RELOCATION INFORMATION
Welcome to the University of Limerick
Contents
1. An Introduction to the University of Limerick
2. An Introduction to Limerick
3. Arts Culture
4. Sports
5. Travel
6. Accommodation
7. Education
8. Health & Medical Matters
9. Dining out
10. Useful Links
1. An Introduction to the University of Limerick
The University of Limerick (UL) was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and classified as the University of Limerick in 1989. The University of Limerick is an independent, internationally focussed university with over 11,300 students and 1,300 staff. It is a young, energetic and enterprising university with a proud record of innovation in education and excellence in research and scholarship. Its mission is to promote and advance learning and knowledge through teaching, research and scholarship in an environment which encourages innovation and upholds the principles of free enquiry and expression. Particular attention is paid to the generation of knowledge which is relevant to the needs of Ireland's continuing socio-economic development.
The University of Limerick offers a range of programmes up to doctoral and postdoctoral levels in the disciplines of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business, Education and Health Sciences, Science and Engineering.
The University is situated on a superb riverside campus of over 133 hectares with the River Shannon as a unifying focal point. Outstanding recreational, cultural and sporting facilities further enhance this exceptional learning and working environment. The University of
Limerick campus is located 5km from Limerick City and 20km from Shannon International Airport.
Adjacent to the University is the National Technology Park (NTP), Ireland's first science/ technology park (263 hectares), which is home to over 80 organisations employing over 4,000 people. There is a close interaction between UL and the National Technology Park.
The National Technology Park has been designed to meet the needs of high-technology and knowledge-based businesses by providing low density development in a high quality parkland environment. The Park provides a range of flexible business infrastructure and accommodation options for eligible activities.
For further information on the University of Limerick click here
For a virtual tour of the University of Limerick click here
For information on the Human Resources Division click here
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2. An Introduction to Limerick City
Limerick City, with a population of over 52,539 with another 34,197 living in the suburbs, is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland. It is the regional capital of the Mid-Western Region (population of over 364,028), which embraces the city of Limerick and the counties of Limerick, Clare and Tipperary N.R. The city contains the principal offices of Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council, together with the head-offices of the Mid-Western Health Board and Bord na gCon. Also located in the city are the Regional Headquarters of the Army, the Garda Divisional Headquarters, the Regional Head Offices of the Electricity Supply Board, Income Tax and Irish Rail, the Area Headquarters of the District and Circuit Courts and Land Registry, the Regional Local Office of FAS, and the Limerick District Headquarters of the Post Office.
Visitors to Limerick city will certainly have no problem in finding things to see and things to do. The historic nature of Ireland's third largest city, and indeed the beautiful nature of its environs provide many areas of interest.
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3. Arts & Culture
There are a number of active musical societies in Limerick which recruit new members on an ongoing basis. Please click on the following links for information:
· Limerick Musical Society
· Shannon Musical Society
There are a number of museums and historical attractions in Limerick. To follow is a list of just some of these:
· Adare Heritage Centre. A museum exploring the history and culture of the region.
· Limerick City Gallery of Art
· Hunt Museum. Small but impressive museum containing a large collection of medieval European artifacts.
· Limerick Museum
· Lough Gur Visitor Centre
· Water Colour Collection of Ireland, University of Limerick. The collection is housed in the Foundation Building and located on the 2nd floor is part of the Irish Water Colour Collection. The National Self Portrait collection can be seen on the 3rd floor. Both exhibitions may be viewed free of charge when visiting UCH
There are a number of tours available throughout Limerick city and county. For further information on what to do and see when in Limerick, please contact the Tourist Information Centre, which is located in Arthur’s Quay (061 317522), city centre. To follow is a list of just some of these:
· Angela's Ashes Walking Tour. Walk through the most important sites depicted in Frank McCourt's best-selling autobiography "Angela's Ashes."
· The Custom House. The Custom House was designed by Italian architect Daviso de Arcort better known as Davis Ducart. Davis Ducart was well known in Ireland for his work in smaller country houses. It was the administrative centre for the Revenue and it was also the home of the Collector General. In the 1840’s with the introduction of a new postal system a Penny Post Office was opened in The Custom House.
