Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [281]
Drinking & Entertainment
Limerick nightlife features local acts and visiting headliners; you’ll find everything from trad Irish to trash rock, indie, chart, soul, reggae, drum ‘n’ bass, jazz and classical, as well as theatre and stand-up comedy. Most clubs have strict door checks. The free Limerick Event Guide (LEG; www.eightball.ie) can be found in pubs, eateries and hotels all over town.
PUBS & CLUBS
Dolan’s ( 061-314 483; www.dolanspub.com; 3/4 Dock Rd) Limerick’s best venue for live music promises an unbeatable gig list as well as cutting-edge stand-ups. The Warehouse nightclub is grafted on to the atmospheric Dolan’s Pub, where you’re guaranteed authentic trad music sessions most nights. There’s usually live jazz by up-and-comers upstairs.
Trinity Rooms ( 061-411 177; www.trinityrooms.ie; The Granary, Michael St) Three venues in one reflect the name of this vast club in a 300-year-old waterside building. The Green Room front-of-house bar is open for food and drink all day, and has DJs and live bands after dark. The Quarter Club is a late-night chill-out lounge with R&B emphasis, while the Main Room blasts into the early hours with a hot list of DJs. Courtyards rock on mild nights.
Nancy Blake’s ( 061-416 443; Upper Denmark St) There’s sawdust on the floor and peat on the fire in the cosy front pub of this old standby. Out back is a vast covered drinking zone that often features live music or televised matches.
White House Pub ( 061-412 377; 52 O’Connell St) A classic right in the centre, this corner pub has good seating outside (under a rare tree) and a good beer list. On some nights it has live acoustic, on others it helps lead a rebirth of local poetry through readings (www.whitehousepoets.blogspot.com).
South’s ( 061-318 850; 4 Quinlan St) The Angela’s Ashes connection is played up here (the loos are named Frank and Angela). But the current upscale mirror-and-glass motif bears little resemblance to the pub where Frank’s father knocked ’em back. Enjoy a traditional pint in a posh setting.
VENUES
University Concert Hall (UCH; 061-322 322; www.uch.ie; University of Limerick) Permanent home of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the UCH adds lustre to Limerick’s cultural scene with visits from world-class performers and regular concerts, opera, drama and dance events. Look for comedy, too, from the likes of Jon Kenny.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Shannon Airport (Click here) in County Clare handles domestic and international flights. A taxi from Limerick city to the airport costs around €35.
BUS
Bus Éireann ( 061-313 333; www.buseireann.ie; Parnell St) services operate from the bus and train station near the city centre. There are regular buses to Cork (€14, 1¾ hours), Tralee (€16, two hours) and Dublin (€10, 3½ hours), as well as to Galway, Killarney, Rosslare, Ennis, Shannon, Derry, and most other centres. You can also get off in Limerick at the bus stop on O’Connell St.
Citylink ( 1890 280 808; www.citylink.ie) has up to seven buses a day to Galway (€12, 1½ hours) and Cork (€14, two hours). Buses stop on Upper Mallow St.
TRAIN
Irish Rail (www.irishrail.ie) offers regular trains from Limerick Railway Station ( 061-315 555; Parnell St) including eight trains daily to Ennis (€9, 40 minutes) and six trains daily to Dublin Heuston (€26, 2½ hours). The line was slated to extend to Galway in 2009. Other routes including Cork, Tralee, Tipperary, Cahir and Waterford involve changing at Limerick Junction, 20km southeast of Limerick.
Getting Around
Regular buses connect Limerick’s bus and train station with Shannon Airport (€7), while a taxi from the city centre to the airport costs €35. The airport is 26km northwest of Limerick, about 30 minutes by car.
Limerick is small enough to get around easily on foot or by bike. To walk across town from St Mary’s Cathedral to the train station takes about 15 minutes.
Taxis can be found outside of the tourist office, at the bus and train stations, and in Thomas St.
There are numerous parking garages around the city