2014-15 European Odyssey Part 2 Limerick

The City of Limerick, capital of Ireland’s mid-west region, and of course part of the Province of Munster, will be familiar to many of us who made the trip to Thomond Park just before Christmas in 2012.

The city was apparently founded in the 9^th century when the Vikings did battle with the locals. The Normans redesigned the city in the 12^th century when St Mary’s Church (now Limerick Cathedral) was built. It apparently has the only complete set of misericords in Ireland. (Misericords? Well apparently the word means “act of mercy” and these are little flip up wooden seats which could be used during long prayers.) The church was built at “Thingmote” which means “meeting place” in Viking. Can you see where this is going? Now according to Wikipaedia, the origin of Thomond is from the Irish “Tuadhmhumhain” which means: “North Munster” but I rather like the idea of the Normans mispronouncing Thingmote with their gallic accent to Thomond. Nothing like rewriting history is there!                                         

Anyway whatever its origins, The kingdom of Thomond, with Limerick at its centre grew in mediaeval times until Ollie Cromwell turned up (wasn’t he in Salford too – he clearly got about a bit). There was a Treaty of Limerick that seems to be quite important and was signed on the Treaty Stone (aka a mounting block – obviously they’d never heard of a clip board) which is still in Clancy Street. Limerick is still referred to as The Treaty City. 

They were quite a stroppy lot at the beginning of the last century when, having survived the Act of Union and the Potato Famine, they declared themselves the “Limerick Soviet” which lasted for 12 days in April 1919 as a protest against the British Army when they printed their own money, controlled their own food prices and printed their own newspapers. 

Limerick today has a population of just over 100,000. As recently as June 2014 the City merged with the County Council to form the new metropolitan district of Limerick. It’s a nice little place to visit, spanning the River Shannon. It has 2 cathedrals – the aforementioned St Marys and St John’s which has the tallest spire in Ireland. More recently Limerick became famous for the setting of Frank McCourt’s bestseller “Angela’s Ashes” (There is a Frank McCourt Museum). A little further afield visit the village of Adare is one of Ireland’s prettiest villages, the picturesque limestone gorge of Clare Glens and Curragh Chase which provides the wildlife. (No kites in Western Ireland - although they have been introduced in Co Wicklow - but hooded crows are everywhere and there are a few White Tailed Sea Eagles in County Clare. 

But for most people, Limerick is not a place but an art form. It gave its name to a particular type of verse made popular by Edward Lear. No one seems to know how this form of poetry got its name but the suggestion is that its name derives from an old Irish song “Will you come up (or down) to Limerick”. I can’t find the lyrics to this particular number but I did find an interesting definition of the Limerick:- 

Writing a Limerick's absurd,
Line one and line five rhyme in word,
And just as you've reckoned
They rhyme with the second;
The fourth line must rhyme with the third

 I have fond memories of our last trip. As always in Ireland the locals were extremely friendly. A lady in the street overheard us talking about where to find a decent restaurant, she came over, told us she knew a good place and then took us there herself (and very nice it was). We took the bus back to our hotel. We asked the driver where to get off. He said the hotel wasn’t actually on the bus route but he’d take us there anyway! Only in Ireland! Little DG loved the “serve yourself” hand pumps we found in several bars where you leave your credit card then fill your glasses just like a petrol station, and they read the meter when you leave and charge you accordingly! (and they know how to charge!)

Not far from Limerick is Bunratty Castle and Durty Nelly’s. Bunratty Castle is famous for its Mediaeval Banquets (Little DG very much enjoyed her visit with her boyfriend’s Irish family last year) and its Heritage Park. It was once the seat of the Earls of Thomond before they sold it in the early 17 hundreds. Durty Nelly’s claims to be one of Ireland’s oldest pubs. It appears Durty Nelly was “ a woman of considerable charm” who was keeper of the toll bridge over the River Owengarney. The story goes that Durty Nelly had a dream and came upon the recipe for a magic potion of Irish whiskey. She cured sick dogs and lame horses. Soon her fame spread and the poorly and the maimed travelled to Banratty from all over Ireland. A sip of her potion even turned a husband “lacking in warmth and attentions” into “a man of great virility”. She had discovered Poteen! Alas poteen

is now banned but Durty Nelly’s still provides comfort and refreshment to weary travellers. And maybe even a bit more.

Nelly’s blessing has remained for centuries since her death

“May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again"
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.”

Doubtless they charge a little extra for the beer but c’mon guys, it’s worth it!

So another trip to the West of Ireland beckons, feel free to share your memories!