Limerick Tours, Vacation Packages & Travel Experiences

Just a short distance from Shannon airport in the west of the country is Ireland’s third largest city, Limerick (excluding Northern Ireland). It is definitely an interesting destination both as a city and its surrounding attractions when on Ireland vacations.

You might want to start your explorations in Pery Square with its fine Georgian terraces dating back to 1835. Also here is the beautiful People’s Park opened in 1877 where you will find the Limerick City Gallery of Art with its collection of Irish art gathered from the last 300 years. The gallery is the home of Eva International, Ireland's biennial art festival.

Over the River Shannon which runs through the city is the 13^th Century King John’s Castle with its vast walls and towers built on the instructions of King John of England around 1200. A multimedia display gives an excellent presentation of the history of Ireland in general, and Limerick in particular. There are exhibitions on the castle's archaeology and the development of Georgian Limerick. In the courtyard, there is a medieval campaign tent, a blacksmiths forge and scenes from a 17^th Century siege.

The Hunt Museum has one of Ireland’s best private collections of art and antiquities (over 2000 items) from the Neolithic Age to the 20^th Century and includes works by Renoir, Picasso, Henry Moore and Yeats. There are artifacts from Greece, Rome and Egypt. Visitors are allowed to open drawers and look at the finest collection of Bronze Age, Iron Age, medieval and modern art treasures outside of Dublin.

St. Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick’s oldest and most historic building, was founded in 1168 and some of the original parts still exist such as the West Door, the nave and the aisles. Experts believe that parts of the palace of an ancient King of Munster are incorporated into the present structure of the Cathedral.

Limerick is known for its abundant street art which can be found in some unlikely places. Renowned street artists from all over the world come to Limerick to leave their mark with colourful murals and messages. Some of the “graffiti“ is exceptional such as the Bearded Man and the “Hello Kitty”. It is lots of fun once you locate the street art.

Just outside Limerick is the magnificent Bunratty Castle, probably Ireland’s most renowned castle. It dates back to 1425 and is the best-preserved medieval fortress in the country restored to its former glory. It contains mainly 15th and 16^th Century furnishings, tapestries and works of art. There are evening medieval banquets during which certain guests can be banished to the dungeons below. Also here is the Folk Park with over 30 buildings which recreate a living village from the past with farmhouses, shops and streets.