Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

If you’re a museum lover, it is the place to be! Read this blog by our ambassador Lila-Sarah Pentecote about her experience of Limerick Culture night!

One of the reasons which convinced me to choose Limerick for my Erasmus was that it was said to be a vibrant cultural city. So far, I have not been disappointed.  

Every year, during the second last Friday of September, there is what is called the “Culture Night” in Ireland. As its name indicates, for one night many cities organise free events around art, music, dance… This year it was on 19th September. When I saw all the workshops, museums, and concerts available, my first thought was “How am I going to choose what to do? Everything seems so interesting”. Eventually, I decided to visit as many museums as I could. I think I can speak for all students by saying that when something is free, we must take advantage of it. 

After my lectures, I took the bus to Limerick city centre. I began my journey by taking a walk in People’s Park. The weather was really nice that day; sunny and warm. 

The first museum on my bucket list was the People’s Museum. It was pretty small, but it contained many objects from different periods. I discovered some important figures from Limerick and really enjoyed the architecture of the Georgian townhouse in which the museum is located. I was also very lucky because there were two temporary exhibitions and one of them was using virtual reality. 

My next stop was at the Limerick City Gallery of Art which is located 5 min away from the People’s Museum. When I entered I was surprised to hear some music. There was a concert in the middle of the main room. The atmosphere was truly magical, I could admire artworks while listening to the beautiful songs played by Brendan Markham & Band. 

On my way to the last museum of the day, I discovered many pieces of street art and had just enough time to dance to YMCA played by an orchestra on Thomas Street. 

The Limerick Museum was definitely my favourite of the three. I learnt many things about the history of the city such as the fact that Limerick was specialised and well-known for its lace and iron industry. 

I finished this wonderful night by going to Dolans with some friends to hear some traditional music. The atmosphere was great, the pub was not too crowded, and the food was delicious. I highly recommend the vegan cauliflower. My advice is to take one of the appetisers, they are not expensive and are as big as the dishes.