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| Motto: Urbs Antiqua Fuit Studiisque Asperrima Belli "There was an ancient city very fierce in the skills of war" |
Limerick is a very old city, firstly being inhabited by native Irish people and then invaded and pillaged by the Vikings in the early 800s, via the Shannon River (around which the city was founded) and then conquered by the Normans in the 12th century, which then transformed the city and added the present architecture.
Limerick had an important role in The Troubles for rejecting a treaty made with England, a law protecting Catholic rights. Rather than keeping the treaty, the city reinforced the punishments for Catholics, prolonging the war against the Catholic British. This period earned the city it's motto: Urbs antiqua fult studisque asperrima belli, after resisting many breaches in the 17th century. The city later became know as The City of The Broken Treaty.
Limerick grew in the 18th century, after the turmoil of the 17th century, establishing itself as one of Ireland's major commercial ports, exporting agricultural produce from one of Ireland's most fertile areas, the Golden Vale to Britain and America.
We reached Limerick following the Cork Limerick Galway trail
Our first visit is King's John Castle, right in the city center, where we have just arrived.
As the name suggests, the castle was build in the early 13th century by order of King John of England, after taking the city from the Vikings in 1195. It is one of the best preserved Norman castles in Europe.
The castle sufferend 5 sieges in the 17th century, done by Irish protestants, who occupied the castle later.
Between 2011 and 2013, the castle underwent massive redevelopment, aimed to improve the visitor facillities of the castle, including a new visitor centre, interactive exhibitions wih computer generated animations and a café with outside view of the yard and the river.
Across the river Shanon from King John's Castle is the Treaty Stone, where the Treaty of Limerick was signed, resting on a pedestal erected in 1865 by John Rickard Tinslay, the then mayor of Limerick.
From the Treaty Stone, we followed along the river for what seemed like 1.5 miles, reaching the Limerick University by the Living Bridge, which joins the two sides of the university through Shannon.
The University was established in 1972 as the National Institute For Higher Education and was made a university in 1989, but there was movement in the city since the 1950s for the establishment of a University.
The campus has a total of 137.5 hectares (540 acres), 46 of which are on the North bank and 91.5 (226 acres) on the South bank.
The University has currently over 11.000 full-time students and 1.500 part-time students, including 2.400 international students.
- Interesting Fact: Limerick University was the first University established after the foundation of the Republic of Ireland, followed by the establishment of Dublin University later on the same day.
Limerick University also holds many Art buildings, including; Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and Irish Chamber Orchestra (both internationally acclaimed buildings). The art collections include:
The national Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland, The Watercolor Society of Ireland Collection, The Richard Wood Collection of Irish Landscape Paintings, The O'Malley Sculpture Collection and The Armitage Collection. It also has a gallery and a concert hall.
The Living Brigde in the university was designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects to provide a social and cultural space, providing views of the city and space to rest while crossing the slightly curved structure. It was opened in 2007 and has won 2 awards and a good influence, including European Awards and Institution of Struction Engineers winning Pedestrial Bridges award in 2008 and declared by French Steel Construction Syndicate as the most beautiful steel work in the Bridges category.
This was a quick, refreshing visit, everything flowed well. What is still waiting for us on our future stops? it's so exciting to think about it.
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