Every so often we crave change for a few days from rural to city urban. Then we enjoy spending a weekend in Cork, Limerick or Galway. These cities all have great shops, pubs, bars, restaurants, culture and history. In this post we share some of the best things to do in Limerick, those we personally enjoy when visiting.
We have mentioned before that Limerick is not exactly on the coast, but we give it some leeway and include it here. It is so, so close. The border between County Limerick and County Clare runs in the Shannon River and County Kerry is less than an hour drive from Limerick City. So, it kind of deserves to be part of the general ‘West Coast of Ireland’ area.
Cork Or Limerick Or Galway?
Cork, with the largest population of the three (125,000) is the second city in Ireland, after Dublin. As such, there is always lots to see and do, great galleries, great shopping and great food.
Galway (80,000 population) has the most rain – you’ve been warned. But on the other hand, it is also super fun with so many amazing festivals and a brilliant arts scene. Galway has a friendly town feel, it warmly embraces every tourist and visitor.
Limerick, the third largest city in Ireland (pop 95,000) is the most historic one of the triplet. It has the second largest Georgian architecture quarter after Dublin. Not all the historic buildings are well kept, but the Georgian streetscape here is still very impressive. Both Cork and Limerick have slightly more of a ‘city’ feel than Galway, meaning faster pace and feel a little distant, perhaps. Or maybe it’s just us.
Six Things To Do In Limerick That We Enjoy
All these places are walkable from the city centre. We usually leave the car in the hotel carpark and are on foot all weekend.
Stocking Up On Local Produce In The Milk Market
The Milk Market is one of the real gems in the city. On Saturday mornings, this traditional food market is the place to be. We love browsing the stalls, picking local organic produce and artisan foods to enjoy later. Anything from fruits to vegetables, preserves, breads, farmhouse cheeses, vegan salads and locally grown flowers. You can even buy a second-hand dress here (speaking from personal experience).
Handily, the old market buildings are covered with a canopy to protect the sellers, shoppers and browsers from rain. We therefore like hogging a table on the elevated terrace enjoying coffees and scones while people watching. Apparently, 10,000 people visit the market on Saturdays, which is impressive.
The Milk Market is open Fridays to Sundays and the food market is on Saturdays only. While it officially does not close until 3pm, many of the stalls will start packing after 1pm and gone by 2pm, so do not leave your visit till the last moment. We have been here to check out the other themed markets on Sundays but they were not as successful as the food market.
Address: Cornmarket Row, Limerick
Opening Times: Saturday 8am-3pm, Friday and Sunday 11am-3pm
Entrance Fee: Free
Discovering Limerick’s Medieval Side In King John’s Castle
The castle is set into the bank of the River Shannon on King’s Island. It was built on the orders of King John of England and you can read up all on him inside the exhibition. The castle’s original intention was to protect the city from the Gaelic kingdoms as well as Norman lords’ rebellions. At around 800 years old, it was finished cca 1210 and today is one of the best preserved Norman castles in Europe.
Limerick’s probably most famous historical event took place here, the 1691 Siege of Limerick. After the Battle of the Boyne (1690), Patrick Sarsfield (Lord Lucan) commanded the remainder of King James II’s defeated army to retreat to Limerick. Pursued by the Williamites, they held out a siege here for over a year. When they eventually surrendered, a truce was signed on the ‘Treaty Stone’ on the 3rd of October 1691. Hence Limerick’s nickname ‘Treaty City’. The famous stone is displayed on a pedestal on Clancy Strand across the river from the castle.
Address: Nicholas Street, Limerick
Opening Times: daily 9.30am-6pm.
Entrance Fee: E13 Adult, E10.50 Child, Family Discounts
Treasure Hunting In The Hunt Museum
The Hunt Museum is a great place in the city. The Hunt family collection is extremely broad – from Bronze Age and Iron Age to medieval and modern art. Outside Dublin, it is apparently the finest compilation of artefacts in Ireland. As you walk around the old customs house building, you are allowed to (and you should) open drawers under the glass cabinets and rummage among the treasures. As a result, you can spend hours here on a rainy day.
We always check out what’s on in the visual arts gallery on the lower level, too. We have seen both Irish and world artists exhibited here. Plus, there is a lovely publicly accessible urban garden at the back of the building by the Shannon river, that has sprung up only recently. Great improvement indeed.
Address: Bridge Street, Limerick
Opening Times: Tue-Sat10am-5pm, Sun11am-5pm
Entrance Fee: E10 Adult, E7.50 Concessions, Free Children Under 16
Getting Close With History In St Mary’s Cathedral
As you walk from King John’s Castle to the Hunt Museum, you pass St Mary’s Cathedral. Donal Mór O’Brien, King of Munster, founded it in 1168. Pretty old, then. In fact, it is the oldest building in Limerick in daily use. You cannot but admire its impressive tower, which is a 14th century addition and 120 feet (36.58 meters) tall. It hides a peal of eight bells made by London’s Whitechapel Foundry.
Look out for the cut marks in the cathedral doorframe stonework. Apparently, they come from the defenders of the city during its many sieges, who used the stones around the West door to sharpen their swords and arrows. If there is a concert in the Cathedral when you’re in Limerick, it’s worth getting a ticket, as the acoustics are brilliant.
Address: Bridge Street, Limerick
Opening Times: Mon-Sat11am-4pm
Entrance Fee: E5 Adult, E3.50 Students, Children Free
Cheering For Munster At Thomond Park Stadium
This is the home ground of Munster Rugby – one of the four professional provincial rugby teams on the island of Ireland. The other three being Leinster, Connacht and Ulster. Thomond Park capacity is 25,600 and there is a Munster Rugby Museum that you can take a tour of. We haven’t done the Museum tour ourselves yet.
Famously in 1978, Munster became the first Irish side to have beaten the All Blacks (New Zealand) in almost 90 years of competition. This set a record that remained unbroken until 2016. Then the Irish national team beat New Zealand at Soldier Field Stadium in Chicago.
We do enjoy a game of rugby and Thomond Park has great atmosphere, as well as interesting history. So if you happen to be in Limerick on a match weekend, it is worth getting a ticket. As you walk back to the city, you can round off the game with a pint of Guinness in JJ Bowles, the oldest pub in Limerick.
Address: Cratloe Road, Limerick, V94 2E27
Opening Times: Mon-Fri, booking times on line
Entrance Fee: E10 Adult, E8 Concessions, Family Discounts
Walking In People’s Park
We love the Pery Square area for its beautiful Georgian buildings and one of the few green areas in the city. Back in 1835, the Newtown Pery developers included a park as part of residents’ amenities – urban planning forward thinking. The park was an exclusive key-holders only space and houses were supposed to flank it on all four sides.
The intention was a complete Georgian square occupied by the affluent members of society. It was to be similar in layout to Merrion Square in Dublin, but more modest in scale. However, Ireland’s Georgian economy began to dwindle with the onset of the Great Irish Famine. Funds for the project ran out. As a result, only one terrace of the square was ever completed. The park officially opened in 1877 as a public park.
While you’re here, check out what exhibition is on in the Limerick City Gallery of Art. It’s an excellent contemporary art gallery in a former library building. Entry is free and they show interesting Irish and international artists. Alternatively, when the weather cooperates, you can bring a picnic to the park or have an al fresco coffee or light lunch from the lovely Zest Café in the gallery building.
Address: Pery Square, Limerick
Opening Times: Daily, Seasonal Hours – opens 8am-ish and closes at sunset-ish.
Entrance Fee: Free