photo by gusto

Squarely on the path of all the major routes across the country, and situated pretty much at the head of the Shannon estuary, the city of LIMERICK seems a logical place to make for, but it’s a disappointment. Though it’s the Republic’s third city, and heavily industrialized, it somehow falls significantly short of being a metropolis, yet also lacks the attractions of a typically relaxed western seaboard town. Unemployment and economic hard times have left their mark, it doesn’t always seem a friendly place and certain areas can feel positively intimidating at night. Even so, recent efforts to clean up Limerick’s image are starting to pay off. On a fine day the area around King John’s Castle affords some sense of the city’s medieval history and the Georgian Custom House is home to the excellent Hunt Museum – reason enough to give Limerick some time.