After our short break in Meath County, we take a train from Dublin's Heuston Station (1846). Despite Ireland's economic success, their trains still run on diesel. This means the station shed is devoid of overhead cables and beautifully clean.
The journey to Limerick (pop 102,287 in 2022) takes about two and a half hours, with a transfer at Limerick Junction.
Limerirck is the third largest urban center in Ireland. It holds a lingering reputation from the early aughts as "stab city" but has rebounded from that violence and its causes. Perhaps like Marseille, we arrive with a touch of residual anxiety, which fades quickly during our walk to the hotel near the River Shannon. The town has a patina but is well-kept, with colorful storefronts and an enjoyable pedestrian shopping area on Thomas Street and Bedford Row.
Limerick's historic center is to the north, on King's Island. We walk along the Shannon and cross the Abbey River. Unfortunately, we arrive just as Saint Mary's Cathedral (Church of Ireland, 12th-14th centuries) closes. We content ourselves with an exploration of the exterior and the burial grounds, both set on a knoll above street level: the Romanesque archivolts and the tall Gothic lancets of the central tower; the intricate high crosses, curbs and markers of the cemetery; and the stepped gable and crenellations of the south facade.
We continue north on Nicholas Street, past lanes lined with refurbished worker's housing, such as The Widows Alms Houses (1691, rebuilt 1848 & 1970) and Villier's Alms Houses (1826-27).
In the middle of this, the broad, round towers of King John's Castle (c1210) rise high over the streetscape, dwarfing the Bishop's Palace (c1740) and the Saint Munchin's Church (James Pain, c1827). Only the Neo-Gothic tower of St Munchin's challenges the height and visibility of the Castle.
We cross the Shannon at Thomond's Bridge (1836), and scan the incredible 'skyline' of King's Island from the opposite riverbank, known as Clancy's Strand (top image).
We are on the trail of the Three Bridges Walk, a locally defined loop thought the downtown, along the river, and into the historic center – though we are going in the opposite of the prescribed direction (we're going counterclockwise). From Clancy's Strand, we stare across the waters at Arthur's Quay Park and the cascading waters of the old Abbey River spillway.
Cassely's Xtreme Funfair is operating in the Park. The mechanical arms and suspended seats of the rides occasionally pop above the canopy of the Park's trees. It's brightly painted, neon-lit an incongruity.
We short-circuit the Three Bridges, crossing the Sarsfield Swivel Bridge (1824-35) near the Shannon Rowing Club (William Clifford Smith, 1904) and missing the third bridge. If there's a functioning portion of the Swivel Bridge, we did not see it – the asphalt is continuous, and the lock at the far end is repurposed as a launch for small watercraft.
The energy at the Xtreme Funfair is not quite the same as the 'funfair' in Dingle. We may need to return later some evening to really take the temperature of this town. For now, and after our long train ride, we enjoy a riverside dinner and retire early. The restaurant is near the third bridge, the Shannon Bridge (1974-88), and we watch the sunset behind the deck and the distinctive smokestack of the old Cleeves Factory.
