Limerick

The city

Limerick (Luimneach in Irish) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick, in the province of Munster. With a population of 102,287 at the 2022 census, it is the third-most populous urban area in Ireland, and the fourth-most populous city on the island. It was founded by Scandinavian settlers in 812, during the Viking Age, which makes it one of the oldest towns on the island — a town that has been a town for over a thousand years, and that keeps the mark of it.

The island and the water

The city straddles the River Shannon, and the historic core sits on King’s Island, bounded by the Shannon and the Abbey Rivers. Limerick is at the head of the Shannon Estuary, where the river widens before it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and the docks at the head of the estuary are the city’s front door to the water. To the south of the city lies the Golden Vale, the rich pastureland that was the city’s agricultural hinterland and that much of its industry was built on. The four main crossing points near the centre are the way the city has crossed its own river, and the walk across them is the walk through a thousand years.

What to do

The city does the work of a big base: the streets, the river, the estuary at the head, and the Golden Vale country to the south. Pair it with Adare for the heritage village, or with the estuary for the water — both are inside the hour. The city is the head of the Shannon, and the Shannon is the waterway of the island, so the day that starts here can go a long way.

Practical

Limerick is the base for the whole western Shannon circuit: the estuary, the river, the lakes, and the Golden Vale. Allow a day for the city itself, and use it as the start of the water days.