Limerick Luimneach
Urbs Antiqua Fuit Studiisque Asperrima Belli "An ancient city well versed in the arts of war"
Location
WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52°39′55″N 8°37′26″W / 52.6652, -8.6238
Irish grid reference R574572
Statistics
Province:	Munster
County:	County Limerick
Area:	20. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth The Irish grid reference system is a system of geographic Grid references commonly used in Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland Munster ( Irish: An Mhumhain, ənˈvuːnʲ Cúige Mumhan or Mumha) is the southernmost of the four Provinces of Ireland. Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae County Limerick ( Contae Luimnigh in Irish) is a County in the Province of Munster, located in the mid-west of Ireland with County Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 79 km²
Population (2006)	90,778 City: 52,560 Suburbs: 38,218
Website: www.limerickcity.ie

Limerick (pronounced /ˈlɪmrɪk/; Luimneach in Irish)^[1] is a city and the county seat of County Limerick in the province of Munster, in the midwest of the Republic of Ireland. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. County Limerick ( Contae Luimnigh in Irish) is a County in the Province of Munster, located in the mid-west of Ireland with County A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. Munster ( Irish: An Mhumhain, ənˈvuːnʲ Cúige Mumhan or Mumha) is the southernmost of the four Provinces of Ireland. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The city lies on the River Shannon, with three main crossing points near the city centre and has a 2006 population of 91,000 inhabitants within the Limerick urban area and is one of the constituent cities of the Cork-Limerick-Galway corridor with a population of 1 million people. The River Shannon ( Sionainn or Sionna in Irish) is at 386 km (240 miles the longest river in Ireland. The Cork-Limerick-Galway corridor links Ireland's second third and fourth largest cities

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Government 5 Economy 5.1 Tourism 5.2 Retail 5.3 Social 6 Architecture 7 Transport 7.1 Buses 7.2 Rail 7.3 Flight 8 Education 9 Media and the arts 9.1 Broadcast 9.2 Print 9.3 Arts 10 Hospitals 11 Sport 11.1 Rugby 11.2 Gaelic Games 11.3 Soccer (Association Football) 12 Climate 13 Crime 14 Twinned cities 15 Notes and references 16 See also 17 External links

History

Main article: History of Limerick

Luimneach originally referred to the general area along the banks of the Shannon Estuary, which was known as Loch Luimnigh. The Shannon Estuary is a large Estuary where the River Shannon flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The earliest settlement in the city Inis Sibhtonn was the original name in the annals for King's Island during the pre-Viking and Viking eras. This island was also called Inis an Ghaill Duibh.

The city itself dates from at least the Viking settlement in 812. A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas The Normans redesigned the city in the 12th century and added much of the most notable architecture, such as King John's Castle and St Mary's Cathedral. See also King John's Castle for other castles of this name King John's Castle is a castle located on King's Island in St Mary's Cathedral is a Church of Ireland Cathedral in Limerick, Ireland, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. ^[2] During the civil wars of the 17th century, the city played a pivotal role, besieged by Oliver Cromwell in 1651 and twice by the Williamites in the 1690s. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known William III or William of Orange (14 November 1650 &ndash 8 March 1702 He is informally known in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy" Limerick grew rich through trade in the late 18th century, but the Act of Union in 1800, and the famine caused a crippling economic decline broken only by the so-called Celtic Tiger in the 1990s. The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are Celtic Tiger (Tíogar Ceilteach is a name for the period of rapid Economic growth in the Republic of Ireland that began in the 1990s and slowed in 2001

The Waterford and Limerick Railway linked the city to the Dublin-Cork main line in 1848 and to Waterford in 1853. Waterford ( or Windy fjord;) is a city in Ireland. It is the primary city of the South East region and the fifth largest in the country "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast Waterford ( or Windy fjord;) is a city in Ireland. It is the primary city of the South East region and the fifth largest in the country The opening of a number of secondary railways in the 1850s and 1860s developed Limerick as a regional centre of communications.

See also: History of Ireland, Sieges of Limerick, and Cromwellian conquest of Ireland

Geography

Limerick is at the centre of the Midwest region which contributes €8. 224 billion (2002) towards Irish GDP. It is situated 195 km west of Dublin and is equidistant at 105 km from the cities of Cork to the south and Galway to the north. Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast Galway (Gaillimh is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland.

Demographics

The population of Limerick city and the immediate urban area (environs/suburbs) is 90,778 (based on the 2006 census carried out by the CSO), of which 52,560 live within the city limits and 38,218 live in the city's immediate environs in both County Limerick and County Clare. The Central Statistics Office ( CSO) or in Irish An Phríomh-Oifig Staidrimh ( POS) is the Statistical agency responsible for the gathering of ^[3] As with most other large cities in the country, Limerick has attracted a noticeable immigrant community over the past decade. The Polish community is the second largest outside of Dublin, with an estimated 10,000 living and working in the city. Ireland's first ever Polish bank opened in 2007. ^[4] In addition the African community have set up a small number of churches, which are now part of the cultural makeup of the city. ^[3]

Limerick is the fourth most populous city in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin, Cork and Galway (though its urban area population is greater than Galway's) and the city including suburbs is the fifth largest urban area on the island of Ireland (after Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Derry Respectively).

Government

Limerick City Council, formerly Limerick Corporation, has responsibility for certain local services such as sanitation, planning and development, libraries, collection of motor taxation, local roads and social housing. Limerick City Council is the name given to the local authority which is responsible for the city of Limerick in Ireland The City Council comprises elected ward councillors with an appointed (full time) CEO as City Manager. In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a ward is an Electoral district A councillor or councilor ( Cllr, Coun, Clr or Cr for short is a member of a Local government council such as a Local elections are held every five years and the councillors annually elect a Mayor to chair the council and represent the City. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government As of 2007 the current Mayor is Councillor Ger Fahy. Some former, well-known Mayors include TDs Donagh O'Malley, Stephen Coughlan, Michael Lipper, Jim Kemmy and Jan O'Sullivan. Stephen Coughlan (26 December 1910 &ndash 20 December 1994 was an Irish Labour Party politician who served for eighteen years as Teachta Dála (TD for Michael Lipper (1 June 1932 &ndash 18 October 1987 was an Irish Labour Party politician who served for four years as an independent TD for the Limerick Jim Kemmy (Séamus Ó Crathláimh 1936 &ndash 25 September 1997 was an Irish Socialist politician from Limerick, who started his political career in Jan O'Sullivan (née Gale (born 6 December 1950 is an Irish Labour Party politician ^[5]

