There is no better way to visit the city as with a local. I have never been to Limerick so I’ve decided to ask for some guidelines a local company. Ireland in general and Limerick in particular have no secrets for the experts in Tour Ireland. Having read their short post about Limerick – the city full of music and culture – encouraged me to plan another visit on this awesome green island. After all, St. Patrick’s Day is coming! Enjoy reading it! Limerick – the City of Culture Limerick City is located in south-west Ireland, close to Shannon Airport and great base from which to tour the Mid-West region of Ireland. It is a friendly city with lots of pubs, restaurants, attractions, galleries and museums to keep you entertained and one of my favorite cities to escape down to! And with Limerick being the 2014 City of Culture this year, there really is no better time to explore this vivacious, historic and electric city! So here are some of my top recommendations for your Limerick visit. St. Mary’s Cathedral This site is just packed with an astounding history being the City’s oldest building which is still in daily use. It is thought that before the construction of the cathedral, there may have been earlier Viking structure but the site is definitely dated to 1168 when the then King of Munster Donal Mor O’Brien donated part of his palace to construct the Cathedral. Located in the very heart of the city, the cathedral is still an important feature of Limerick City life and has seen over 8 centuries of continued worship along with development of the City as it stands today. Historic and beautiful this should not be missed! King Johns Castle Located in the heart of the medieval quarter, this castle has an epic history and recently underwent a multi-million euro investment, bringing the technologies of the 21st to the 13th. Dating to the 1200’s the story of the castle and city are retold through touch screen technology, 3D models and animated projections which bring the castle to life, making it a real interactive link to the past. And after all this history, enjoy a well-deserved rest in their café which overlooks the River Shannon and castle courtyard. Dolans This great one-stop music venue has been rocking Limerick City for 20 years. With a pub, restaurant and several purpose built music venues, some of the biggest names in both national and international music have played here such as Snow Patrol, Imelda May and Mumford & Sons. It has a great reputation for a traditional music sessions too, so be sure and check out Dolan’s for some raucous thigh slapping, feet tapping and above all authentic traditional Irish music! Hunt Museum Housed in the old 18th collection of the Hunt Family. It has a dazzling array of 2,000 artefacts which span from the Neolithic period right up to the 20th century. With paintings from Yeats, Renoir and Picasso, jewelry once owned by Mary Queen of Scots to works from the Irish Celtic period, this museum may be small in size but its eclectic collection is simply amazing and takes you on an unimaginable journey of historical treasures! Limerick Greyhound Track If you are looking for an alternate night out, I would really recommend a night at the dogs! You can enjoy dinner and drinks here while putting a euro down on your favourite pooches. Or you can just concentrate on the betting! With a lively, fun atmosphere, after the races you can linger on and enjoy the musical entertainment to keep the night going! Milk Market This is Ireland’s oldest weekly market dating to 1792, with markets running Friday to Sunday. For me however, the Food market on Saturday is the place to be with offerings from some of the best Irish producers around –everything from chutneys to cheese, fish to bread. Stall holders come from all over Limerick County to sell their delicious delights and with over 21 shops and 50 stalls you really are quite spoiled for choice! This is a real little haven of yumminess for all you foodies out there! So, have I inspired you to take a trip down Limerick way? There really is no better time to visit as there will be lots of events taking place to highlight this wonderful 2014 City of Culture! Make it part of your tour of Ireland and discover for yourself the history and heritage of this friendly city! About Tour Ireland are an 100% Irish owned Tour Operator promoting Irish culture, history and heritage through their tours around Ireland. To know more about their services and itineraries click here for details. And plan to visit Ireland soon! St. Patrick’s Day is coming! Photo credits: all photos are used on a Creative Commons license. Courtesy of Tourism Ireland Imagery and Wikimedia Commons.  

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