Limerick went through the wringer a decade or so ago, after 'Angela's Ashes', and it still suffers from a reputation as a violent city. So what does an outsider make of it now? Englishman James Helmpays a visit
LIMERICK AS A desirable travel destination? Every tragic event further damages the city's reputation, every negative news story makes the place harder to sell to prospective visitors, dissuading some and confirming the opinions of others.
So before you turn the page to gaze at luxury spas, I had better put this on the record right away: I went, I enjoyed myself and I would go back.
My own expectations were duly confirmed. I found some fine places to stay, eat, drink, and explore. And I met some great people who are very proud of their city despite its problems, who are determined to spread the word about the good things it has to offer and who are investing in its future.
The successful ingredients of my trip included all of the following: plenty of exploring on foot; time spent gazing at old churches, Georgian houses and the mighty Shannon on the way; leisurely stops for coffee and lunch at recommended places; a rugby match at Thomond Park; a stay in a lovely new hotel; and a closer examination of some of the fine old pubs of which I had heard so much.
Having ticked off sights such as King John's Castle on previous visits, this time I made sure to do more wandering and watching. Limerick's easy scale lends itself to walking. Having arrived from Dublin on one of the smart new trains, which quietly eat up the kilometres across the Midlands, I crossed a road, skirted the People's Park and arrived at my hotel.
Time and progress haven't transformed the outward face of Limerick in the way they have some other Irish city centres. Family businesses dot the shopping streets and mix with the familiar chains. People nod and greet each other. This isn't all meant to sound sentimental, or nostalgic for the days of Angela's Ashes - for which the locals wouldn't thank me anyway - but, even in the heart of the city, the sea and the countryside feel close by. The usual pace, compared with Dublin's, is an amble rather than a rush.
On O'Connell Street an hour slipped by in the peaceful corners of O'Mahony's bookshop. At 2 Pery Square I saw the Georgian House and Garden and its collections. A few metres farther on I had a nose around Limerick City Gallery of Art, where the packers were busy dismantling a temporary exhibition.
This time I missed the thriving Saturday-morning farmers' market, which offers local produce, farm-fresh and gourmet quality, from cheeses to chocolate. On our last trip to the stalls at the Milk Market we filled the car with as much as we could squeeze in.
As with some cities in my own country - Liverpool and Glasgow come to mind - Limerick has learned that once a reputation is gained it can be very hard to lose.
What those British cities have found is that would-be visitors are often willing to look beyond the bad headlines and the tough image and find much more within: warmth, vibrancy and optimism.
So if a city such as Glasgow can manage it - and it's a great weekend destination - then there is real hope for Limerick.
And there is real hope in Limerick, too. I stayed at a new place in an old setting: No 1 Pery Square. Patricia Roberts is the owner, and this lovely Georgian town house, the former home of Lord Barrington set in the heart of the city's red-bricks, has been her long-term labour of love.
Roberts and her husband, George, bought the buildings five years ago. Roberts, who is 34 and originally from Clarina, a few kilometres down the road, previously ran a hotel marketing business in Limerick.
Having worked in hotels abroad, and stayed in many more on her travels, she says she spotted a gap in the Limerick market for an owner-operated boutique town house. She is hoping that plenty of discerning visitors who want luxury and privacy will come to stay.
The results are impressive. In my room the bed was wonderfully sleep-inducing (all the beds in the hotel were made by a local craftsman) and the big bath was enticing. A large spa will soon become a reason in itself to visit.
The brasserie, with its Glaswegian chef, Alan Burns, has quickly won praise. The breakfasts are great, too: Roberts's cousin brings fresh fish from Connemara, and I had the kippers. The Park Room is a cosy place for morning coffee, with a view across to the People's Park, and the atmosphere throughout is relaxed.
Huge effort has gone into preserving the Georgian character of what were originally two houses while adding new accommodation. Roberts says: "We have a love of old buildings, and the minute we saw it we knew it would make a fantastic place to stay."
So what about the city's reputation? "It does annoy me, because I see something different on the ground," she says. Roberts recently phoned friends around Ireland to invite them to stay as the hotel's doors opened. They really liked Limerick, she says. "They were very pleasantly surprised. You wonder, what did they expect? The place is buzzing: it's as if Limerick has just emerged."
