24 Things to Do and See in Limerick


Table of Contents

24 Things to do and see in Limerick

Limerick city
Photo via Canva

Here we go, I’m starting a blog and I’m starting with my home town, Limerick city! I have lived in Limerick all my life and I’m 41 years old now. I have years of experience right! I’m sounding old now, must not sound old!

Limerick is a beautiful city to visit and is steeped in history. We have a beautiful castle in the city and lots of things to do and see. Limerick is a modern city and has modern facilities.

Depending on what you want to do and see, there a massive amount to see and do in Limerick. Limerick was founded by the Vikings and is Ireland’s third-largest city. The famous Irish coffee drink was invented in Foynes in County Limerick!!! Can’t beat a good Irish coffee!!!!

See my article here about visiting Foynes and the Flying Boat museum in County Limerick!

In my opinion, you have to see The Treaty Stone and King Johns Castle, the Court House and Saint Mary’s Cathedral and Saint Johns Cathedral just to mention a few of the interesting stuff to see in the treaty city!!!

If you’re into food, there is a market every Saturday in Limerick called the Milk Market. Limerick has lots of great cafes, fast food outlets and great restaurants.

You can easily walk around Limerick or take a Cola Zero bike to get around the city and soak up the vibes around the city centre and enjoy the wonderful buildings in Limerick and learn about the history and culture of the city.

The main public transport bus network is provided by Bus Eireann. Taxis are available around the city and you can download and use the free now taxi app.

Cool stuff to see

1 –The Treaty Stone –The Treaty Stone, the treaty was signed in 1691 Go see it!

treaty stone limerick
Photo via All Things Ireland

Limerick is known as the treaty city because of a treaty that was signed on the 3rd of October 1691 after a bloody war between William III of England also known as William of Orange and his father Kings James the II.

The treaty was signed on a stone in the sight both feuding armies the Willamites and the Jacobites at the Clare side of Thomond Bridge in Limerick hence the name “The Treaty Stone”. The Treaty Stone is situated next to Thomond bridge on Clancy’s Strand, Limerick.

2 –King John’s Castle – Experience one the coolest castles in Europe on your visit to Limerick!

King Johns Castle at nighttime
Photo via Canva

King John’s Castle is a Norman design castle, the site dates back to 922 and the castle itself was built by the order of King John in 1200. The castle is now turned into a cool tourist attraction and visitor centre. The castle boasts 800 years of history and there are concerts being held in the grounds of the castle recently.

It a class venue for a gig! It a fantastic place for some nice photos or video clips. If you’re lucky to attend a gig there, you will enjoy this unique venue! The visitor centre has lots of visitors each year and you can book tickets online via there website. There is music gig held in the grounds of the castle a few times a year, and it’s a cool place to hear some live rock and roll!!

See my post here on visiting King Johns castle in Limerick!

3 –The Court House Merchants Quay – Visit the Neoclassical Courthouse on Merchants Quay Limerick!

Limerick Court House building
Photo via Canva

The Court House building is based on Merchants Quay in Limerick. The building was designed by Nicholas and Willam Hannan and it’s a neoclassical style building. Solicitors and barristers attend Monday to Friday for various legal cases. The courthouse is next to the City hall building which houses local government departments.

4 –The Old Walls Of Limerick – See the area of the old Irish Town and English town. A must-see is you’re into history!!!

the old walls of limerick
Photo via All Things Ireland

Back in the day, Limerick was surrounded by walls. The Viking’s founded Limerick in the 9th century and when the Anglo Norman’s captured Limerick in 1195, they set about to fortify it. King Johns Castle was built in 1200 and the city was enclosed with a wall.

Parts of these walls are still standing in Limerick and can be seen close to King John’s Castle on the Island Road location. The city was very well protected and these walls were used for defence purposes. These areas became known as Irish Town and English town. A must-see is you’re into history!!!

5 –Saint Mary’s Cathedral – A highly recommended place to visit!!! You have to see it!!!

Saint Mary Cathedral Limrick City
Photo via All Things Ireland

Saint Marys Cathedral is Limerick’s oldest working building still in use today. It’s a fantastic example of a medieval building that dates back to 1168.

It’s is an Anglican church. It’s a cool place to visit and if the walls could speak they would tell stories of invasions, wars and the struggle for power and religious history. It’s situated next to the Court House on Merchants Quay. The Cathedral has some cool features like the 6 chapels in the cathedral and the unreal stained glass. It’s just out of this world!!

See my post on Knockfierna in County Limerick here!

6 –Pop into the Limerick City Gallery of Art!!!

