From across the river Shannon, a view of the castle erected on the site of an earlier Viking settlement in Limerick city during the opening years of the 13th century. Built at the order of King John, its purpose was to protect this part of the country from incursions by Gaelic clans to the west. This part of Limerick, King’s Island, accordingly came to be known as ‘English Town.’ In the mid-18th century an infantry barracks was installed inside the castle, resulting in the demolition of its eastern side so that more accommodation could be constructed. In turn, during the last century the local corporation demolished the barracks and erected municipal housing inside the complex. In turn this was pulled down and the inevitable glass-box ‘interpretative centre’ installed in its place.
Not a fan of the glass box Robert?
I never really questioned them until you mentioned similar re. Boyle. Maybe…
It took years to get rid of the grotty local authority houses and then to replace them with the awful glass interpretive centre – only in Ireland!
Robert: My wife and I are distraught that we spent a full day in Limerick, acquiring its history, building by building, but with no steam left to visit the castle. Somewhere along the way I was told that while King John had the Castle built, he never went there. True??