The boundaries of the city were extended on March 1, 2008, when the Limerick City Boundary Alteration Order 2008 came into effect. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common This followed demands from city councillors for a redrawing of the boundary, which was deemed antiquated and inaccurate for modern-day Limerick. ^[6] The order added an area of approximately 1,020 hectares from County Limerick, increasing the city's area by almost 50% and increasing the population by an estimated 7,000 persons. ^[7] The added area comprises the townlands of Clonmacken, Caherdavin, Knock, Shanabooley, Ballygrennan, Clonconane, Clondrinagh, Coonagh East and Coonagh West. Believed to be of Gaelic origin a townland is a term for a small geographical unit of land used in Ireland; the term was at one time also used in Scotland ^[8] The previous boundary, encompassing 2,086 hectares, was delineated in 1950.

A large proportion of what is considered as the population of Limerick City now live in suburbs built after the 1960s which remain in the Limerick County Council administrative area. These include Dooradoyle, Castletroy — including the University, Gouldavoher, and Raheen. Castletroy ( is a rapidly-growing and predominantly middle-class suburb of Limerick, Ireland. The University of Limerick ( UL) (Ollscoil Luimnigh was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and This article is about Raheen the suburb of Limerick City For other places called Raheen see Raheen County Laois, Raheen County Wexford, or Raheen

For national Dáil elections Limerick City is included in the Limerick East constituency which elects five members on a Proportional Representation (PR) system. ga '''Dáil Éireann''' ( English House of Representatives of Ireland) is the principal chamber of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament Limerick East is a Constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes For European parliament elections Limerick is included in the South Ireland constituency which elects three representatives. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU South is a Constituency of the European Parliament in Ireland.

Two of Limerick East's TDs are members of the current Irish Government. The Government of Ireland (Rialtas na hÉireann n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ is the Cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. Willie O'Dea is the Minister for Defence and Peter Power is the Minster of State for Overseas Aid. Willie O'Dea (Liam Ó Deaghaidh born 27 November 1952 is an Irish politician who is a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Limerick East. A defence minister (or defense minister) is a Cabinet position which regulates the Armed forces in some sovereign nations Peter Power (born 26 January 1966 is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a Parliamentary system. Both are members of the Fianna Fail party. Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach shortened to Fianna Fáil ( is currently the largest Political party in the

See also: Local government in the Republic of Ireland

Economy

Main article: Economy of Limerick

Limerick is at the heart of the region dubbed "the Midwest". Local government in the Republic of Ireland is governed by the Local Government Acts, the most recent of which ( Local Government Act 2001) established a two-tier structure Statistics County Limerick, County Clare and North Tipperary as part of the Mid-West region with a population of 360000 has a GVA of € Also known as the "Shannon Region", this is primarily an economic and social concept. The region encompasses County Limerick, County Clare, North County Tipperary and Northwest County Kerry, with its focal point centred on Limerick and its environs within an eight kilometre (5 mile) radius. County Limerick ( Contae Luimnigh in Irish) is a County in the Province of Munster, located in the mid-west of Ireland with County County Clare ( Irish: Contae an Chláir) commonly referred to as simply Clare, is a county on Ireland and part of the wider County Tipperary (Contae Thiobraid Árann is a County in Ireland situated in the Province of Munster. County Kerry ( Contae Chiarraí in Irish) is a southwestern county of Ireland.

The area is possibly the main economic region outside of Dublin and Cork. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast Its economic success has been driven in part by the University of Limerick, Shannon Airport in Co. The University of Limerick ( UL) (Ollscoil Luimnigh was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and Shannon International Airport, or Aerfort na Sionnainne in Irish is one of Ireland's primary three airports (along with Dublin Airport and Cork Airport Clare and Shannon Development (an economic development agency), whose precursor was SFADCO (Shannon Free Airport Development Company), an economic agency that provided tax incentives to companies locating in the area surrounding Shannon Airport. Shannon Development (legally the Shannon Free Airport Development Company Limited) is an important regional development body for the Shannon Region of the Republic As of 2006 Shannon Development are mostly concerned with disposing of valuable industrial park properties. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Historically Limerick was an agricultural commodity-driven economy, due to its position as the first major port along the River Shannon. The city was one of the main meat processing areas in Ireland, and industry included confectionery and flour production. In line with the changing economic landscape in Ireland, many multinational companies are now based in Limerick. Dell have their main European Manufacturing Facility in Raheen Business Park, and are one of the largest employers in the midwest region. The multinational technology company Dell Inc develops manufactures sells and supports Personal computers and other computer-related products This article is about Raheen the suburb of Limerick City For other places called Raheen see Raheen County Laois, Raheen County Wexford, or Raheen ^[9] The facility is the largest Dell manufacturing plant outside the United States and currently produces 30,000-60,000 units per day for export to the EMEA - contributing 5. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated Europe the Middle East and Africa, usually abbreviated to EMEA, is a regional designation used for government marketing and business purposes 8% of Irish GDP (2002). Analog Devices have their European manufacturing base also in Raheen, 3 km south-west of the city centre. Analog Devices ( is an American multinational producer of Semiconductor devices This article is about Raheen the suburb of Limerick City For other places called Raheen see Raheen County Laois, Raheen County Wexford, or Raheen The site employs more than 1,000 people. Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Vistakon (the world's largest manufacturer of contact lenses) also have a large facility in Castletroy in the National Technology Park. Johnson & Johnson ( is a global American Pharmaceutical, Medical devices and consumer packaged goods Manufacturer founded in 1886 ACUVUE was the first-ever brand of disposable Contact lenses They are made by VISTAKON a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. A contact lens (also known simply as a contact) is a corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic lens usually placed on the Cornea Castletroy ( is a rapidly-growing and predominantly middle-class suburb of Limerick, Ireland. Plassey is an area of County Limerick on the River Shannon, near Castletroy and Limerick. It is Vistakon's only production facility outside the United States and one of the largest contact lens manufacturing plants in the world. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Tourism

Limerick City is one of the country's main tourist destinations, the city is only a 15 minute drive from Shannon Airport. Shannon International Airport, or Aerfort na Sionnainne in Irish is one of Ireland's primary three airports (along with Dublin Airport and Cork Airport Currently tourism is growing at a spectacular rate with over 1,000 new beds being opened in the city in 2006 thanks to the opening of 5 new hotels. The city is the first to provide visitors to the city with 'Street Ambassadors', people designated to help others around and make the stay in Limerick more enjoyable.

