Limerick is 24km (15 miles) E of Shannon Airport, 198km (123 miles) SW of Dublin, 105km (65 miles) N of Cork, 111km (69 miles) NE of Killarney, and 105km (65 miles) S of Galway
In such a tiny country, a population approaching 80,000 is enough to make gritty Limerick the third-largest city in the Republic. Strategically located on the banks of the River Shannon, the town was founded as a Viking settlement in the 10th century and grew in importance over the centuries. For many years, it struggled with endemic poverty, but today it is a busy place with a serious focus on business, and its shiny new office buildings stand as evidence. It is working hard to throw off the grim legacy bestowed by Frank McCourt's best-selling book Angela's Ashes, which described in excruciating detail a childhood spent there in abject poverty and unimaginable horribleness. Still, despite the effort to scrub itself up, Limerick City has long wrestled with a crime problem (its knife crime is such that its nickname within Ireland is "Stab City") and struggles to control gang activity. It has the feel of a tough old town, and the area where its most impressive sights are located -- the riverside Medieval Heritage Precinct dominated by the 13th-century King John's Castle -- is no exception. Frankly, this is the kind of town where I spend all my time worrying about whether somebody is breaking into my car. Given that major sights are few, there's little to keep you here unless you're doing business. However, should you find some hours to spare, you can peruse the scant offerings of the castle, or stop by the Hunt Museum, which houses a strong collection of Bronze Age, Celtic, and medieval treasures.
Happily, the countryside around Limerick City is less scary, and has a number of interesting sights. The picture-postcard village of Adare is worth a visit (although you'll be parking at the end of a row of tour buses), as are Lough Gur and Rathkeale.
