Lonely Planet gives Limerick a glowing report

Amazotheamazing

Lonely Planet gives Limerick city a glowing report
By Alan Owens
Published on Monday 16 January 2012 09:00


THE World’s most famous travel guide, Lonely Planet, has given Limerick a top report card in its latest Irish edition.


Clutched preciously by legions of travellers worldwide, the guidebook claims to be the world’s leading travel content provider.

The tenth edition of Lonely Planet’s Ireland guidebook was produced last week and a newly updated guide the region invites readers to “discover another side to hardscrabble Limerick city in its sophisticated cafe culture, art galleries and waterfront bars”.

“Limerick has an intriguing castle, a lively art museum and contemporary cafe culture to go with its uncompromised pubs, as well as locals who go out of their way to welcome you,” reads the guide.

“As the third-largest city in Ireland, with a sizeable student population, Limerick city bustles year-round, but is at its liveliest during the warmer months, from around April to October.

It continues: “Limerick city straddles the Shannon’s broadening tidal stream, where the river swings west to join the Shannon Estuary. Despite some unexpected glitz and gloss, it remains an unflinchingly honest town that doesn’t shy away from a tough past as portrayed in Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes”.

The guide spends some time detailing the sights and sounds of the city, including King John’s Castle - “walk the walls and imagine you’re carrying a bucket of boiling oil” - the Hunt Museum, Georgian House and Garden and popular hangouts such as the White House Bar - “a classic right in the centre” - and Nancy Blake’s - “there’s sawdust on the floor and peat on the fire in the cosy front bar of this wonderful old pub”.

Amazotheamazing

Interesting to chart the gradual improvement in Limerick's reputation for tourists. Slowly but surely the city is starting to change it's rep. Course we've a long way to go to get to where places like Galway and Cork are now but it's good to see the work is being recognised.

L.T.P.

Delighted to see this, too many people/journalists talk down our city!

europa11

Jimmy Woulfe won't like this.

Berty

The next edition they have of Limerick could be a completely upturned report. They are known for it. Rather like Tripadvisor, the candid traveller loves the content but the industry fears their content.

Limerick got off lightly compared to Temple Bar and Derry. Galway always fairs quite well from it along with Cork.

All you need is a different journalist next time around whom has different interests who will find "issues".

Remember the "best view of Limerick is from the rear view mirror"

Amazotheamazing

Beer Baron wrote: »

The next edition they have of Limerick could be a completely upturned report. They are known for it. Rather like Tripadvisor, the candid traveller loves the content but the industry fears their content.

Limerick got off lightly compared to Temple Bar and Derry. Galway always fairs quite well from it along with Cork.

All you need is a different journalist next time around whom has different interests who will find "issues".

Remember the "best view of Limerick is from the rear view mirror"

They could but generally the reviews of Limerick in the Lonely Planet have been improving over the last decade. It takes time for feedback of either sort to work it's way into the book.

JD Dublin

So Lonely Planet gives Limerick a good rating? It may not seem to count for much, but many travellers use it as a guide to start with. I know I've used the London and Paris guides a few times.

Granted it's not idiot-proof - for ''Quaint and enchanting'' read ''dusty and flyblown, manky place you'll run out of''. Like the hotel I stayed with the OH in Paris, beside Notre Dame. Also beside the Police station - cue cops and robbers with sirens all night.

Anyone involved in tourism will lap it up. As for Nancy Blakes, I always wondered why there so many tourists in the front bar the last time I went there. They have been having trad sessions there since Nancy's husband was around, he was a gaelgoir. That's going back at least 25 years.

adaminho

I remember meeting a guy one night back in 2006 who was writing for the lonely planet. Bumped into him in Mickeys and brought him around town for the night showing him the sights i.e. pubs and exchanged details. Fast forward about 6 months and the report went up on the website and there's no mention of Limerick. Turns out I got him so drunk he couldn't remember where he'd been.

Insect Overlord

You should join us for the next Limerick Beers! :pac:

JD Dublin

I see from an online excerpt of Lonely Planet saying that Limerick is the 4th largest city - shurely shome mishtake? Too many Limerick Beer Committee meetings? Or has Galway passed Limerick out in terms of population? I'd bet that if the Clare part of Limerick was included in the City then there would be an extra few thousand people.

TheSpecialOne

JD Dublin wrote: »

I see from an online excerpt of Lonely Planet saying that Limerick is the 4th largest city - shurely shome mishtake? Too many Limerick Beer Committee meetings? Or has Galway passed Limerick out in terms of population? I'd bet that if the Clare part of Limerick was included in the City then there would be an extra few thousand people.

The Quote at the start of this Forum states that it's the Third Biggest which it is as far as i know.

dave 27

Limerick urban area is 112,000
Galway Urban Area (which takes into account a larger area) is still only 75,000 in 2011 population, so Limerick is quite signifficantly bigger

JD Dublin

dave 27 wrote: »

Limerick urban area is 112,000
Galway Urban Area (which takes into account a larger area) is still only 75,000 in 2011 population, so Limerick is quite signifficantly bigger

Good to know...BTW what does Urban Area mean?

Liam Byrne

JD Dublin wrote: »

dave 27 wrote: »

Limerick urban area is 112,000
Galway Urban Area (which takes into account a larger area) is still only 75,000 in 2011 population, so Limerick is quite signifficantly bigger

Good to know...BTW what does Urban Area mean?

Official city + suburban sprawl

europa11

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Official city + suburban sprawl

Thanks to the planning records of our magnificent local governments, shouldn't we call our urban area The City & Doughnut