Tourist attractions in the city centre include King John's Castle (1212), St. Mary's Cathedral, Limerick (1168), Hunt Museum, several (seasonal) tours (Angela's Ashes walking tour of Limerick City, The historical walking tour of Limerick and Boat tours along the River Shannon), the University of Limerick, Georgian house and gardens, Treaty Stone, and more. See also King John's Castle for other castles of this name King John's Castle is a castle located on King's Island in St Mary's Cathedral is a Church of Ireland Cathedral in Limerick, Ireland, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Hunt Museum is a Museum in the city of Limerick, Ireland. Angela’s Ashes is a Memoir by Irish author Frank McCourt, and tells the story of his childhood in Brooklyn and Ireland The River Shannon ( Sionainn or Sionna in Irish) is at 386 km (240 miles the longest river in Ireland. The University of Limerick ( UL) (Ollscoil Luimnigh was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and Adare village and the Foynes Flying Boat Museum (all on the outskirts of the city) are also popular attractions.

The Jim Kemmy Municipal Museum, also known as Limerick Museum, is to be found next to King John's Castle. It contains displays on Limerick's history and manufactures. ^[10]

Retail

See also: Shopping in Limerick

The service industry is an important employer in the city. Limerick is a large shopping region in Ireland. It contains many shopping centres including Crescent Shopping Centre The Opera The city centre is one of the main shopping areas, with the pedestrianised Cruises Street being one of the main shopping streets and the soon to be finished Bedford Row. New on the agenda is the proposed predestranisation of O'Connell Street up to Roches St near the Oriental Foodstore and a new look for William St, the heart of Limerick City. Each side of the city has outlying shopping areas. Crescent Shopping Centre is located in Dooradoyle, not far from the city centre. The Crescent Shopping Centre is a major shopping centre in Limerick, Ireland. It features over 90 shopping outlets along with various restaurants and the 12 screen Omniplex Cinema. Regular bus services run from the city centre to the Crescent Shopping Centre. The Jetland Shopping Centre, is located in Caherdavin. Caherdavin ( Cathair Dháibhín in Irish) is a northern suburban district of Limerick City in the mid-west of Ireland. It opened in 2005. Its main anchor is Dunnes Stores, with many other shops and services available including Golden Discs and Costa Coffee

In late 2007/early 2008, Coonagh Cross Shopping Centre will be opened. Dunnes is a Supermarket and clothing retail chain based in the Republic of Ireland. Golden Discs is a large media retailer in Ireland. It has the largest number of outlets of any retailer of its type in Ireland with 30 Costa Coffee is a Coffee house company based in the United Kingdom founded in 1971 by Italian brothers Sergio & Bruno Costa as a wholesale operation Coonagh is an area (historically known as "Coonagh Barony " to the west of Limerick city in Ireland. It will be the biggest shopping centre in the Mid-West region. A city-centre shopping centre of a similar scale (billed in some places as prospectively the biggest in Munster) is also planned. The Opera Centre would be located parallel to Rutland and Patrick Street, from the (Abbey River) quays to Ellen Street. The Opera Centre is a planned shopping centre in Limerick City, Ireland. This will be the first major leap of faith by external developers in Limerick City Centre as up to now the city has been all but passed over leaving the majority of development to locals. The proposed redevelopment of the entire Arthur's Quay Area, New Docklands twinned with a newly vibrant night economy helped in no small way by international tourists using Budget Flights from Shannon Airport.

Social

Limerick City has a vibrant nightlife, with numerous nightclubs; Trinity Rooms probably being the best known nationally with acts like the Human League, The Blizzards Femi Kuti and Roger Sanchez having played there in the last year. Pubs such as Nancy Blakes, The Wicked Chicken, Mickey Martins and The Old Quarter give a range of drinking experiences from the warm and cosy to cutting edge. Traditional Irish Music is based around Dolans Warehouse which is firmly established on the national Trad circuit and also hosts many local, national and international folk, indie, jazz and rock acts.

See also: Economy of Ireland

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of Limerick

The city centre is divided between the traditional areas of "English Town" on the southern end of King's Island, which includes the castle, "Irish Town" which includes the older streets on the south bank, and the current economic centre called "Newtown Pery". As with other cities in Ireland, Limerick has a history of great architecture Riverpoint is a Skyscraper located in Limerick. It is currently the fourth tallest storeyed building (59 St Mary's Cathedral is a Church of Ireland Cathedral in Limerick, Ireland, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Newtown Pery was built in the late 18th century before the Act of Union and, unusually for an Irish city and unique in Limerick itself, this area is laid out on a grid plan. The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are The grid plan or gridiron plan is a type of City plan in which Streets run at right angles to each other forming a grid. Limerick city centre is changing rapidly, with the construction of several modern high-rise buildings in the early-2000s. The suburban regions, where the majority of the population now live, have grown out from the centre along the main roads to Ennis (North Circular and Ennis Road areas/Caherdavin), Dublin (Castletroy and the University) and Cork (Ballinacurra/Dooradoyle/Raheen). Caherdavin ( Cathair Dháibhín in Irish) is a northern suburban district of Limerick City in the mid-west of Ireland. Castletroy ( is a rapidly-growing and predominantly middle-class suburb of Limerick, Ireland. This article is about Raheen the suburb of Limerick City For other places called Raheen see Raheen County Laois, Raheen County Wexford, or Raheen Suburban houses are generally two floor semi-detached homes for single families. These were built from the 1960s onwards in large estates by government projects and commercial developments, although there are many examples of Edwardian and older 1930s suburban homes on the main suburban thoroughfares leading towards the city (North & South Circular, Ballinacurra Road, O'Connell Avenue).