Places of Interest
Cratloe Woods House
Cratloe Woods House was reputedly started in 1730 and it was extended considerably by the mid-nineteenth century. Set in its own grounds, it is an impressive example of the Irish long house which existed since medieval times. Resided in by members of the O'Brien family in 1783, it was then called Cratloe Hall. In more recent years the Stafford O'Briens moved to Cratloe Woods. Up until 1990 Robert Guy O'Brien lived there. Robert's cousins, the Brickendens, moved to Cratloe Woods from Co. Wicklow. The house is open to the public during the summer months.
Cradle Woods
The trail runs through the woodland which will take you all around the length of the wood. The trail is 3 km. long and has an obstacle course for the more adventurous. Picnic sites are dotted all around the area. The Shannon Estuary, Bunratty and the unique Clare landscape can be seen from the viewing points.
King John's Castle
King John's Castle, on the south side of Thomond Bridge head, built in 1210 "to dominate the bridge and watch towards Thomond", is one of the finest specimens of fortified Norman architecture in Ireland.
The castle is roughly square on plan and its 60 meter frontage along the river is flanked by two massive round towers, each over 15m. in diameter with walls 3m. thick. The tower nearest the Bridge, the first portion of the castle to be erected, still bears the scars of the besieging cannon of 1691. Eastwards of this tower in the north wall, is the castle gate entrance - a tall, narrow gateway between two tall, round towers. There is another massive round tower at the north east corner of the fortification, but the east wall and the square tower defending the south-east corner of the castle, and on which cannons were mounted, is long demolished. On the three land sides, the castle was protected by a deep, broad moat, fed with water from the Shannon. Only the narrow drawbridge to the castle gate gave admittance.
There was a military barracks erected within the walls in 1751, some of which still remains. Houses were also erected in the castle yard at a very much later date.
The walls and towers still remaining of the castle are in reasonably good state of preservation, and work is continuing to improve their conditions. Some of the rooms in the tower blocks are being brought back into use.
St. Mary's Cathedral
At the junction of Nicholas Street and Bridge Street stands St. Mary's Cathedral, the ecclesiastical centre of the fortress for hundreds of years. The full title of this Cathedral is the "Cathedral and Parochial Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary". It was built in 1172 by Donal Mor O'Brien, the last King of Munster. The original plan of the church was in the form of a Latin cross. Additions were made to the Cathedral, two centuries later, during the episcopate of Stephen Wall, Bishop of Limerick. At the time of the religious revolt of the sixteenth century, the Cathedral passed out of Catholic hands. Catholic worship was restored, however, during the Confederate Wars and the short ill-fated reign of James II.
Tourists will find excellent documentation of historical remains within the ancient Cathedral itself. Most noteworthy relics of the past are the ancient altar stone used when Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral, and the splendidly carved misericords in the choir. These miserichords are unique in Ireland as the only surviving pre-Elizabethan carvings, and probably date from 1480 when Bishop Folan restored St. Mary's. Of the 21 carvings, 16 are different,representing such mediaeval emblems as a two-legged one-horned goat, a griffin, a sphinx, a wild boar, an angel, a head resembling Henry IV, a dragon biting its tail, antelopes with intertwined necks, a swan, an eagle, the Lion of Judah with a dragon, and a cockatrice holding its tail.
The Treaty Stone
Limerick City's most famous monument, the Treaty Stone gets its name from the tradition thatThe Treaty of Limerick, 3rd October 1691, was signed on the stone itself. This tradition dates back at least to 1797, when John Harden of Cork mentions it in his diary, and Dr. Young, Bishop of Limerick, born in the city in 1746, so described it to Dr. Milner, Vicar Apostolic of London, in 1808.
The stone, a block of limestone, stood outside the Black Bull public house in Thomondgate, where it was used as a step for mounting horses. In this position it was attacked by souvenir hunters, and to prevent this, a subscription was begun in 1863, which resulted in its erection onto a pedestal opposite its former position , in 1865. The Treaty Stone bears little resemblance to its former shape, in fact it is little more than half its original size; the missing parts are dispersed all over the United States and Canada in tiny chips.
