Limerick

Limerick, city, port, and county town (seat) of County Limerick, west-central Ireland. It occupies both banks and King’s Island of the River Shannon at the head of its estuary emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Under the Local Government Act of 1888, Limerick became a county borough with a city council; it has remained administratively independent of the county.

The city is divided into English Town (on King’s Island), Irish Town, and Newtown Pery (founded 1769), the first including the ancient nucleus of the city and the last including the principal modern streets. The main stream of the Shannon is crossed by Thomond and Sarsfield (or Wellesley) bridges. Communication with the sea is open, while inland navigation is facilitated by a canal. Quays extend on each side of the river, along which lie a graving (dry) dock and a wet dock.

The Norse sacked an early settlement in the early 9th century. In 922 they established it as a principal town of their kingdom of Limerick, using the settlement to attack monasteries; they were expelled at the end of the 10th century by the Irish hero Brian Boru. From 1106 to 1174 it was the seat of the kings of Thomond, or North Munster. Richard I granted it a charter in 1197. King John (reigned 1199–1216) granted it to William de Burgh, who founded English Town and erected King John’s Castle. In the 15th century its fortifications were extended to include Irish Town, and it became one of the strongest fortresses of the kingdom. In 1609 Limerick received a charter that made the city a county and also incorporated a society of merchants. After William III’s unsuccessful siege in 1691, resistance was ended by the Treaty of Limerick. Perhaps the most famous tourist attraction in Limerick is the limestone Treaty Stone, on which was signed the Treaty of Limerick (1691) between the supporters and opponents of William III. (Much of the stone is now spread throughout the world, particularly in Canada and the United States.) Fragments of the old walls remain.

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Agriculture and fishing have long thrived, supplying much of the county’s exports. Limerick is the centre of the Shannon salmon fisheries. Other industries include electronics and computers. Limerick benefited from the establishment of the nearby Shannon hydroelectric power station. From 1829 the city became known for the production of Limerick lace, an embroidered machine-made net that is similar in appearance to true lace. Tourism provides an important source of revenue.

The now-Protestant cathedral of St. Mary was originally built in 1142–80. The modern Roman Catholic cathedral of St. John, built in the mid-19th century, is in Early Pointed style. The University of Limerick (originally the National Institute for Higher Education at Limerick) was founded in 1972. The Hunt Museum houses Christian art and archaeological artifacts and includes works by Leonardo da Vinci and Jean Renoir, and the Limerick City Gallery of Art exhibits Irish art since the 18th century. The city has long been associated with the short, humorous verse form known as a limerick, whose name some have suggested derives from the chorus of the 18th-century Irish soldiers’ song “Will You Come Up to Limerick?” Sports, particularly rugby (the city considers itself the rugby capital of Ireland), are popular. Pop. (2006) 52,539; (2011) 57,106.