Much Georgian architecture was evident in the city from about the 1800s onwards. Georgian architecture is the name given in most English -speaking countries to the set of Architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840 Although some has since been demolished, much of the Newtown Pery area is built in the Georgian fashion. Other architectural buildings of note in the city are King John's Castle and St Mary's Cathedral in English Town and St John's Cathedral, designed by the notable Victorian architect, Philip Charles Hardwick. See also King John's Castle for other castles of this name King John's Castle is a castle located on King's Island in St Mary's Cathedral is a Church of Ireland Cathedral in Limerick, Ireland, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. St John's Cathedral is one of two Cathedrals in Limerick, Ireland. Philip Charles Hardwick (1822-1892 was a notable English Architect of the 19th century who was once described as "a careful and industrious student of mediaeval St Mary's Cathedral, at over 800 years old, is one of the oldest in Ireland. St John's Cathedral, whilst more modern, has one of the tallest steeples.

One of Ireland's most celebrated museums, the Hunt Museum, is based in the historic 18th-century former Custom House. The Hunt Museum is a Museum in the city of Limerick, Ireland. The museum was established to house an internationally important collection of approximately 2000 works of art and antiquities formed by John and Gertrude Hunt during their lifetimes. John Hunt can refer to John Hunt (Quaker exile (1712 &ndash 1778 Quaker minister originally from London England and one of the "Virginia Exiles" On display are the 9th century Antrim Cross, a sketch by Picasso and a bronze sculpture of a horse, said to be from a design by Leonardo da Vinci. Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973 Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci ( April 15 1452 – May 2 1519 was an Italian Polymath, having been a scientist Mathematician, Engineer

See also: Architecture of Ireland

Transport

Buses

Local public transport is provided by Bus Éireann, Ireland's national bus operator. The architecture of Ireland is one of the most visible features in the Irish countryside - with remains from all eras since the Stone age abounding Brown Thomas & Company Limited is a chain of four Irish department stores located in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick. Bus Éireann ( Irish for Irish Bus) provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which City Service Routes are as follows (frequencies shown in brackets, in minutes):

• 301 City Centre to Shannon Banks or Westbury (301A) (20mins)
• 302 City Centre to Caherdavin (302A Caherdavin-to-University) (20)
• 303 Carew Park to City Centre (30) (303A City Centre to Ballynanty) (30)
• 304 City Centre to Raheen (Services via Greenfields operate as 304A) (10)
• 305 Lynwood to Coonagh Roundabout (30–60)
• 306 Craeval Park to O'Malley Park (30)
• 308 City Centre to University (Services via Pennywell operate as 308A) (15)
• 309 Pineview to St. Mary's Park (60)
• 312 City Centre to Ballycummin (60). Caherdavin ( Cathair Dháibhín in Irish) is a northern suburban district of Limerick City in the mid-west of Ireland. This article is about Raheen the suburb of Limerick City For other places called Raheen see Raheen County Laois, Raheen County Wexford, or Raheen Southill is an area in the south of Limerick, Republic of Ireland built up of four residential parks The University of Limerick ( UL) (Ollscoil Luimnigh was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and St Mary's Park is a Housing estate in Limerick, Ireland. St Mary's Park is one of the more impoverished areas in Limerick city that has suffered from

Buses also run to towns and villages in the county and to Shannon Airport. Shannon International Airport, or Aerfort na Sionnainne in Irish is one of Ireland's primary three airports (along with Dublin Airport and Cork Airport Intercity and international buses leave from the Bus Éireann bus station adjoining the City's train station. bus station is a structure where city or intercity Buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers Trivia Parts of the video for the Westlife song My Love were filmed at Colbert Station These include hourly services to Dublin, Cork and Galway and other cities, as well as a daily service to London via ferry services from Rosslare Europort. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast Galway (Gaillimh is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Rosslare Europort ( Irish: Calafort Ros Láir) is a modern Seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland

Rail

Limerick city is served by the Limerick Suburban Rail network, consisting of three suburban rail lines, servicing the towns of Sixmilebridge(1,500), Ennis(25,000), Castleconnell(4,000), Birdhill, Nenagh(9,000) and Tipperary town (5,000). See also Belfast Suburban Rail Dublin Suburban Rail Cork Suburban Rail Galway Suburban Rail Sixmilebridge ( is a vibrant and rapidly expanding Village in County Clare, Ireland. Ennis ( is the County town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway Castleconnell ( Caisleán Uí Chonaill in Irish) is a scenic Village on the banks of the River Shannon, some 11 km (7 miles from Limerick Birdhill is a small town in County Tipperary, Ireland on the N7 route between Dublin and Limerick. Nenagh ( An tAonach in Irish) is the county town of North Tipperary, Ireland. Tipperary ( Irish: Tiobraid Árann, lit "The well of Arra" is the name of a town (pop 4546 in the south-west of County Tipperary, Ireland

Iarnród Éireann's Colbert Station is the terminus for frequent services to Dublin and Cork (serving many intermediate stations), a frequent all-day commuter service to Ennis, as well as a three-times daily service to Waterford and stations in County Tipperary. rail transport in Ireland Iarnród Éireann ( IÉ;; in English, Irish Rail) is the national Railway system operator of the Republic Trivia Parts of the video for the Westlife song My Love were filmed at Colbert Station |}A train station, railway station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which Passengers may board and alight from Trains Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast Ennis ( is the County town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway Waterford ( or Windy fjord;) is a city in Ireland. It is the primary city of the South East region and the fifth largest in the country County Tipperary (Contae Thiobraid Árann is a County in Ireland situated in the Province of Munster. Services to and from Nenagh on the Ballybrophy line will be expanded to include commuter service from 2007. Nenagh ( An tAonach in Irish) is the county town of North Tipperary, Ireland. Ballybrophy ( is a village in Laois, Ireland, with a population recorded in the 2002 census of 145 There are also plans to reopen the Western Railway Corridor from Ennis to Galway and Sligo, closed in the 1970s. Introduction The Western Railway Corridor (WRC or Bealach Iarnród an Iarthair (BII in the Republic of Ireland is a recent term for Ennis ( is the County town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway Galway (Gaillimh is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland. Sligo (disambiguation Sligo ( (ˈslaɪɡoʊ "sly-go" Irish ˈɕlʲɪɟəx is the County town of County Sligo in Ireland. In February 2006 it was announced that regular services between Limerick and Galway will be restored in 2007. Galway (Gaillimh is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland. ^[11] There are also plans to reopen Sixmilebridge station shortly after. Sixmilebridge ( is a vibrant and rapidly expanding Village in County Clare, Ireland. Many rail services include a changeover at Limerick Junction. Limerick Junction is an important Railway station located in County Tipperary in Ireland and in its earliest existence was named "Tipperary Junction" The Railway Procurement Agency has suggested that a tram system should be built in the city. Railway Procurement Agency ( An Ghníomhaireacht um Fháil Iarnród) is a State Agency of the Department of Transport in the Republic of Ireland charged

