The English (Anglo-Normans) colonised the city in 1172 AD and changed everything. St Mary's Cathedral was built in 1194 AD. Limerick's architecture boomed, King John ordered the construction of his fortress King John's Castle in 1205 AD, a fine specimen of fortified Norman architecture and Thomond Bridge which was for centuries the only bridge crossing the River Shannon.
The Treaty Stone perched on Thomond Bridge
The English settled in King's Island, called "Englishtown". The Irish were moved to "Irishtown", located on the other side of the Abbey River. A huge stonewall was erected around "Englishtown" in this period, known as "the walls of Limerick" and now is a famous traditional Irish dance. Limerick developed and became a very prosperous port and trading center exporting and importing all around Europe. 1171 AD a nunnery was founded. The Trinitarian Abbey was built in 1230 AD, this was the Trinitarian order's only established monastery in Ireland. The Scottish clans in 1315 AD attempted to invade Limerick and around 1320 AD Edward Bruce took Limerick once again. This occupation was defeated by the English in 1318 AD. A few hundred years later another historic moment occurred in Limerick, The Treaty of Limerick was signed to end the Irish war between the Jacobites and the supporters of William of Orange and it also ended the Siege of Limerick. They were signed on the Treaty Stone, which is perched now on a pedestal at the foot of Thomond Bridge.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Limerick
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Limerick - updated May 2024
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Limerick Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
