 King John's Castle sits on the southern bank of the River Shannon. Alongside is Thomond Bridge. As with other cities in Ireland, Limerick has a history of great architecture. A 1574 document prepared for the Spanish ambassador attests to its wealth and fine architecture:
- Limerick is stronger and more beautiful than all the other cities of Ireland, well walled with stout walls of hewn marble... There is no entrance except by stone bridges, one of the two of which has 14 arches, and the other 8 ... for the most part the houses are of square stone of black marble and built in the form of towers and fortresses.
Many examples remain in the city to the present day - though much has been lost also, through wars, decay and modern development. Present-day Limerick has perhaps not as extensive historical architecture as other Irish cities, though some very notable examples remain, such as the 800-year-old St. Mary's Cathedral and King John's Castle.
St. John's
St. John's Cathedral, whilst more modern than St. Mary's, has one of the tallest steeples. The exterior of St. John's was completely refurbished in 2004, with new roofing and repointing of all stonework. The cathedral today cuts an imposing presence on an otherwise undeveloped side of the city centre. An important historical Protestant church sits near the cathedral also, and although in need of some repair, is now in use today by the Daghda dance company.
Georgian architecture
Much Georgian architecture was evident in the city from about the 1800s onwards. Although some has since been demolished, much of the city centre area is built in the Georgian fashion. St. John's Square, in front of St. John's Cathedral, towards the city centre, is an example of this. Stone-faced Georgian offices and townhouses were built in a planned fashion around this square. Although renovated in the 1970s, the area is now somewhat dilapedated.
One of Ireland's most celebrated museums, the Hunt Museum is based in the historic 18th-century former Custom House. 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. 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.
Bridges
As a city situated on a river (the Shannon), and at a crossing point, Limerick's bridges are of vital importance to the region. They connect the northern bank of the river, and County Clare, to the southern bank and County Limerick. Apart from forming part of the Limerick to Galway route, the crossings are important today in connecting Shannon Airport to the city and beyond.
The earliest bridge, Thomond Bridge, was built near a fording point. It was the scene of a failed defending of the city during the Siege of Limerick. At one ends sits the Treaty Stone, upon which the Treaty of Limerick is said to have been signed. The bridge still stands today, alongside King John's Castle, and carrying traffic on the Northern Relief Road. The bridge consists of several stone arches, with stone walls. It was rebuilt in 1836.
Sarsfield Bridge is still a historic bridge, though much newer than Thomond bridge, having been built around 1827. It is rather more grand than the Thomond bridge, being wider, and having elegant walls with inbuilt pillars with gaps to see the river. Graceful lamp-posts adorn the walls. The style is borrowed from a bridge at Pont Neuilly, on the River Seine in France. The bridge also consists of a number of arches, apart from the section at the southern end.Originally, the bridge had a section that swung aside to allow river traffic to pass along a canal at the southern end of the bridge. This was left as a fixed section in the early 20th century. A boating clubhouse, and a house stand on an island between the canal and the rest of the river. A statue to the Easter Rising has been erected on the bridge at this point. In 2002, the canal was reopened as part of the construction of a new marina beyond the bridge. New lock gates now allow boat traffic to pass below the bridge. A narrow road between the city's quays also passes below this portion of the Sarsfield bridge. Until the late 1980s, it was the main road bridge in the city.
The Shannon Bridge is by far the newest bridge in Limerick. It was built in the late 1980s, and connects to a pseudo-bypass of the northern part of the city (running through a bird sanctuary). As of 2004, the bridge is still referred to commonly as "The New Bridge". For some time after its construction, the bridge was also termed "The Whistling Bridge" – the fencing on the bridge resonated with the winds coming up the Shannon Estuary, producing a shrill whistling sound. In extreme winds, the sound was quite deafening. Simple grills were added, and the effect was ceased.
There is another bridge at the northern end of King's Island, connecting to Corbally on the north of the city. This is a simpler bridge, further up the Shannon. The only other road bridge across the Shannon near the city, is the "University Bridge", at the University of Limerick. Opened in 2004, this fashionable modern bridge connects the recently commenced north bank campus to the main southern campus. A "fourth" (referring to the city centre) river crossing is in the planning stages. A dual-tunnel under the Shannon is to be built as part of the southern ring road, along the lines of the Jack Lynch Tunnel in Cork, but larger.
Architecture Lost and Found
Much of Limerick's architectural heritage has been compromised. The main streets in the city centre were originally fronted by mostly uniform Georgian townhouses. Nowadays significant gaps and oddities (out of place modern buildings) may be found, in addition to the dilapidated state of some buildings. The most recent example of a controversial demolishment was the Cruises Hotel. This was the oldest hotel in Limerick; Daniel O'Connell himself stayed in it. It was demolished in or around 1990 to allow Cruises Street pedestrian area. Sadly, the site of what was this illustrious building is now home to a McDonald's and HMV music store on either corner of the street entrance.
Other areas of the city have similar tragic tales. Since the late 1990s, Ireland has had somewhat tougher development requirements. This has resulted in an increasing number of Georgian and other historical buildings being refurbished rather than demolished. Shining examples include the conversion of an historic bank to an up-market pub, also the conversion of old stone-built warehouses and Georgian townhouses to up-market apartments. The latter even included original design window railings and street railings, with detail down to the brass catches on the sash windows! Ironically however, the tougher development requirements have resulted in tracts of wasteland on King's Island remaining undeveloped due the discovery of historical remains of demolished structures.
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