pleasant lunch, or just a good cup of coffee, the Locke Bar and Restaurant at Georges Quay (dates back to 1824) serves good traditional Irish fare; Moll Darby's Restaurant also in Georges Quay serves both international and Irish cuisine; Bella Italia, Thomas Street - an Italian bistro and pizzeria; the Green Onion Restaurant in the Old Town Hall Rutland Street, a trendy new-style restaurant offering imaginative cuisine; Freddy’s Bistro in Theatre Lane, Lower Glentworth Street, is a family run, Egon Ronay recommeded restaurant; the Jasmine Palace, a popular Chinese restaurant in the O’Connell Mall, O'Connell Street and Tiger Lilies Bistro, Michael Street which combines modern European cuisine with fresh local produce.

ACTIVITIES
Rugby: The game of Rugby has been played in Ireland for over 100 years - almost since the time it was invented. Not a game for the faint hearted, it is a great combative sport particularly at international and senior club level. In Limerick City it is more a religion than a sport! There is a great tradition and love for the game and whole families support their local teams with a fervour and friendly rivalry that you will not find elsewhere in Ireland. Not surprisingly, Limerick teams Garryowen, Young Munster and Shannon have between them won seven of the ten All-Ireland League Championships since it was established. The All-Ireland series runs from November to April.

If the opportunity presents itself try and watch the province of Munster (Limerick’s province) play in the Heineken European Cup, where the best of Europe’s Rugby teams compete. These games will take your breath away and Munster supporters are cited as being among the best fans in the world. Munster invariably do well in these fearsome challenges and have got to the final of this relatively new competition.

Football and Hurling: Playing fields are plentiful within the city and the games are played at all levels. A good inter-county Gaelic match is worth watching, but matches in the National league or the All-Ireland series are often spectacular. Hurling is probably the fastest ballgame in the world and well worth seeing. Soccer is also popular and Limerick FC play in the National League.

Angling: Good angling is available within the city itself and there are excellent salmon stretches within minutes in the Shannon at Castleconnell and the Mulcair at Annacotty. Trout, pike, roach, bream, eel and others are abundant. Sea fishing, for tope, dogfish and many others is available a few miles downstream.

Equestrian centres: Horse riding for beginners, intermediate and advanced riders is available within a 30 to 60 minute drive.

Golf courses: Close to the city are 18-hole courses Castletroy Golf Club, Limerick Golf and Country Club and Rathbane Golf Club. Many more parkland and links golf courses lie within a 30 to 60 minute drive of Limerick. T

Indoor sports and swimming: the University Arena on the college campus has an Olympic-size swimming pool and all the usual facilities.

Walking: Walks include the Angela’s Ashes Tour visiting sites named in the novel, the Historical Walking Tour within the city and the Lough Derg Way leading by river and canal bank to Killaloe, 26 km away. Limerick Riverside city walks are signposted.

Greyhound Racing: The Limerick Greyhound Track is just off Mulgrave Street and greyhound racing can be enjoyed on Monday, Thursday and Saturday evenings.

Horse racing:The new, state-of-the-art, Limerick Racecourse is at Patrickswell, 6 miles south of the city centre.

SURROUNDINGS

Within 30 minutes drive
Shannon International Airport, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, Ennis, Killaloe, Lough Derg, ‘Craggaunowen – the Living Experience’, Adare picturesque village, The Foynes Flying-boat museum, Croom Mills and the - Celtic Theme Park

Within 60 minutes
All the towns of County Limerick, Carrigaholt Dolphin Watching, Kilrush Dolphin Watching, The Cliffs of Moher and the incredible Burren.

Within 90 minutes
Birr, Cashel, Ballybunion, Tralee and Listowel.