While studying abroad in Limerick, one of those most important things to do is explore the city that you are studying in. Many students typically travel further from the city or out of the country entirely throughout their time abroad, but I have found that Limerick has so many things that you can explore right in the heart of the city. Throughout my time abroad, I have personally spent a lot of time in the city and have found that there are countless ways to enjoy either a quiet day alone or to explore some of the fascinating places Limerick has to offer with a group of friends. I have created a perfect day trip in the city cheat sheet to use if you are ever in need of a pick-me-up throughout your week or just have a free day that you would like to occupy with some exploring.
Getting from Campus to the City:
One of the best parts of our campus is the convenience of having a bus stop that can take you directly into the city from the UL Student Centre stop (Sreelane, Limerick) that is right outside of the student courtyard! Another great bonus to this is that it is very affordable using your TFI Leap Card to use the bus system, costing you only .65 cents per admission to the bus. From UL, you can take several different buses to get into the city, but the most used and familiar buses are going to be the 304 and 304a buses. The 304 bus will get you to the city a little quicker than the 304a bus as it takes less residential routes, but both will get you where you need to be in the city without any hassle. Depending on which area of the city you plan on exploring during the day, there are a multitude of stops that are where you can exit to get you where you need to be!
First, of course we need to start the day with some breakfast or even just a light pastry and a coffee! Here are just a few of the many places within the city that are phenomenal stops to get a sweet treat and energy boost to start off your morning. Many different restaurants and cafes around the city offer student discounts as well, so make sure to bring your student I.D. with you just in case you can snag a good deal!
- Hook and Ladder:
- A little on the higher end of the prices for a breakfast spotting (between 15-20 euro) but it is absolutely delicious and has a great atmosphere for a breakfast spot.
- Starbucks:
- The typical familiar option for many international students and not too pricey if you’re not doing anything too fancy!
- Caffe Nero:
- Also another cozy spot! They serve hot and cold drinks, pastries, and food here as well! This is on the cheaper end without sacrificing quality!
Alright! Now that you have gotten a bit of fuel for the day, here are some popular stops that I recommend for your day in the city that don’t break the bank and are fascinating to see!
Hunt Museum:
Hunt Museum, Rutland St, Prior’s-Land, Limerick, V94 EV8A
Open Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-5pm (and Sundays from 11am-5pm), this historical art museum is the perfect way to spend a couple hours completely wrapped up in enchanting parts of history. The pieces in the museum range from paintings, sculptures, jewelry, to interactive and immersive pieces within the museum. There are multiple levels in the building to explore, each one following a different theme around it (some that change throughout the year). They have a coat rack by the steps leading into the museum for you to take off any extra layers if you would like, and the front desk staff was kind enough to allow my friends and I to leave our backpacks behind the desk if we felt inclined to do so. The hunt museum also features a cafe on the lower level of the museum, as well as a gift shop that has both Ireland, limerick, and Hunt Museum specific souvenirs for you to enjoy after exploring the museum. Most importantly, the Hunt Museum offers a discount to students making the tickets only 10 euro, so make sure to bring your student I.D. with you here!
Saint Mary’s Cathedral:
Bridge St, Englishtown, Limerick, V94 E068
The cathedral is open Monday-Saturday from 11am-4pm and has various services on Sundays from 10:30am-12:30pm. Tickets are only 5 euros, making this a very cost-friendly trip to one of the most popular spots in the city of Limerick. Upon arrival, you can walk through the graveyard that is outside of the cathedral with no cost to you, however, I highly recommend entering the cathedral and seeing the beautiful art, stained glasses, and sculptures that have been delicately designed within the cathedral. Even for those who are not religious, this place allows a quiet, serene atmosphere to take in the absolutely beautiful scenes within the building. This was one of the first places that I went upon arriving in Limerick, and I am still completely taken away by the beauty of the craftmanship of the building. There is also a gift shop within the cathedral that ranges from books, jewelry, handmade knitted pieces, to beautiful art. The staff here are extremely kind as well, which is always a nice bonus!