Limerick city Gallery of art 1
Photo via All Things Ireland

The Limerick city gallery of art has some great pieces of art. The gallery is located in the Carnegie Building in the Pery Square area of Limerick city. There are some beautiful exhibitions on display including the national collection of contemporary drawings.

The gallery is FREE to visit and there is a wonderful little cafe just next door with a contemporary feel. The art collection in the gallery dates back to 1936 and it’s a great place to visit for people interested in the arts. The people’s park is directly behind the gallery and there is on-street parking. The gallery has educational events and workshops. You have to pop in for a look!!

7 –Saint John Cathedral – This Cathedral has the tallest spire in Ireland!!

Saint John Cathedral is a roman catholic church, the first mass was held in the church on the 7th of March 1859. It had a large restoration carried out in 2003 and 2004 on the roof and stonework of the building. It’s a beautiful church and is in great condition.

The spire measures 94 metres and is the tallest in Ireland. Six Bishops are buried in the grounds of the cathedral. The north transept window in Saint John’s Cathedral is a must-see, the stained glasses is breathtaking.

8 – The People Park – Picnic Time at the People’s Park!!!!

people's park limerick
Photo via All Things Ireland

A truly great park for a picnic and somewhere to relax and let your hair down. The people park is perfect for a retro picnic, grab some stuff from the milk market in Limerick and have a great picnic there! The park has plenty of seating and lots of really nice trees. There is a children’s playground also. If you just want to chill out with a book this is the place.

9 – The Milk Market – It’s a food paradise!!!

The Milk Market has lots to offer, food stalls, clothing and household items and the buzzing atmosphere is great. Part of the market is covered in, in this area, there are lots of food traders with all types of food to try. We have some great food in Ireland.

Tasty pastries and all kinds of cakes, fruit and some amazing cheese’s. Hot food also and the smell of good cooking!!!! You can’t beat it, grab a coffee and some flowers or try some local crafts. This market is a great place to taste some great Irish food and experience Irish culture and the wheeling and dealing of market traders.

10 – Visit Dolans Pub and Warehouse – Time for some Traditional Irish Music and a few pints!!

Dolans Pub Limerick
Photo via All Things Ireland

Dolan’s pub is on the Dock Road in Limerick, it’s a great pub for music and good food. There is a huge amount of music gigs in Dolan’s every month for all music types. It’s a great spot to try a nice pint of Guinness and catch an earful a trad Irish music session (We call it trad in Ireland).

There is music 7 nights a week in Dolans and I have attended there many times myself. Dolans have a breakfast food menu, a bar menu and an a la carte food menu. Try the Dolans Bacon and Cabbage, it’s savage!!!

11 – Travel to Lough Gur – Experience 1000’s of years of history!!

Lough Gur Visitor Centre
Photo via Canva

The majestic Lough Gur features a beautiful Lake and stone circle and visitor centre. It boasts 6000 years of history. The site dates back to the Neolithic period is one of Ireland most important sites. The visitor centre has a wide variety of things to see.

See my post here on Directions to Lough Gur!

The visitor centre is priced very reasonable at 5.00 euro for adults. The stone circle close to Lough Gur in Grange County Limerick is Irelands largest standing stone circle. The Lough Gur shield is a Yetholm type shield it is an amazing design. It is a distinctive type of shield dating to 1200-800 from the Bronze Age period. Now that’s real history!!!!

See my post on a Guide to Lough Gur here!

12 – City Centre Shopping – Grab some gifts in Limerick City!!!

Limerick city centre
Photo via Canva

Head into Limerick city centre and buy loads of gifts for family and friends. The main street in Limerick city centre is O Connell Street. O Connell Street is named after Daniel O Connell who campaigned for Catholic rights in early 19th century.

Cruises Street, Limerick has some nice stores, River Island has a large section of clothing. Penny’s also known as Primark is great for superb value clothing. Brown Thomas on O Connell Street has clothing, homeware and brands like Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith and Gucci. Arthurs Quay shopping centre has stores with Irish souvenirs and Irish made clothing, the Paddy Wagon store and the Irish handcrafts store at located in Arthurs Quay.

13 – Visit Thomond Park and the Munster Experience Museum – Experience the rich history of Munster Rugby!!

Thomond Park and the Munster Experience Museum have to be on your things-to-do list. It’s the home ground of the Munster Rugby team. Learn about the great Munster players that played and won trophies. Learn about the famous Munster rugby team that beat the All Blacks in 1978 in Limerick and the teams that won the Heineken Cup in recent years.

It’s a fully guided tour experience with an interactive games zone. You can tour the stadium also and take it all in. Pricing is fairly reasonable at just 10.00 euros for adults and 8.00 euros for children.

14 – University Limerick – Endless things to do and see!!

