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Celebrated in song as a lady, the city of Limerick has matured
with sophistication and grace. Elegantly adorned with gems
of nature and jewels of architecture, lively in her sense
of fun and love of sports. Limerick, Ireland's third city,
has lifelines stretching from Viking roots to contemporary
high-tech industry. It has a Royal Charter older than London’s
and a castle built by King John while he sat on the throne
of England for his Crusader brother, Richard the Lionhearted.
Limerick is also home of the largest private art collection
in the country housed in the Hunt Museum, formerly the Custom
House and the National Self Portrait Collection on permanent
show at the University of Limerick. It is also home to the
composer of “Riverdance” as well as The Cranberries
rock band and the inspiration of Frank McCourts Pulitzer Prize
winning world bestseller “Angela’s Ashes”.
Visitors to Limerick City will certainly have no problems
in finding things to see and things to do. The historic nature
of Ireland's third largest city, and indeed the beautiful
nature of its environs, provide many areas of interest. A
brief taste of what may be found in Limerick City would include:
King John's Castle
King John's Castle, on the south side of Thomond Bridge head,
built in 1210 "to dominate the bridge and watch towards
Thomond", is one of the finest specimens of fortified
Norman architecture in Ireland. The exhibition is full of
colour, drama and stories of the castle and its place in the
history of Limerick and Europe.
St. Mary's Cathedral
At the junction of Nicholas Street and Bridge Street stands
St. Mary's Cathedral, the ecclesiastical centre of the fortress
for hundreds of years. The full title of this Cathedral is
the "Cathedral and Parochial Church of the Blessed Virgin
Mary". It was built in 1172 by Donal Mor O'Brien, the
last King of Munster. The original plan of the church was
in the form of a Latin cross. Additions were made to the Cathedral
two centuries later during the episcopate of Stephen Wall,
Bishop of Limerick. At the time of the religious revolt of
the sixteenth century, the Cathedral passed out of Catholic
hands. Catholic worship was restored, however, during the
Confederate Wars and the short ill-fated reign of James II.
The Treaty Stone
Limerick City's most famous monument, the Treaty Stone, gets
its name from the tradition that The Treaty of Limerick, was
signed on the stone itself. The Stone is decorated with the
image of the castle opposite surmounted by a dome and cross,
showing that Limerick was a cathedral city.
For further information on what to do and see when in Limerick,
contact the Tourist Information Centre, located in Arthurs
Quay in the City Centre. The centre is open all year round
and is the ideal starting point for visitors to the city.
Telephone: +353 - 61 - 317 522
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