2. Key Facts
• Located in the
province of Munster
• Third largest city in
Ireland
• Fifth most populous
city with a current
population of 90, 757
3. History
• The city dates from
the Viking settlement
in 812
• The Normans
redesigned the city in
the 12th century
-King John’s Castle
4. • Besieged by Oliver Cromwell in 1651 and
twice by the Williamites in the 1690’s during
the turbulent civil wars
- earned the motto: “An ancient city well
studied in the arts of war”
• Act of Union and the Great Famine in the 18th
century caused a drastic economic decline
• The Celtic Tiger (1995-2007): period of rapid
economic growth in the Republic of Ireland
5. Local Government
• Limerick City Council:
responsible for local
services
• Compromises elected ward
councillors with a City
Manager (every 5 years)
and a Mayor (annually)
– Currently Mayor Jim Long
• Consists of 3 wards:
Limerick East (4), Limerick
North (6), and Limerick
South (7)
6. Culture
• Belltable Arts Centre: local
playwriting and drama
• Limerick City Gallery of Art:
contemporary art exhibitions
• Fresh Film Festival: annual
spring event, includes films
made by young people (7-
18)
• Limerick poem: humorous
verse of five lines with
AABBA rhyme scheme
7. Education
• University of Limerick (UL): first university to be
established in 1989
• Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT)
• Griffith College Limerick (GCL): private college
established in 2006
• City of Limerick Vocational Education Committee
provides primary and secondary educational
services
8. Places of Interest
St Mary’s Cathedral
St John’s Cathedral Sylvester O’Halloran Bridge