Going to the University of Limerick is a great experience. There is a sports arena with a large number of medals and memorabilia from international sports athletes available to see on the campus and a few art collections also.

There is the University Concert Hall which has various shows and events and The Glucksman Library which has a large collection of books and postcard collections including rare books.

There is also a farmers market every Tuesday in the summer months. on campus. The university has many cool building and sculptures including the unique design bridge called “The Living Bridge”. You’ve got to see it!!!

See my post here on what Student life is like in Limerick!

15 – Treaty City Brewery – Take a tour of the brewery and see how Limerick craft beers are made!!!

the treaty city brewery limerick
Photo via All Things Ireland

Take a tour of Limericks Treaty City Brewery and see how the crafts beers are made. Treaty City Brewery makes a few different crafts beers that are super good and very tasty indeed.

There is the Harris pale ale, Thomond red ale and the Shannon IPA. The tour involves information on the brewing process and the history of brewing in Limerick dating back to the 1700s, a nice bit of history there. ?The brewery is very centrally located on Nicholas street, just 2 two minutes from the iconic Kings Johns Castle. There is, of course, a tasting of the beers included in this interesting tour! Get it on the bucket list!!!

16 – Nancy Blake’s Pub – A cool Irish pub with a great pint, and a fantastic atmosphere!!

Nancy Blakes Pub Limerick
Photo via All Things Ireland

Nancy Blake’s pub is a beautiful traditional Irish pub in upper Denmark Street Limerick it is a perfect stop for a few pints or a hot whiskey. The pub dates back to 1956 and has served many a pint over the years.

There is a beer garden named “The Outback” to the rear of the bar and the pub has a great selection of drinks, including, beers, shouts, spirits, craft beers and sodas. In the evening time, the beer garden is a great spot for live music and the atmosphere is electric.

There is often music in the bar also. The bar often has a lovely fire lighting and its the perfect spot to pop in and warm up with a hot whiskey or a coffee. As Irish pubs go, it’s as good as it gets!!! You have to go there!!!

17 – The Hunt Museum Limerick – See more than 2,500 objects of different types!!!

Painting
Photo via Canva

The hunt museum in Limerick is a great place to visit, the museum is located on Rutland Street in Limerick city. The museum is full of interesting things to see. There are a number of exhibits on display.

The museum is in the heart of limerick city and within walking distance of a lot of Limericks other attractions. The is a showing of some famous costumes, it’s a large collection of costumes from famous movies at the hunt museum.

The display is part of the Irish costume archive, displaying famous costumes from movies and television. Costumes are on display from 19 famous films including movies Michael Collins, The Quiet Man, and In The Name Of The Father.

The Hunt Museum was established to house the internationally important collection of approximately 2,000 works of art and artefacts formed by John and Gertrude Hunt during their lifetimes.

As antique dealers and advisors to collectors, they built a thriving business and also began to acquire pieces that reflected their interests and curiosity rather than for commercial purposes. The local council in Limerick and the department of Arts and Heritage and the Gaeltacht now run the Hunt Museum.

18 – Do a walking tour of Limerick!!

Leamy's School Limerick
Photo via All Things Ireland

The city is a great place to walk around and explore the fantastic historic buildings, old stories and interesting facts about the city’s rich and long history. You can walk around yourself or take a guided tour. There are a few options with walking tours, there are Angela’s Ashes walking tours available to do.

Angela’s Ashes the book was written by Frank Mc Court, who came from Limerick, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his book. This tour included locations from Angela Ashes, including Souths Pub and Leamy’s School, and other locations mentioned in the book.

Limerick City Walking Tours offer a walking tour around the city that captures the spirit of Limerick, the tour is done by a local. It’s a well developed and excellent tour. This is a great way to see the best parts of Limerick on a small budget, the tour offers a great experience and it’s very reasonably priced.

19 – Attend Riverfest Festival in the Summer months!!

Riverfest Limerick City
Photo via Canva

Riverfest is held each year in Limerick, it’s a cool festival. It is usually held at the start of May each year. The city is buzzing with people attending the festival. The festival is featured along the river Shannon. The Great Limerick Run and huge fireworks displays are part of the River Fest. The city is full of entertainment for the weekend and it’s a great boost for local businesses. Put it on your bucket list!!!

There is a BBQ cookoff competition and there are some delicious foods on offer. There are live street performers and plenty of delicious foods to all around the city. The pubs are filled with people having the craic and trying some of the local craft beers.

There is plenty of live music events and plenty of stuff to see and do through the wicked weekend of fun. The ending of the festival is finished with an amazing huge fireworks display and lots of people gather around Arthurs Quay park area to see the huge display of fireworks going off. Its a must on your bucket list of things to see and do in Limerick.

