Beautiful natural landscapes and hidden places, Limerick is truly a student city that feels like home! Student Ambassador Janaina has found a home away from home in Limerick. Here, she has explored amazing places, made lifelong memories and studied her dream course. Read on to see Limerick through her eyes…
Overview
Limerick City (photo: Janaina)
Located in the west of Ireland, County Limerick has everything to offer for anyone looking to do an exchange program in Ireland. Similar to Cork and Galway, Limerick offers an option outside of the capital of Dublin!
Limerick city is the third largest in Ireland, with around 95,000 inhabitants and despite being located in the countryside, it has the structure of a big city. Limerick has great cultural and historical importance to Ireland. It was there that important events such as the Battle of the Boyne, the Treaty of Limerick and many other Viking-era adventures took place on the banks of the River Shannon. At the very heart of this ancient town is St Mary’s Cathedral. This is the oldest building in the city and is still in use today. It is also where you can find King John’s Castle, a place that brings to life over 800 years of history.
This brief overview is just to explain where my passion for this city comes from. The feeling of being inside the very history that I used to see only through books and TV. This made me so excited about everything I was going to experience from the very moment I set foot here. And…there is so much more! The first time I was in Limerick, it wasn’t by choice. But after living here for a while, I felt like this was the only place for me! When I had to return home to Brazil for a while, when I was there, the only thing I could think of was a way to get back to Limerick!
Beautiful Limerick (photo: Janaina)
A student city that can be called home
Dolan’s Pub (photo: Janaina)
Limerick is known as a student city, and this is not in vain. The city is home to highly rated academic institutions such as University of Limerick (UL), Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Technology Institute of Shannon (TUS) with many others. Aside from the third level institutions, there are also level 6 courses available in addition to several English courses if your focus is on the language.
As a foreign student, you will never feel alone. There is a huge chain of possibilities to make you feel welcomed. Whether it’s in college or in town, it doesn’t matter, you will always find an interesting group to gather and have fun. Speaking of fun…!
Do you know Limerick has around 200 pubs? You don’t need to walk too far to find a nice place for a pint, good music or just food. Besides, there are many restaurants within walking distance from wherever you are.
Natural landscapes and hidden places… Limerick is a true gem
It is well known that Limerick is very close to one of the most visited places in Ireland, The Cliffs of Moher, but the city itself has its own natural beauty. Take some time and go for a walk along the River Shannon. People’s Park is another option if you want to walk or even read a book. Don’t come back until you see the sunset. It’s so worth it!
Tranquility (photo: Janaina)
Do you want to go for a picnic? Castleconnell is the perfect place. But if you don’t want to go too far, walk around and find the Spillane’s Tower, a gothic revival tower from the 19th century located on the banks of the River Shannon. And if you want to immerse yourself in medieval experiences, Adare Village is the perfect place. Its rich archaeological remains from a thousand years ago make it a very popular tourist attraction.
Spillane Tower (photo: Janaina)
Embracing it all (photo: Janaina)
Embrace Limerick, a place to call home!
Janaina is working towards a Master’s in Applied Linguistics at Mary Immaculate College.