As part of their 2007 election manifesto (announced in April 2007), Fianna Fáil (currently the largest party in the Dáil and the Seanad) have announced they will conduct feasibility studies for bringing light rail systems to the Republic of Ireland's 'provincial cities' - Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Waterford. Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach shortened to Fianna Fáil ( is currently the largest Political party in the Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Cork (Corcaigh is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland 's third most populous city after Dublin and Belfast Galway (Gaillimh is the only city in the province of Connacht in Ireland. Waterford ( or Windy fjord;) is a city in Ireland. It is the primary city of the South East region and the fifth largest in the country

Limerick railway station was opened on 28 August 1858, replacing an earlier, temporary station 500m east, which had operated from 9 May 1848. Trivia Parts of the video for the Westlife song My Love were filmed at Colbert Station Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap ^[12]

Flight

Shannon International Airport, 20 km west of the city in County Clare which by 2010 will easily be accessed by Limerick commuters due to the opening of the Limerick Tunnel, has scheduled flights to many European and North American destinations. Shannon International Airport, or Aerfort na Sionnainne in Irish is one of Ireland's primary three airports (along with Dublin Airport and Cork Airport County Clare ( Irish: Contae an Chláir) commonly referred to as simply Clare, is a county on Ireland and part of the wider The Limerick Tunnel ( Tollán na Sionna in Irish) is an underwater tunnel currently under construction on the outskirts of Limerick City as part of phase Airlines using the airport include Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Delta Air Lines, and Continental. Ryanair (,) is an Irish Airline with headquarters in Dublin and its biggest operational base at London Stansted Airport in the UK Aer Lingus is the Flag carrier airline of Ireland. Based at Dublin Airport, it operates 41 Airbus aircraft serving Europe Africa and North Delta Air Lines Inc ( is a United States Airline based and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. There is currently no rail link to this airport. The Coonagh airfield,(which is due to close soon and moved to a new site)is located a few kilometers west of Caherdavin, provides access for small private aircraft. Caherdavin ( Cathair Dháibhín in Irish) is a northern suburban district of Limerick City in the mid-west of Ireland. Kerry and Cork Airports can also be an option, being around 1 hour 30 minutes and 2 hours drive, respectively.

See also: Transport in Ireland

Education

Limerick is an important centre of higher education in Ireland after Dublin and Cork. Most of the transport system in Ireland is in public hands either side of the Irish border. It is home to 10 higher institutes of learning and has a student population of over 20,000.

Technical and continuation education within the City traces its beginning back to the formation of the Limerick Athenaeum Society in 1852. Limerick Athenaeum was a centre of learning established in Limerick City, Ireland in 1852 The Society's aims included "the promotion of Literature, Science, Art and Music".

The University of Limerick (UL), has a student population of over 13,000, and is situated about 5 km northeast of the city centre in the suburb of Castletroy. The University of Limerick ( UL) (Ollscoil Luimnigh was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and Castletroy ( is a rapidly-growing and predominantly middle-class suburb of Limerick, Ireland. It was originally established as the National Institute for Higher Education (NIHE) in 1972 and became the first University to be established since the foundation of the State in 1922. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. It is notable for its programs of engineering, information technology, materials science, sports science, humanities, social sciences and music. Engineering is the Discipline and Profession of applying technical and scientific Knowledge and Information technology ( IT) as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA is "the study design development implementation support Materials Science or Materials Engineering is an interdisciplinary field involving the properties of matter and its applications to various areas of Science and Sport Science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance In 2007, the university opened a medical school. The Irish World Music Centre specialises in traditional music and dance, and UL is host to the Irish Chamber Orchestra. The Irish Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1963 by Hungarian-born conductor János Fürst. The campus includes a 50m Olympic-standard swimming complex, the first in Ireland.

Mary Immaculate College, Limerick (a constituent college of the University of Limerick), is an education and arts college situated just south-west of the city centre. Mary Immaculate College (Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál also known as Mary I, is a College of Education and Liberal Arts founded in 1898 The University of Limerick ( UL) (Ollscoil Luimnigh was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and Thomond College of Education, Limerick was a successful teacher training college (for secondary level) and was integrated into the university in 1991. Thomond College of Education Limerick ( Coláiste Oideachais Thuamhurnhan Luimneach in Irish) was established in 1973 in Limerick, Ireland as

Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) has a student population of 6,500 and is a centre for business, engineering, information technology, humanities, science and art education. Limerick Institute of Technology ( LIT) is an institution of Higher education in Limerick, Ireland and is one of 13 institutes that are members The main campus is located at Moylish Park, about 3 kilometres north-west of the city centre, while the Limerick School of Art and Design is based in the city centre. Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD is an Art college in Limerick City in Ireland The college was originally established as the Limerick College of Art, Commerce & Technology (CoACT) in the mid 1970s and was upgraded to a Regional Technical College (RTC) in 1993 and finally an Institute of Technology in 1997. A Regional Technical College ( RTC) is a type of College in Ireland now replaced by an Institute of Technology ( IT) Institute of technology, and polytechnic, are designations employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable LIT has a strong sporting ethos, which is not surprising given its location adjacent to Thomond Park and the Gaelic Grounds. Thomond Park is a stadium in Limerick City, Munster Ireland. It is the home of Shannon RFC, UL Bohemian RFC and Munster Rugby The Gaelic Grounds or Páirc na nGael is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Limerick City, Ireland, home to the Limerick It also houses the Millennium Theatre a popular northside venue for shows and concerts.

Primary and secondary education in the city is organised similarly to the rest of Ireland. Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education. Australia See also Education

The Model School (An Mhodh Scoil) is one of the gaelscoils in Limerick. It is primary and has over 500 students. It is over 150 years old, and is the only school in Munster with the educlick education system.