20 – Head to Adare for the afternoon

adare cottages county limerick
Photo via Canva

Adare village is located in County Limerick, just 30 minutes drive from Limerick city. Adare is full of history and cool stuff. The area is home to the Adare Manor Hotel star hotel and golf course.

The Hotel recently won the bid to hold the Ryder cup in 2026 at the am\zing hotel and top-class golf course. Adare Manor is an old manor house built by the Dunraven family in 1832. The house is known as a calendar house because of its 52 chimneys and 7 stone pillars and 4 towers to mark the annual tallies of weeks, seasons and days of the year.

The 840-acre estate and hotel was recently purchased by Irish businessman JP Mc Manus and a new extension and complete refurbishment were carried out on the hotel and golf course, and a new golf course was designed installed. The hotel has won many awards and it’s one of the worlds best hotels. Adare village is full of lovely little cafes and nice boutiques full of top-class fashionable items.

The main street is home to a number of thatched buildings and there is a protestant and catholic church in the area. The Desmond castle sits next to Adare Manor and there are guided tours available of the Desmond castle and grounds.

See my post here on Things to do and see in Adare!

21 – Visit Asketon Castle in County Limerick

Askeaton Castle is located in county Limerick about a 40-minute drive from Limerick city. Askeaton is located on the banks of the River Deel and it’s a beautiful little spot to stop off. The castle dates back to 1199 and is one of the largest buildings in the town of Askeaston.

The castle was established by Mr William De Burgo and was once the seat of one of the old High Kings of Munster. The castle passed to the hands of King Edward and in 1348 the castle became the main seat of the Earl of Desmond. The building came under the ownership of the English in the year 1642. The castle is a nice spot for some photos.

See my post here on 5 castles to see in Limerick!

22 – Tickle you taste buds in the Mustard Seed

The Mustard Seed was formerly the Echo lodge. The house was a stopping point back in the day for the great liberator Daniel O Connell. The original building was a long thatched dwelling with a fancy kitchen garden. The house was later purchased by the Marcy Order of Nuns for 1 penny. A school was added to the grounds. The nuns ran the building and school until the 1970s.

In 1985 Dan Mullane started the Mustard Seed. The Mustard Seed is known for its top quality food and great fine dining experience. The hotel has a number of beautiful guest rooms available and it one of the best places in Ireland for food. In 2016 the Mustard Seed changed ownership, it was purchased by a manager, John Edward Joyce.

23– Have lunch in the Oak Room at Adare Manor

Adare Manor County Limerick
Photo via Canva

The oak room restaurant in Adare Manor is one of the best places you will find for food. The Michelin star restaurant has lots of delicious dishes on offer. The restaurant recently was awarded a Michelin star and the Oak Room building was completely refurbishment as part of a huge makeover of the Adare Manor Hotel.

The new restaurant opened and has already gained some international recognition. The restaurant has a large selection of local produce and great Irish producers on hand to help create the unreal food experience.

The large groups of farmers, fishermen and seasonal vegetable growers that supply the restaurant help the staff achieve a wonderful menu, with totally top-class food in the wonderful setting of the Adare Manor grounds.

There are lots of foods to choose from like Oysters, Irish beef, tasty Irish cheeses and much much more. It’s definitely a place you want to visit while you in Limerick or maybe for a special occasion like a birthday party or a staff party.

24 – Have a BBQ at Curraghchase Forest Park

Curraghchase forest park is a cool place to go with kids, it’s a great place to stretch your legs. The old house on the grounds used to be home to the famous poet Aubrey De Vere.

The house gets its name from the word Curragh meaning Bog. The area was taken over by the forestry division Coillte in the 1970s. Coillte manages a number of areas in the park and they are some ducks and swans for kids to admire and feed.

The area has a number of nice walking trails for walkers. There are children’s playgrounds onsite to keep the kids busy and a BBQ area with timber seating. It’s the perfect spot for a nice little BBQ on a summer’s day.

The area is suitable for wheelchair users and perfect for cycling. The park covers 313 hectares and 8 kilometres of walking routes altogether. There are two old Celtic crosses in the park dating from 1871. The crosses are a nice spot for a photo and maybe a quiet prayer.


See some of my other posts below

What is nightlife is like in Limerick

Visit King Johns Castle in Limerick

2 days in Limerick

2 Days in County Clare

Limerick Category

How to get to Lough Gur?

Knockfierna County Limerick

Foynes and The Flying Boat Museum

Blog All Things Ireland

Munster Category

John C

Hey, my name is John Conway and I love travelling around Ireland. I have a passion for All Things Ireland. I love the Emerald Isle! I love Guinness and green fields!

Recent Posts