A Tour of Limerick

Being an International Student comes with some perks, especially in the first week when many things are free. On Saturday, the International Education Division arranged for a free shuttle bus into Limerick City Centre to visit the local Farmers' Market, followed by an open-topped bus tour of Limerick. Being a curious Canadian I took part in everything!

Limerick is a city of about 90 000 and is 5 km down the road from the University. It is built around the River Shannon so in history its main industries were agriculture and export-based, but in modern times it is more industrial and focused on manufacturing for corporations like Dell. The city was first settled as a Viking stronghold in the 900s, but the Vikings were soon uprooted by the Anglo-Normans (English) who burnt down the settlement 1174. Later it came under the control of King John, Lord of Ireland when it was captured in 1195.

My morning started with a visit to the Milk Market. The Market is open all week, but really flourishes over the weekend when more vendors participate. You can buy most food items there so I will definitely be making frequent visits. My favourite finds this week were fresh cheese, apple juice, and the best apple danish I've ever eaten.

This massive Blue Tuna was the first surprise at the market.  Just carve off a steak.

 

So many things looked so delicious!

At 2 pm I boarded the bus to tour Limerick. Here are some of the interesting sights worth seeing in Limerick:

This is the statue of Patrick Sarsfield, who was a defensive leader in the Siege on Limerick in 1690 during the Williamite War. With Sarsfield's help the Irish were able to defend against William of Orange's English troops.

This is the Treaty stone (complete with real Irish boy!) that marked the end of the Williamite War in 1691. The Treaty was signed on this stone, which is now displayed along the Shannon.

One of the big highlights in Limerick is King John's Castle, built around 1200. It is located in the center of Limerick on a small island called King's Island. The Shannon and Abbey rivers divide the island from the mainland, making the fortress naturally defended by water. There used to be a draw-bridge to connect it to the mainland.

Like many European cities, Limerick has a clock tower. This one is the Tait Tower, constructed by the mayor Sir Peter Tait in 1867.

The black building pictured above is the W. J. South pub depicted in the book Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. The book is a memoir of McCourt's troubled childhood growing up in Limerick.  There is also a movie version if you are interested, plus a top-selling sequel book called 'Tis.  Limerick has a museum dedicated to Frank McCourt.

Another interesting fact is that Limerick was the hometown of the hugely successful actor Richard Harris (best known to me as the first Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movie series).

The true center of Limerick culture is Thomond Park, the Munster Rugby stadium. The stadium fits 26,000 spectators. I'm not sure if it closes when it rains....

And it wouldn't be a tour of Limerick without the bus-driver sharing a limerick poem with us.  

A Little Birdie in the sky

dropped some whitewash in my eye,

I did not laugh,

I did not cry,

I thanked God that cows can't fly.

Kind Regards,

Shannon