by The fresh Atlantic wind blows up the estuary and weaves through a grove of young lime trees beside the Treaty Stone, the rock that saw the end of William’s war in the autumn of 1691. Directly ahead, a seven-arched limestone bridge across the River Shannon as far as the thick barrel towers of King John’s Castle. On the right, the quays and avenues of Limerick City are lined with new bars, hotels and restaurants. It’s a scene that contrasts sharply with the damp, smoky cityscape depicted in Frank McCourt’s book, Angela’s Ashes.
But McCourt’s memoir, which won a Pulitzer prize in 1996, is not the only word in print out of contact with the 21st-century Treaty City. In 2021, the business magazine Forbes retracted an article that did not meet its own editorial standards when it published a profile piece about John and Patrick Collison, the founders of the financial software company Stripe, who grew up near the city. The article described Limerick as a gritty, gun-slinging frontier town. To some extent, this was understandable: the city is often treated as a whistle-blower for urban crime in the Irish media, decades after the end of criminal family feuds.
The truth is that Limerick has long had the same low crime rates as cities like Cork and Galway. But, aesthetically, Limerick is fascinating. An architectural map of Ireland’s history is depicted along the most beautiful river in the country. The medieval quarter in the north of the city leads to glazed buildings and rows of Georgian redbrick townhouses. Cafes have colonized the waterways that lead in every direction, and the main streets and piers make for easy walking or cycling routes.
The past sits comfortably here, despite the fact that the city seems to be in a constant state of renewal. Every Sunday, for hundreds of years, Limerick has been awakened by the bells of St Mary’s Cathedral. Below a labyrinth of narrow lanes under a huge canopy is the Milk Market, where the city always gathered on Saturday mornings to browse the stalls of artisanal food producers. By midday the smell of coffee is in the air, and a queue has formed at David Jackson’s Flying Cheese Brigade stall, which sells locally sourced organic brands such as aromatic, tangy St Tola cheese, as well as innovative international varieties .
Sport – any sport – is what really gets under the skin of this city
Facing the market is the Nancy Blake pub, where the owner, Donal Mulcahy, has maintained the same nostalgic vibe the place had when it was run by his mother, Nancy. It’s like walking into a lantern-lit 19th century parlor, with a warm glow from the cast iron fireplace. In the back is a brick beer garden and lean-to, mostly known as the Outback, where a night often ends with the sound of a saxophone and a shot of tequila. A 15 minute walk away is Dolan’s, another late night venue offering traditional Irish music, rock and standup comedy.
This is a city that nurtures the performing arts, having given the world the Cranberries, Terry Wogan, and actors Ruth Negga and Richard Harris. Venues such as the intimate Belltable theater on O’Connell Street or the Lime Tree theater stage world-class productions, and the University Concert Hall is the leading entertainment.
But it’s sport – any sport – that really gets under the skin of this city. Limerick GAA dominate the national sport of hurling, and are All-Ireland champions. Tumblr Park Stadium – home to Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemians RFC – and the new International Rugby Experience in the city center rises like a colossi over the surrounding architecture.
At night, the choice of pub often depends on team affiliation – Shannon RFC supporters gather at the city’s premier sports and whiskey venue, Jerry Flannery’s Bar, owned by former Irish rugby international. On a busy street a few blocks away another rugby base, Myles Breen’s Bar, has been serving ale from its mahogany counter for over two centuries. Next door, the old Stella Bingo hall is where, according to a green plaque on its facade, Ireland’s greatest rock export first performed as a four-piece band under the name U2.
For a taste of the region’s cuisine, Derek Fitzpatrick’s East Room, in a white Palladian house near the university, offers a tasting menu with locally foraged vegetables and herbs and wild game or halibut, scallops and crab.
But Limerick is at its best eating more casual, unhurried, sustainable food. Siblings Hazel and Joe Murphy operate The Buttery on Bedford Row, a comfort food spot with a fine all-day brunch menu. It is a short distance from the Brown Thomas department store and the country’s largest independent bookshop, O’Mahony’s, which has been owned by the same family since 1902. The canteen on Catherine Street also serves food during the day. Chef-owner Paul Williams offers simple organic fare with traceable local ingredients, such as fish or duck and sweet onion tacos on flatbread.
Located in George’s Quay, a lamp-lit lane overlooking a canal near the Hunt Museum and Treaty City Brewery, is Locke’s bar, one of Limerick’s best pubs, with tables on a cobbled path lined with trees by the water’s edge . The atmospheric setting is matched only by the Curragower bar and restaurant, which offers a panoramic view of King John’s Castle on the Shannon. It’s on Clancy’s Beach, near the Treaty Stone, and it’s also a great place to spend an afternoon with a pint of light ale, a seafood pie and the best view in town.
Where to stay The Strand Hotel in the city center has doubles from €124 single room, and the Savoy Hotel has doubles from €190 single room.