See also: Education in Ireland

Media and the arts

Broadcast

Lyric FM, a state-run classical music radio station and part of RTÉ, broadcasts nationally from studios in the city centre. The Republic of Ireland 's education system is quite similar to that of most other western countries RTÉ lyric fm ( Irish: RTÉ liric fm) part of Radio Telefís Éireann, is an Irish Radio station Limerick's local radio station is Live 95FM, broadcasting from 'Radio House', near the waterfront at Steamboat Quay. Live 95FM is a radio station in the Republic of Ireland owned by UTV Radio, broadcasting to Limerick city and county History

Spin Southwest, owned by Communicorp, broadcasts to Counties Kerry, Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary and southwest Laois from their studios at Landmark Buildings in the Raheen Industrial Estate. Tipperary ( Irish: Tiobraid Árann, lit "The well of Arra" is the name of a town (pop 4546 in the south-west of County Tipperary, Ireland County Laois (liːʃ Contae Laoise in Irish) formerly also Laoighis or Leix, is a County in the midlands of Ireland, This article is about Raheen the suburb of Limerick City For other places called Raheen see Raheen County Laois, Raheen County Wexford, or Raheen

Limerick's only student radio station, Wired FM, broadcasts on 96. 8FM from Mary Immaculate College. Mary Immaculate College (Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál also known as Mary I, is a College of Education and Liberal Arts founded in 1898 Wired FM also has studios in the University of Limerick and Limerick Institute of Technology.

Limerick Regional Hospital also has a radio station on 94. 2FM but this can only be heard in the hospital and surrounding area.

Limerick citizens can also receive transmissions from West Limerick 102 which is broadcast from Newcastle West. West Limerick 102 is a Community radio station broadcasting to the western parts of County Limerick in Ireland Newcastle West ( An Caisleán Nua Thiar in Irish) is a Town in west County Limerick, Ireland.

The national broadcaster, RTE have radio studios in the City Centre, which are periodically used to broadcast programming from Limerick.

Print

Several local newspapers are published in the city, including The Limerick Post, The Limerick Leader, and The Limerick Independent. The Limerick Post is a free weekly newspaper distributed throughout Limerick City in the region of Munster, Ireland. The Limerick Leader is a weekly local Newspaper in Limerick, Ireland. Magazines include the Limerick Event Guide, Business Limerick and Limerick Now.

Arts

The Belltable Arts Centre on O'Connell Street is host for local playwriting and drama. The Hunt Museum is a Museum in the city of Limerick, Ireland. O'Connell Street is also the main street in Dublin, Ennis, Sligo and in various other towns around Ireland and also the main street of North Mike Finn's numerous plays have been successful, including Pigtown, set around a century of the city's history, and Shock and Awe, an energetic retelling of Homer's Iliad. Mike Finn is a Playwright and Actor from Limerick, Ireland. He is noted for producing locally popular plays on Limerick History. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Iliad ( Greek: Ἰλιάς (Ancient Ιλιάδα (Modern is together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient The new University Concert Hall provides a large venue for national and international acts to visit the city.

The Limerick City Art Gallery on Pery Square is the city’s chief venue for contemporary art exhibitions. It also is home to a permanent collection of Irish art which shows works from the early 18th to 20th century. Limerick's major contemporary art event is EV+A (Exhibition of Visual+ Art) which invades the city annually, often in controversial ways. Established in 1977 EV+A has become one of Ireland's premier annual exhibitions of contemporary art. Selected each year by a new curator, it brings International artworks as well as art by Irish artists to Limerick. The centre of the exhibition is the Limerick City Art Gallery. However, EV+A generally uses numerous other venues throughout the city.

Other active Limerick arts groups include Contact Studios (who provide individual studio spaces for visual artists), the Daghdha Dance Company (a contemporary dance company who have adopted a renovated church in John's Square, adjacent to St. John's Cathedral, as a performance space), the Fresh Film Festival which is held each spring, includes films made by young people (7-18 years) from all over Ireland, Impact Theatre Company and Limerick Printmakers(who provide printmaking facilities and a venue for exhibitions and events). St John's Cathedral is one of two Cathedrals in Limerick, Ireland. Also of note is the Limerick Youth Theatre which provides young people with an opening into acting and production. It received attention in the national media with its 2005 production of Romeo and Juliet which made comparisons between the ongoing feud in the city with that of the Montague's and the Capulet's in the play.

The city has an active music scene, which has produced bands such as The Cranberries (and guitarist Noel Hogans' MonoBand), The Hitchers and many more. The Cranberries were an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1990 The Hitchers are a band from Limerick City Ireland who formed in early January 1989 Also of note is that world renowned electronic musician Richard D. James (more commonly known as Aphex Twin) was born in Limerick in 1971. More classically, The Limerick Art Gallery and the Art College cater for painting, sculpture and performance art of all styles. The Irish Chamber Orchestra and the Irish World Music Centre are both based in the University of Limerick. The University has a one-thousand seat state-of-the-art concert hall that frequently hosts visiting performers. Limerick is also home to comedians D'Unbelievables (Pat Shortt & Jon Kenny), Jimmy Carr , Karl Spain and The Rubberbandits. Pat Shortt (born December 12, 1966 in Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland) is a comedian and entertainer Jon Kenny (born 1957 in the town of Hospital County Limerick, Ireland) is one half of the famous Irish comic duo D'Unbelievables with Pat James Anthony Patrick Carr Jr (born September 15, 1972 in Isleworth, London) Karl Spain is an Irish comedian from Limerick. He is from the Corbally area of the city and was educated at CBS Sexton Street. Dolans Warehouse on the Dock Road has two venues specialising in live music; an upstairs venue which tends to accommodate comedians and folk and jazz acts, and a much larger warehouse venue holding 400, which tends to stage more popular (usually rock) acts, both national and international. A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Dance music is catered for at Baker Place which holds mainly local underground nights and Trinity Rooms which has recently hosted Groove Armada, Dj Yoda and Jazzy Jeff.