The stone was moved once again in 198?, the proximity to the corner of Thomond Bridge and the busy traffic from High Road, raising fears that the stone and pedestal may have caused the road to collapse and cave in. The stone and pedestal were moved metres and are still located in Clancy's Strand,within walking distance of Thomond Bridge.
Concerts/Theatre
University Concert Hall is Ireland's first purpose built concert hall. UCH is a 1,000 seat venue playing host to a variety of live entertainment, concerts, recitals, drama, comedy, dance and grand opera.
Bell Table Arts Centre is a contact point for the arts in the Mid West which provides access to all forms of performance and visual arts through the widest variety of formats including: Theatre, Dance, Music and Literature, as well as developing outreach and education programmes. Belltable continues to offer an exciting programme of theatre, dance, visual arts, film, music, comedy and in the spring the annual festival of fringe theatre UNFRINGED brings a whole range of weird and wonderful happenings to the Belltable
Shopping
Limerick has many pedestrian and shopping areas where you can find small family shops and modern department stores catering for all your needs. The most popular areas for shopping in Limerick can be found in the Crescent Shopping Centre, Dooradoyle and Cruises Street, Patrick Street and William Street and O'Connell Street in the city centre. The Milk Market, at the corner of Ellen Street and Wickham Street, takes place every Sunday morning and is a great place to spend a morning wandering through the stalls.
Churches
· St. Mary's Cathedral. The oldest building in Limerick is this Protestant church, known for its beautiful architecture.
· St. John's Cathedral
· Saint Munchin's Catholic Church. Built in 1827, this church has an unusual square tower and is no longer a working place of worship.
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4. Sports
University of Limerick Arena
The University Arena, located in the University of Limerick campus, on the picturesque banks of the river Shannon, is proud to be Ireland’s largest indoor sports complex. Open since 2002, it comprises of; The National 50m Swimming Pool, The National Strength and Conditioning Centre, an International 400m athletics Track, a 4 court sports hall and over 70 acres of outdoor sports pitches among much more. Each year it caters for over 500,000 customers along with many international sports athletes and teams. With easy access from all major regions in Ireland, and with only Shannon International Airport only 25mins away, the University Arena is the ideal location for all your training and competition needs.
'Sport' a term synonymous with the fabric of Limerick is the central theme and mission of the Sports Department at the University of Limerick. From the basic beginner to the Olympic Champion, Ireland's Sporting Campus provides the facilities and the expertise to ensure you enjoy a quality experience at your particular level while achieving your goals and aspirations. It is with great pleasure that I invite you to join us in our Unique 'World of Sport' and challenge you to realise your ambitions in a dedicated Sports Specific environment. The University Arena is yours to access, experience and enjoy while it is our aim to ensure you return for more. Together we can achieve success.
Facilities include:
National 50m Swimming Pool
National Strength and Conditioning Centre
3300 sqm Sports Hall (4 courts)
60m 6 Lane Indoor Sprint Track
225m 3 Lane Suspended Indoor Jogging Track
Cardio Fitness Centre (100 Stations)
Aerobics Studio
Tennis Courts
400m 8 Lane International Athletics Arena
Floodlit AstroTurf Pitch
40 Acres of Grass Pitches
University of Limerick Golf Society
The University of Limerick Golf Society was founded in 1982 and is open to all persons employed by the University. The Society currently comprises of roughly 80 members, drawn from all walks of college life.
For further information on the Golf Society click here
Rugby
As well as being known as the Riverside City, Limerick is also famous and renowned for its rugby tradition. The game of Rugby has been played in Ireland for over 100 years - almost since the time it was invented. In Limerick City, it is more a religion than a sport! There is a great tradition and love for the game and whole families support their local teams with a fervour and friendly rivalry that you will not find elsewhere in Ireland. Not surprisingly, Limerick teams Garryowen, Young Munster and Shannon have between them won seven of the ten All-Ireland League Championships since it was established. Other great Limerick teams include Old Crescent, Thomond and UL Bohemians.