Planning a trip to County Limerick
Visitor Information
The Limerick Tourist Information Centre on Arthur’s Quay, Limerick (061/317522) is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm; in summer it’s often open weekends too (call to check). Another office inside the Adare Heritage Centre, Main Street, Adare (www.adareheritagecentre.ie; 061/396-255) is open daily year-round, from 9am to 6pm.
For good all-around visitor information on the Web, see www.limerick.com or www.limerick.ie.
Fast Facts
If you need a drugstore, try Hogan's Pharmacy, 45 Upper William St. (061/415195). After-hours service is available by calling tel. 088/526800. You could also try Boots the Chemist at 4-5 William St. (061/416-598).
In an emergency, dial tel. 999. St. John's Hospital is on St. John's Square (061/415822). The local Garda Headquarters is on Henry Street (061/212400).
The main Post Office is on Cecil Street (061/212055) and there's another at 39 Upper William St. (061/409805).
Getting There
By PlaneSeveral major airlines operate regular, scheduled flights into Shannon Airport, off the Limerick-Ennis road (N18), County Clare (www.shannonairport.com; tel. 061/712000), 24km (15 miles) west of Limerick. Aer Lingus and Ryanair operate flights to London, Birmingham, and Bristol in England. A taxi from the airport to the city center costs about €35; you can catch one at the airport or pre-book with Shannon Airport Cabs (ww.shannonairportcabs.com; tel. 061/333-366).
By Bus
Bus Éireann (www.buseireann.ie; tel. 061/313-333) provides the regular Shannonlink bus service from Shannon Airport to Colbert Station, Limerick's railway station, on Parnell Street. Bus services from all parts of Ireland come to this station.They also operate services from Limerick, Wexford, and Rosslare, into Clonmel Train Station, Thomas Street, Clonmel, County Tipperary (tel. 052/612-1982; www.buseireann.ie). In County Clare, most of the small towns and countryside attractions listed in this chapter—including Bunratty, Kilfenora, Doolin, and the Cliffs of Moher—are all accessible on Bus Éireann, although frequency of services can be low in the most rural areas.
By Train
Irish Rail operates direct trains from Dublin, Cork, and Killarney, with connections from other parts of Ireland, arriving at Limerick's Colbert Station, Parnell Street (www.irishrail.ie; tel. 061/315555).
By Car
Although several of the major sights in this region can be reached on public transportation, you really need a car for the more remote and hard to get to places. Shannon Airport has offices of: Avis (tel. 061/715600; www.avis.ie), Budget (tel. 061/471361; www.budget.ie), and Hertz (tel. 061/471369; www.hertz.ie). Several local firms also maintain desks at the airport; among the most reliable is Dan Dooley Rent-A-Car (tel. 061/471098; www.dan-dooley.ie).
Getting Around
Bus Éireann (tel. 061/313333) operates local bus service around Limerick and its environs; fares start at around €1.50. Buses depart from Colbert Station, Parnell Street.
Taxis line up outside Colbert Station, at hotels, and along Thomas and Cecil streets, off O'Connell Street. To reserve a taxi, call Economy Cabs (tel. 061/411422), Fixed Price Taxis (tel. 061/313131), or Top Cabs (tel. 061/417417).
Driving around Limerick can be a little confusing because of the profusion of one-way streets -- it's best to park your car and walk to see the sights. However, you might want to drive to King's Island for King John's Castle (there's a free parking lot opposite the castle). If you need to park downtown, head for the lot at Arthur's Quay, which is convenient for sightseeing and shopping, and well signposted. Parking in the city costs around €1.50 per hour.
If you need to rent a car in Limerick city, contact Irish Car Rental (Ennis Road, Limerick; tel. 1850/206088 or 061/206025; www.irishcarrentals.com). Most major international car-rental firms maintain desks at Shannon Airport.
On foot, the city's streets are fairly easy to figure out, and the main central street has a changing name -- it's Rutland Street in the north and O'Connell Street and Quinlan Street in the south. Most tourist sights are in the north on King's Island, which is the oldest part of the city, although some are to the south around Pery Square (where the architecture is grand Georgian buildings) and on the river's edge. A good way to hit the high points is to pick up a booklet outlining the Tourist Trail at the tourist office and in bookshops.