The city served as the setting for Frank McCourt's memoir Angela's Ashes and for the film adaptation of the same name. Francis "Frank" McCourt (born 19 August 1930 is an Irish-American Teacher and Pulitzer Prize -winning author best known as the author of Angela's Angela’s Ashes is a Memoir by Irish author Frank McCourt, and tells the story of his childhood in Brooklyn and Ireland Angela's Ashes is a 1999 film based on the memoir of the same title by Frank McCourt. It is also the setting for the contemporary coming-of-age drama, Cowboys & Angels, as well as Robert Cunningham's Somebody's Daughter - which was shot in various locations around the city and had its premiere in King Johns Castle in July 2004. Cowboys and Angels is an Irish film released May 14, 2003, at the Cannes Film Market in France Somebody's Daughter is a 1992 Television film starring Nicollette Sheridan, Nick Mancuso, Boyd Kestner, Michael Cavanaugh

A limerick is a type of humorous verse of five lines with an AABBA rhyme scheme; however, the poem's connection with the city is obscure. A limerick is a five-line Poem with a strict form originally popularized in English by Edward Lear.

See also: Culture of Ireland and Media in Ireland

Hospitals

• St John's Hospital, Limerick
• Barringtons Hospital, Limerick
• The Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick
• The Mid-Western Regional Orthopaedic Hospital, Croom, County Limerick. The culture of the people living on the island of Ireland is far from monolithic The media in Ireland include all the media and Communications outlets of any other developed nation County Limerick ( Contae Luimnigh in Irish) is a County in the Province of Munster, located in the mid-west of Ireland with County
• The Mid Western Regional Maternity Hospital, Limerick
• St Camillus' Geriatric Hospital, Limerick

Sport

Rugby, Gaelic football, hurling and association football are popular sporting pastimes in Limerick. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Gaelic football ( Irish: Peil, Peil Ghaelach, or Caid) commonly referred to as " football " is a form of Football Hurling (in Irish, iománaíocht or iomáint) is an outdoor team Sport of ancient Gaelic origin administered by the Gaelic Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The city and suburbs also has many tennis, athletics, and golf clubs - including Limerick Golf Club. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Limerick Golf Club is located at Ballyclough on the southern outskirts of Limerick City, in Ireland.

The Limerick Lions are the citys Superleague basketball side, playing in the University Arena. The Limerick Lions are a Basketball club based in Limerick, Ireland. The University Arena will also host the World Baton Twirling Championships in 2008. Baton twirling is a competitive Sport involving the manipulation of a balanced Metal rod with the hands and body to a co-ordinated routine similar to Rhythmic ^[13]

Rugby

Rugby Union is perhaps disproportionately popular in the city, which is often referred to as the home of rugby union in Ireland. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Rugby is popular at all levels, from school to senior league level. ^[14] Since the onset of the all Ireland league in 1991, this competition has been dominated by Limerick teams who have won the competition twelve times in seventeen years. The big performers have been Shannon (8 time winners), Garryowen (3 times), Young Munster (once).

At schools level St. Munchin's College, Corbally, is one of the stronger schools for rugby in recent times. St Munchin's College is a second level education college located in the Limerick City suburb of Corbally in the Irish county of Limerick. Winning its first title in the Munster Schools Senior Cup in 1968, it has won the Cup four times subsequently. It also has three titles at junior level. Munchin's has been particularly strong in recent years and many former pupils have gone on to play at international level, including Bill O'Connell, Bill Mulcahy, Larry Moloney, Colm Tucker (also a Lion), John Fitzgerald, Paul Hogan, Philip Danaher (also Irish captain), Anthony Foley (also Irish captain), Keith Wood (also a Lion and Irish captain) and current Irish internationals Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery, Barry Murphy and Jeremy Staunton. Crescent College S. Crescent College Comprehensive SJ is a Secondary school located on a section of 40 acres (162000 m² of parkland at Dooradoyle Limerick, Ireland J. is another of Limerick's schools with a strong rugby tradition. This school has been run by the Jesuit order since 1859, and in common with its sister Colleges of Belvedere and Clongowes, Crescent has produced a number of Irish international rugby players including the Wallace brothers, Pat Whelan and Peter Clohessy. Crescent is one of the 'big five' rugby schools in Munster, winning the Munster Schools Senior Cup for the first time in 1947 and nine times subsequently, as well as five titles at junior level. The school is also affiliated to Old Crescent RFC. Other newer schools in Limerick which are at developmental stage include Ardscoil Rís, which produced the Ireland and Munster lock, Paul O'Connell. Paul O'Connell (born 20 October 1979 in Limerick) is an Irish Rugby union player who plays lock for Munster and Ireland Ardscoil have reached the final at senior level in 1993 and 1996, and have won the Munster Junior Cup twice (in 2003 and 2005); meanwhile, Castletroy College reached their first Munster Junior Cup final in 2007 after only seven years being open. The following year they achieved the double with both Junior and Senior teams winning the respective tournaments for the first time in the school's history.

All Munster European Heineken Cup matches are now played at Thomond Park in Limerick, where the Munster team held a record of being unbeaten in the Heineken Cup for 26 consecutive games, until the 16-9 defeat by Leicester in January 2007. The European Rugby Cup (known as the Heineken Cup because of the tournament's sponsorship by Heineken) is an annual Rugby union competition involving leading Thomond Park is a stadium in Limerick City, Munster Ireland. It is the home of Shannon RFC, UL Bohemian RFC and Munster Rugby Munster Rugby (more commonly known as Munster) is an Irish professional Rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the Magners No other team in the competition has such a home record. Munster won the Heineken Cup in 2006, under the leadership of Limerickman Anthony Foley, who also played on the Irish international team. The Ireland rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in Rugby union, which is a popular sport throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Munster also recorded a famous victory against the touring New Zealand All Blacks team in 1978 at Thomond Park.

