St Mary’s Cathedral, Church of Ireland
The cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in Limerick City (predating the nearby King John’s Castle). It is said that Donal Mor O’Brien, the last King of Munster, donated the site of his palace for the establishment of the cathedral in 1168. It is thought that parts of the palace may have been incorporated into the structure and in particular the great West Door, which is now rarely used except for ceremonial occasions. It is also speculated that during the sieges of Limerick, soldiers defending the city would use the stones around the West Door to sharpen their swords and that the marks can still be seen in the stonework today. The square tower, typical of many Church of Ireland buildings around the country, was added in the 14th Century and is 120 feet tall (just over 36.5 m). The tower (belfry) houses eight bells. There is an active group of campanologists at the cathedral and they can often be heard ringing the bells in the evenings as well as at special occasions. Other interior gems include the Choir misericords, church organ and chandeliers.
The building is steeped in history and interesting features so we would encourage you to take a look inside and/or walk around the graveyard and grounds (information plaques draw attention to graves of important families and their significance). The church is open to the public six days a week – Monday-Saturday 9.30-1630 and is reserved for religious services on Sunday.
The Exchange
The Limerick City Exchange was built in 1673 and contained a covered market and council chamber. Just under thirty years later, the Exchange was demolished and replaced with a larger building – a plaque commemorating the building of the new Exchange can be seen on the wall near the cathedral railings and it reads:
"This Exchange Was Rebuilt At Expense Of The Corporation Of Limerick The First Year Of The Reign Of Queen Anne Anno Dom 1702 William Davis Esquire Mayor Rawley Colroys Robert Wilkinson Sheriffs'"
By the late 1800s, the Exchange was no longer a hub of economic activity in the city and, according to the 1872 Ordnance Survey, was in use as a National School.
All that now remains of the Exchange building are six arches with Tuscan columns which would have formed an arcade. The area under the arches is now filled in with stone and it now acts as a retaining wall for part of St Mary’s Church graveyard.
The Medieval Town House Walls and Fireplace
Looking back up Nicholas Street towards King John’s Castle you will see two walls braced with steel beams. The walls are the remains of a medieval town house and fireplace dating back to the 15th century. The structure was uncovered in the 1990s when the area was being cleared for redevelopment. Until earlier this year it was not entirely clear what the significance of the site was or why it was being preserved. However, a plaque was installed at the site earlier this year and the site was tidied up to expose the medieval architectural features. Excavations on the site carried out in 2007 revealed that there were walls with red-brick arches indicating that the building had a cellar.
Parking
There are a number of parking options available in and around the city so I’ll just mention a few of the closest here – there are two multi-story car parks nearby (Arthur’s Quay and Charlotte’s Quay). On street parking is available around King John’s Castle and there is also parking available at the Potato Market. The on street parking is probably best used in the evening or at weekends when it is more likely that spaces will be available and parking charges and time restrictions may not apply (check the signs near the parking bays).
The Cache
The cache is a small tube with a screw cap – somewhere between the size of a nano and a micro container. It has room for a logbook only so remember to BYOP. Please be careful when replacing the cache.
Congratulations to 4Sisons for being FTF!