King John’s Castle:
King John’s Castle, Nicholas St, Englishtown, Limerick, V94 FX25
Open daily from 9:30am-5:00pm, this is one of the first spots many students explore during their time here. During my time in Limerick, I went to King John’s Castle several times within my first month here. It is an amazing space to explore both the museum aspect and being able to wander through the castle itself. My friends and I took countless photos, played tug of war, got on the seesaw, and took in the amazing sights from the castle. There are several levels to explore in both the castle and museum aspect of this spot. There is so much history to be learned about within the castle, and I truly think this is a must-see stop in Limerick. Inside the area where you exit the castle there is both a cafe and a giftshop, so make sure to grab yourself a souvenir if you feel inclined! There is also a student discount here, so make sure to bring your student I.D.!
Limerick City Gallery of Art:
Carnegie Building, Pery Square, Prior’s-Land, Limerick, V94 E67F
The gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 10am-5pm (and Sunday’s from 12pm-5pm). If you enjoy being able to take in some beautiful artwork, this is definitely the spot for you! This art gallery is in the city center in Limerick, and you can enjoy the featured pieces in the gallery at NO COST to you (perfect for a day where you are not necessarily rolling in money but want an excursion). The pieces here are incredible and creates an easy activity for a rainy day!
The Milk Market:
Cornmarket Row, Irishtown, Limerick, V94 R602
Although the Milk Market is only open on Saturdays (8am-3pm) and Sundays (11am-3pm), this one excursion that I made a weekly trip. The Milk Market is an amazing farmers market style setting that is held weekly in the city. There are countless amazing fresh produce, baked goods, custom accessories, homemade jams and honey, and several other options that can be found here. I highly recommend stopping by the Milk Market at LEAST once during your time abroad. As mentioned, my friends and I came here every week while I was abroad, and I still had never tried all of the amazing products that were available!
If there is any extra time in your days where you are wanting something to do, here are a few other honorable mentions I have been to that I just want to highlight!
Bookstores:
- The Celtic Bookshop
- One of the first bookshops that I have ever been to, and it was absolutely mesmerizing. This is a smaller, more intimate shop, but there are SO many amazing books, greeting cards, postage stamps, and other trinkets here.
- Eason
- One of the most popular bookshops that I have noticed in Limerick, very similar to Barnes and Noble.
- O’Mahony’s Booksellers
- Several levels within this bookstore and there were so many options to explore some new books. I really enjoyed going in here when my friends wanted to go scouring for new books!
Charity Shops/Thrift Stores:
- Enable Ireland
- Vision Ireland
- (my personal favorite!)
- Vincent’s
- Oxfam Ireland
- Lucky Lane
- This one is the least similar to all of the other options, which were mainly good for thrifting clothes specifically. Lucky Lane is the perfect shop for finding fun collector items, leather jackets, posters, and antique goods!
Food/Sweet Treats:
- Istanbul Kebab
- Genuinely my favorite hole-in-the-wall spot that I found during my first or second week in Limerick. Their donor fries and donor kebab are to die for. The staff here is also SOOOOOO nice!
- Smooch
- Super amazing if you are craving ice cream and don’t want to break the bank. They also have a ton of options to customize your sweet treat and can be found within several different gas stations and shops around the city.
- Shake Dog
- Has super a good combo deal that includes the main entree, side, and milkshake for only 15 euro daily, but it is only 10 euro on certain days of the week! There are also a couple of these in the city!
- West Lake
- This was the first place that I tried a spice bag, and it was absolutely delicious!
Tattoo/Piercing Shops (from experience!):
- Bullman’s Tattoo Studio
- Many of my friends and I got piercings here and it was a super clean and professional space. I have 21 piercings now, but I can be picky when it comes to where I get pierced. I HIGHLY recommend Bullman’s!
- Sands of Time Tattoo Studio
- My friend and I both got tattoos here during our time in Limerick. We both specifically went to Bailey to get our tattoos, but the entire staff was extremely kind and welcoming. Once again, I HIGHLY recommend Sands of Time.
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