Gaelic Games

Ireland's national sports of Hurling and Gaelic football are widely played in the city and its surrounding suburbs. Hurling (in Irish, iománaíocht or iomáint) is an outdoor team Sport of ancient Gaelic origin administered by the Gaelic Gaelic football ( Irish: Peil, Peil Ghaelach, or Caid) commonly referred to as " football " is a form of Football Although Limerick has not won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship since 1973, it reached the finals in 1974, 1980, 1994, 1996 and 2007 and is considered one of the top eight teams in the game. The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA (Cummann Luthchleas Gael Coiste Luimneach or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the The GAA All-Ireland Hurling Senior Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in Ireland. The county won successive All-Ireland Under-21 titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002. City-based clubs Claughaun (Clochán) and Na Piarsaigh play at senior level, Monaleen (Móin a'Lín) and Mungret (Mungairit) at intermediate level and Old Christians (Sean-Chriostaithe), Milford (Áth an Mhuilinn), Saint Patrick's (Naomh Pádraig), Abbey Sarsfields (Sáirséalaigh na Mainstreach) and Crecora (Craobh Chumhra) at junior level. For details of the current competition see Limerick Senior Hurling Championship 2007 The Limerick Senior Hurling Club Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic

Limerick won the first ever All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1887 when represented by the city's Commercials club and repeated the feat in 1896. The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. Since then, the game has lived mostly in the shadow of hurling but a resurgence in 2000 saw the county win its first Munster under-21 title and lose the 2004 Munster senior final after a replay. Monaleen (Móin a'Lín), Claughaun (Clochán) and Mungret (Mungairit) are senior clubs, Saint Patrick's (Naomh Pádraig) and Na Piarsaigh are intermediate and Milford (Áth an Mhuilinn), Abbey Sarsfields (Sáirséalaigh na Mainstreach) and Ballinacurra Gaels (Gaeil Bhaile na Cora) play at junior level. The Limerick Senior Football Club Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition between the top Limerick Clubs

Limerick's Gaelic Grounds (Pairc na nGael) on the Ennis Road is the county team's home venue for both sports and has a current capacity of 50,000 following its reconstruction in 2004. The Gaelic Grounds or Páirc na nGael is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Limerick City, Ireland, home to the Limerick In 1961, it hosted Ireland's biggest ever crowd for a sporting event outside of Croke Park when over 61,000 paid in to see the Munster hurling final between Tipperary and Cork. Croke Park (Páirc an Chrócaigh in Dublin, Ireland is the largest sports Stadium in Ireland (fifth largest in Europe) and the principal stadium

Soccer (Association Football)

The city's involvement with senior football began in 1937 and has continued without interruption. Though arguably under-achieving in the decades since then, Limerick AFC and its successors have captured a number of trophies, including 2 League of Ireland Championships and two FAI Cups, prior to a move from the city centre Markets Field ground in the 1980s. Limerick Football Club was a Republic of Ireland football club formerly of the Football League of Ireland. The city's current representatives - Limerick 37 FC- are challenging for promotion from the Eircom League First Division, the second tier of Irish football. Limerick 37 FC ( Irish: Cumann Peile Luimnigh 37) is a Limerick -based football club formed by members of the Soccer Limerick consortium Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Their home ground is Jackman Park, next to the city's railway station. Jackman Park is a football Ground in Limerick, on the Lower Carey's Road that is home to Limerick 37 F

Climate

Limerick has a mild climate, with the average daily maximum in July at 20°C (68°F) and the average daily minimum in January at 4°C (39°F). The highest temperature recorded in the city was 31. 6°C (88. 88°F) in 1995, and the lowest was -11. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 2°C (11. 84°F).

Climate Table

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average daily maximum temperature (°C)	8	9	11	13	16	18	20	20	18	14	11	9	14
Average daily minimum temperature (°C)	4	4	5	6	8	11	13	13	11	9	6	5	8
Mean total rainfall (cm)	7. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth 64	7. 15	5. 58	5. 08	4. 18	5. 21	5. 03	5. 68	5. 08	7. 79	6. 53	7. 55	72. 50
Source: MSN Weather

Crime

Media articles often refer to Limerick as "Stab City", a term which originated in the press in the 1980s, but this is not supported by the facts or by official statistics. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Specifically, in the last year Dublin has had 10 fatal stabbings (Limerick had 1, Cork had 2 in the same period). Knife crime is actually now perceived as a major problem throughout the entire country. ^[15][16]

A March 11th 2008 article in The Irish Times suggested that violent crime rates in Limerick are higher than elsewhere in the country. The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet news paper launched in the late 1850s. ^[17]

Recent years have seen serious crimes in Limerick being linked with feuds between criminal gangs within certain areas of the city,^[18] mainly Moyross, Southill and St. Mary's Park. A feud (ˈfjuːd (referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud or vendetta) is a long-running argument or fight between parties&mdashoften through Guilt Moyross ( Maigh Rois in Irish Estate was developed between 1973&ndash1987 in Limerick City & County Ireland. Southill is an area in the south of Limerick, Republic of Ireland built up of four residential parks St Mary's Park is a Housing estate in Limerick, Ireland. St Mary's Park is one of the more impoverished areas in Limerick city that has suffered from Arguably, this rivalry was precipitated by the murder of alleged gang member Eddie Ryan in November 2000, in a public house in the Johnsgate area of the city. ^[19]

Despite a relative lull in gang violence between 2004 and the first half of 2006 in Limerick's housing estates, the problem seems to have escalated again in September 2006, with two children suffering extensive burns in the torching of their mother's car in early September, and a series of apparently retaliatory attacks including a drive-by shooting later that month. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events in September It is the start of the academic year in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events in September It is the start of the academic year in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere. ^[20]

Recently the government appointed Mr. John Fitzgerald (retired Dublin City Manager) to carry out a speedy and comprehensive investigation of issues prevailing in Moyross and other parts of Limerick City and to make recommendations directly to the Government's Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion. Mr. Fitzgerald reported back in early April of 2007 and his recommendations were fully endorsed and approved by the Cabinet. A key element of the approved recommendations was the creation of two new special purpose Government Agencies for the Southside and Northside of Limerick City and these Agencies were established by Government Order dated 15th June 2007. ^[21]

Twinned cities

Limerick is twinned with:

Limerick Township, Pennsylvania, United States of America (1990)

New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America

Quimper, Bretagne, France (1980)

Spokane, Washington, United States of America (1990)

Starogard Gdański, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland (2006)

Notes and references

See also

• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
• List of Limerick people

External links

• Limerick City Council
• Various online history resources from Limerick City Library
• Architecture of Limerick
• Limerick City Museum
• Limerick Institute of Technology
• University of Limerick

• Limerick is at coordinates 52°39′55″N 8°37′26″W / 52.6652, -8.6238 (Limerick)Coordinates: 52°39′55″N 8°37′26″W / 52.6652, -8.6238 (Limerick)

This is a list of notable people of Limerick, Ireland. Arts G A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.

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