Limerick is the capital of County Limerick in the province of Munster in the southwest of Ireland and has 53,000 inhabitants. It is the historical center of the region and in some fields the center for the West of Ireland, particularly when it comes to tourism along the coast and the national parks in the West and South-East. Limerick is a good start and end point for the exploration of the widely spread national parks in the south. Because of the incredible landscape Ireland is also known as the Emerald Isle. Visitors should catch the right season, because in this part of Ireland it sometimes rains in unbelievable quantities, even if the climate is generally mild. The largest river in Ireland, the Shannon, flows through the city and behind Limerick as Shannon Estuary in the Atlantic. The regional airport is the link to Dublin. Visitors who want to learn more about country, people and culture on the way to / from Dublin can catch an intercity bus. The trip by private or rental car can easily become an adventure. During the summer months the Limerick Region is the ideal terrain for motorcyclists who prefer Bed & Breakfast hostels. This allows the visitors to experience the origin of this part of Ireland best and in the truest sense. Limerick, despite the size, is the “second capital” of Ireland and in contrast to Dublin the much quieter but still vibrant representative. The city’s history goes back to a Viking settlement, by the way the only foreign forces, who ever succeeded in Ireland for a longer period of time.
Today Limerick is the economic center of the Midwest Region (Shannon Region). Several international companies opened up branches, not only call centers, but production facilities. As Ireland in general Limerick benefited from the latest economical boom and was able to create international connection and access. In responds to the given financial situation of Ireland Limerick will tighten it’s belts for a while, have to put some of the ambitious projects and planned mayor investments on hold, but this won’t hurt the city much, because of it’s importance for the region in general and tourism in particular.
