Where to Stay

Limerick has a wide range of tourist accommodation but it's always a good idea to book ahead, especially during the summer months. If you have no luck with the places listed, the Tourist Office on Arthur's Quay can help you find somewhere to stay. If money's no object you might consider a night or two at the Bunratty Castle Hotel which, to go on the findings of a recent survey of 70,000 holiday makers, is the best five-star hotel in the country. Four-star Derrynagittagh House (061 924308) outside Feakle, some fifteen miles north of Limerick, is a refurbished eighteenth-century gentleman's residence set in mature gardens.

There is a string of reliable three-star hotels on the Ennis Road in Limerick. The Limerick Ryan is built around an original Georgian house, and has a gym, restaurant, and two bars. The Limerick Inn Hotel is a vast two-storey building with a swimming pool and fitness centre; while Jury's Hotel is the closest of the three to the city centre. Its sister hotel, Jury's Inn, is located bang in the middle of the city itself.

The recently-refurbished Royal George Hotel on O'Connell Street is as central as it gets. It has a good restaurant, a secure car park, and an authentic Irish shebeen. There are several other reasonably-priced hotels in the city centre. The Glentworth Hotel, on Glentworth Street, is in a renovated Georgian building between the railway station and the city centre. Hanratty's, on the same street, is a lively place, with a restaurant, nightclub and bar. The Railway Hotel, opposite Colbert Station, is the traditional Irish establishment. It's in a noisy part of town, with many bars and take-aways, so is perhaps best avoided if you like to turn in early.

Limerick is well provided with B & Bs and hostels. The latter tend to be cheaper but don't provide the traditional hearty cooked Irish breakfast. Tariffs and quality of accommodation can vary. While the B & B's along Davis Street are cheap and rather austere places, there are some good B & B's on the Ennis Road. Clifton House is quite close to the city centre and is large (16 rooms) with plenty of facilities. Cloneen House is closer to town and set in a quiet garden. The Mount Gerard and the Rosmoy Town House are two tastefully-appointed B & Bs on O'Connell Avenue. The Sarsfield Bridge Inn is a roomy, modern hostel in the city centre overlooking the Shannon. Barrington's Lodge and Hostel is a converted nurses' lodgings by Baal's Bridge in Englishtown, the oldest part of Limerick.