Staycation Special: "Limerick is the ideal city break for a weekend of history, sport and music"

Limerick City

From its medieval streets to a world-renowned rugby stadium and thriving nightlife, the Treaty City is the ideal city break for a weekend of history, sport and music.

Limerick is home to the largest Georgian Quarter in Ireland outside Dublin, a mere 10-minute walk from the impressive Medieval Quarter which boasts the city’s most iconic landmark, King John’s Castle.

Limerick is known for its vibrant music scene and there’s plenty of great spots around the city to enjoy live music. Dolan’s bar and restaurant has been the hub of live music for over 30 years, offering trad sessions in the bar Wednesday to Sunday, along with a host of ticketed gigs in their award-winning venue, Dolan’s Warehouse.

The Commercial and Pharmacia have greatly enriched the city’s local music scene over the last 10 years and are well worth a visit. In the summer months, the city also hosts outdoor concerts in Thomond Park and King John’s Castle, this year welcoming Patti Smith, Florence + The Machine, Kings Of Leon and many more.

King Johns Castle

Limerick is the perfect destination for the May Bank Holiday as it hosts its annual summer festival, Riverfest Limerick. The festival has something for everyone, including BBQ on the Boardwalk, the Great Limerick Run, an impressive fireworks display and lots of live music and events to enjoy around the city.

From coffee, cheese and crêpes, Limerick’s Milk Market has something for all the family and is a local hub on weekends. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a sunshine supporter, catching a Munster match in Thomond Park, or the famed Limerick hurlers in the Gaelic Grounds, is a must to soak in the electric atmosphere of this sports-mad city.

Thomond Park

Rain, hail or shine, Limerick is a great city for a pub crawl. Must-visit pubs include Limerick’s oldest watering-hole JJ Bowles (est.1794), Tom Collins’ Bar and Nancy Blakes. Other local favourites include Myles Breen’s Bar, Mother Macs, Sextons and Mickey Martin’s.

Melody on Foxes Bow is a firm favourite for knockout tapas, supplying “vino, vinyl and vibes”. For the craft beer lovers in your life, Treaty City Brewery is the top spot to visit.

JJ Bowles

For some informal dining while you stroll between pubs, sit in at Limerick’s beloved traditional chipper Enzo’s for some mouthwatering chips and a real taste of Limerick and its great local characters.

Where To Stay:

There are lots of great city centre hotels to choose from, including five-star favourite The Savoy Hotel and the long-established The George Hotel.

Overlooking the tree-lined People’s Park in the historic Georgian Quarter, No.1 Pery Square is unmissable for history lovers. For great views of the Shannon river you can’t beat The Strand Hotel and The Clayton Hotel.

No.1 Pery Square

Where To Eat:

For the best brunch in town, head to The Buttery for its buttermilk chicken burger and impressive cocktail menu. For dinner, try the chimichurri chicken at Freddy’s Restaurant, or enjoy authentic Italian cuisine at family favourite, La Piccola.

The Buttery

Don’t Miss:

A leisurely stroll across the city’s Three Bridges, followed by a cold drink and some moules-frites at The Curragower, overlooking King John’s Castle and the majestic Shannon river.

The Curragower

Read the full Staycation Special in the current issue of Hot Press: