County Limerick
Limerick is a medieval city, standing
where the River Shannon becomes tidal. As an
historic place it has many interesting features
as well as being an important port and industrial
centre. County Limerick is a place of quiet beauty
and rural charm, offering good sport to the angler
and golfer and some of the finest hunting country
in Ireland. Much of County Limerick is low and
undulating-particularly in the east, where it
forms part of the rich plain known as the Golden
Vale. There are, however, considerable elevations
towards the west, south and north-east fringes
of the county, and in the south-east the Galtee
mountains reach into County Limerick from neighbouring
County Tipperary.
Many 12th century churches can be found throughout
Limerick and The Hunt Museum houses a fine collection
of Irish and European religious art. Recently
moved, the Hunt Museum in the Old Customs House
is one of the finest collections of antiquities
in Europe. The Augustinian Friory has a true
medieval feel, while the 13th-century Trinitarian
Abbey is the only house of the order in Ireland.
Both are still in use, the former by the Church
of Ireland, the latter by the Catholic Church.
Adare Village a few miles from Limerick City
is billed as the prettiest village in Ireland.
Restored in the 1820's by the Earl of Dunraven
the long narrow Village Street is a picture of
neat stonework and thatch roofs. The county spreads
out around the mouth of the Shannon, Ireland's
longest river, and its main focus Limerick City
is built on the river, where it meets the Atlantic
Ocean. Ireland's third largest city, Limerick,
is home to a grid of gracious Georgian terraces
and earlier medieval town plans.
Co. Limerick has a whole range of visitor attractions
that are well worth exploring. Attractions include
the Adare Heritage Centre on Adare's pretty main
street; Croom Mills Waterwheel and Heritage Centre,
the Foynes Flying Boat Museum - once the centre
of the aviation world where Irish coffee was
invented; Celtic Park and Gardens; Curraghchase
Forest Park and Lough Gur, habitat of Neolithic
Man and one of Ireland's most important archaeological
sites.
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Main
Tourist Attractions Include :
The Hunt Musem
Located at The Custom House, Rutland Street, Limerick City,
the Hunt Museum is home to one of Ireland's greatest
private collections of art and antiquities. Generously
donated to the 'people of Ireland' by John and Gertrude
Hunt who collected pieces from the four corners of
the world. The Collection reflects our Celtic past
as well as masterworks by Da Vinci, Yeats and Renoir.
Foynes Museum
The Foynes museum recalls
the era with a comprehensive range of exhibits and
graphic illustrations. It also includes a 1940s style
cinema, the original terminal building through
which many VIPs passed, war years' radio and the
weather room. Irish coffee was "invented" here in
1943. During the 1930s and early 1940s, the port
of Foynes was the fulcrum point for air traffic
between the United States and Europe. The famous flying boats were
frequent visitors, carrying passengers who ranged from celebrities
to refugees.
Curraghmore Forest Park
Located at Kilcornan, Curraghchase Forest Park is a six hundred
acre plantation of exceptional beauty. It features
walkways, a lake and garden, a nature trail and the
ruins of the eighteenth century home of the poet
Aubrey de Vere.
The Bishops Palace
The Bishops' Palace is located
at Church Street, adjacent to King John's Castle
and is the restored home of former Protestant Bishops
of Limerick. The Palace has a classical facade and
is related to the English Palladian style.
Lough Gur Stone Age Centre
Located at Ballyneety, the Lough Gur Centre is the most important
Stone Age site in Ireland. The visitor centre, on
its lakeside site, contains a display and audio-visual
show presenting the site's history. The archaeology
of the area provides evidence of the activities of
the first farmers in the region, their dwellings,
ritual and burial sites, as well as their tools and
implements. The story stretches over 5,000 years
and continues to the present day.
Croom Mills and Heritage Centre
This uniquely restored nineteenth
century granary shows working conditions for millers
and blacksmiths in dramatic settings. It is complimented
by an audio-visual film on the history of grain milling
locally. The mill race flows gently beneath the superb
restaurant and craft shop
Heritage Sites
Banqueting Hall (Desmond Hall) -
Newcastlewest
West Limerick preserves many
of Ireland's surviving spacious medieval halls. The
desmond banqueting hall is an imposing two-storey
structure and was used by the Earls of Desmond for
banqueting and entertainment. The Hall, vaulted lower
chamber and adjoining tower were all constructed
during the 15th century (the hall and chamber were
built on the remains of a 13th century structure
of similar size).
Interesting
Shops
