Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [276]
Both counties are places to revel in the Irish past. Ancient Celtic sites, medieval abbeys and other relics endure in solitude, waiting for discovery. Sights like the monumental Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle are on many an itinerary, but still have a rough dignity that moves and inspires.
As you explore these two counties you just might find yourself whistling a merry tune – just make sure you leave those bathroom walls alone.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Surprising City Discover the cafe culture in Limerick and the amazing Limerick City Gallery of Art
Twist & Turn Enjoy the narrow roads and Shannon vistas while wandering the back roads of Limerick, from Kilmallock to Foynes
Over Hill and Dale Explore the wilds of Tipperary, from the Glen of Aherlow to the River Suir Valley
Boiling Oil Walk the walls and keep of Cahir’s authentic and well-preserved castle Click here
World View Look out over County Tipperary from the ancient monuments on the Rock of Cashel
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POPULATION: 263,000
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AREA: 6989 SQ KM
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COUNTY LIMERICK
Limerick’s low-lying farmland is framed on its southern and eastern boundaries by swelling uplands and mountains. Limerick city is boisterously urban in contrast and has enough historic and cultural attractions for a day’s diversion. About 15km south of the city lie the haunting archaeological sites around Lough Gur, while around the same distance southwest of the city is the tourist-pleasing village of Adare.
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LIMERICK CITY
pop 56,000
Hardscrabble and Limerick city will always be linked. And why shouldn’t they? Efforts at glitz and gloss only try to obscure an unflinchingly honest town that doesn’t shy away from a tough past as portrayed in Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes.
Schemes to polish Limerick’s image by making the city more upmarket come and go (during the present economy they’ve vanished). But that doesn’t mean you should pass by the Republic’s fourth largest city. It has an intriguing castle, a lively art museum and even a bit of cafe culture to go with its uncompromised pubs. Most importantly that old cliché about friendly people really does apply here. Locals are glad to see you; just pause on a street corner and people will almost certainly start asking if you need directions.
History
Viking adventurers established a settlement on an island in the River Shannon in the 9th century. They fought with the native Irish for control of the site until Brian Ború’s forces drove them out in 968 and established Limerick as the royal seat of the O’Brien kings. Brian Ború finally destroyed Viking power and presence in Ireland at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. By the late 12th century, invading Normans had supplanted the Irish as the town’s rulers. Throughout the Middle Ages the two groups remained divided, with the oppressed Irish clustering to the south of the River Abbey in Irishtown and the Anglo-Normans walling themselves in to the north, in Englishtown.
From 1690 to 1691, Limerick acquired heroic status in the endless saga of Ireland’s struggle against occupation by the English. After their defeat in the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, Jacobite forces withdrew west behind the famously strong walls of Limerick town. Months of bombardment followed and eventually the Irish Jacobite leader Patrick Sarsfield sued for peace. The terms of the Treaty of Limerick (1691) were then agreed, and Sarsfield and 14,000 soldiers were allowed to leave the city for France. The treaty guaranteed religious freedom for Catholics, but the English later reneged on it and enforced fierce anti-Catholic legislation, an act of betrayal that came to symbolise the injustice of British rule.
During the 18th century, the old walls of Limerick were demolished and a well-planned and prosperous Georgian town developed. Such prosperity had waned by the early 20th century, as traditional industries fell on hard times. Several high-profile nationalists hailed from here, including Éamon de Valera. These days,