Twenty.5

Day 4

Continuing our tour about Ireland, Ashley and I stopped in Limerick City, situated near the mouth of the Shannon River. The city is pleasant, but is not a picturesque Irish town. The most standout feature to me is the River Shannon, that flows at breakneck speed under a couple of bridges, including the O'Dwyer Bridge, which we walked across. We visited King John's castle, built in the 13th century, which saw many attacks, plagues and changes of power. The castle itself gave us a beautiful view of the River and what I think were the Silvermine Mountains beyond, capped with silver snow.
We also saw the beautiful St. Mary's Cathedral, accompanied by a hauntingly gray graveyard. A Celtic Cross atop a grave gives an eerie magnificence like nothing else. The Cathedral was rather small and plain, but carried with it the rustic ambiance so often associated with Ireland. Most of the structure of the building is rough cut stone and dates back to the 12th century. The main chapel holds a Pre-Reformation High Alter, made from one solid brick of limestone, over 13 feet long. During the Cromwellian siege of Limerick, it was removed from the church, only to be replaced in the 1960's.
The rest of our day was spent touring the city of Limerick, which was surprisingly dirty. While not my favorite city, I'm glad we stopped by, if for nothing else than the great Bed and Breakfast we stayed in named Glen Eagles. A wonderful breakfast and a fabulous hostess, who has visited Maryland, really made us feel comfortable in this large city.~