Hotels in Limerick

Limerick: Georgia of the Shannon

Limerick sits on the River Shannon at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary, 198 km southwest of Dublin. Founded by the Vikings in 812 AD, the city grew around King John's Castle, a 13th-century Anglo-Norman fortress still standing on King's Island in the medieval core. The Hunt Museum holds one of Ireland's finest private collections — over 2,000 pieces including a Picasso and a Renoir — housed in the Georgian Customs House on Rutland Street. The city's Georgian quarter, centered on Newtown Pery, preserves a grid of early 19th-century terraced streetscapes largely intact.

Where to Stay

Most hotels cluster in Newtown Pery and along the Ennis Road corridor north of the city centre. King's Island and the Thomond Park area suit visitors attending rugby internationals — Munster Rugby draws sell-out crowds to the 26,000-seat stadium. Budget and mid-range guesthouses concentrate along O'Connell Street and Henry Street.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Limerick sits 26 km from Shannon Airport (SNN), which handles transatlantic routes including direct flights from New York JFK and Boston.
• Getting around: The city centre is walkable in 20 minutes end to end; Bus Éireann connects suburbs and the airport.
• When to visit: June through August offers the longest daylight hours; the Limerick Jazz Festival runs each September.