A five-minute walk away, on Catherine Street, the owners of the Sage Cafe also saw plenty of the world before deciding to make their lives back home in Limerick.
Mike Hogan played bass guitar with the Cranberries, and now, as if to confirm that food really is the new rock'n'roll, he helps out with the cooking at the Sage, which he runs with his wife, Siobhán. Other former band members regularly drop by.
I can confirm that Hogan's brown bread is excellent, as is the home-made jam, and local produce features throughout the breakfast and lunch menus. In the two and a half years since it opened, the Sage has become a Limerick favourite, and the place was packed and lively when I was there.
After 14 years of gigs and globetrotting, Hogan is doing what he says he would have done had music not intervened: learning the art of cooking. He still manages to play guitar, and, despite the demands of the business and two young children, they manage to get out occasionally.
The Hogans wax lyrical about the city's nightlife - Nancy Blake's is their favourite bar - as well as life in general here. Siobhán told me: "Limerick people have been great to us. I love it here. I've always loved it as a city. I feel very safe going out in Limerick."
And then there is Thomond Park. No account of Limerick would be complete without a mention of this revered, and revamped, sporting citadel.
Europe's best rugby team of recent years is rightly a source of immense pride in these parts, as I witnessed from the ringing of the tills at the Munster Rugby store on O'Connell Street and from the sheer number of replica red shirts everywhere.
The ground is where legends have been forged. Having had the privilege of seeing a match in the new Thomond Park, I now understand what the hype was all about. The crowd's raucous passion makes it a great place to watch sport.
The hope is that the new stadium, which has more than doubled capacity and transformed the Limerick skyline, will provide great spin-offs for the local economy. Conferences and events are planned, and Elton John is lined up to play next summer.
Afterwards I soaked up the atmosphere in great and lively old bars. The city centre has managed to keep a large number of traditional, quality watering holes that brim with character and pull in a mix of age groups. A return trip would do more of them justice. Myles Breen's bar, which an expat Limerick friend had assured me I mustn't miss, was a highlight.
Limerick is a launch pad for the region as a whole, for Lough Derg, for Co Clare, for the beauties of Co Limerick, for people arriving or departing from Shannon Airport or, perhaps, as a stopover for Dubliners heading towards Co Kerry's far reaches.
The city, of course, faces enormous challenges. Its citizens, as well as its tourist authorities, are acutely aware of that and of the uphill task they face in convincing sceptics that their city is not as bad a place as it is often portrayed. But that doesn't mean they won't try.
Nick Condon is the tourism officer for Limerick city and county with Shannon Development, and he's both positive and a realist.
When I suggested that he has one of the tougher jobs going, he replied with a smile: "I don't see it like that, because I have a passion for this place. You have to try and be positive and redress that. I have a genuine feel for Limerick, irrespective of the job I'm in."
Where to stay, eat and drink in Limerick
Where to stay
No 1 Pery Square. 061-402402, www.onepery square.com. A fine new hotel, with 20 rooms. It has a good brasserie and a spa that offers a range of treatments. A room with two people sharing costs from €155 to €195 per night, including a great breakfast.
Of the larger alternatives, Clarion Hotel Limerick stands tall by the water on Steamboat Quay (061-444100, www.clarionlimerick.com). Seventeen storeys and 161 rooms, including suites at the top of the tower with a magnificent view down the Shannon.
The Strand Hotel. Ennis Road, 061-421800, www.strandhotellimerick.ie. Describes itself as a local hotel with an international attitude. Impressive, and handy for match days at Thomond Park.
Where to eat
The Sage Cafe. 67-68 Catherine Street, 061-409458, www.thesagecafe.com. Open for breakfast and lunch from Monday to Saturday, and understandably very popular. Lots of home-made produce.
The French Table. 1 Steamboat Quay, 061-609274, www.frenchtable.ie. Frenchman Thomas Fialon and his Limerick wife, Déirdre, have taken over this spot; my John Dory followed by pear and almond tart were delicious.
The brasserie at No 1 Pery Square (see above for details), with chef Alan Burns, is a promising new arrival, with a relaxed atmosphere, great food and wine menus, and views of Georgian Limerick.
Where to drink
So many great bars to choose from, with some of the best traditional pubs I've come across, plus more modern offerings, too. A small sample:
Myles Breen. 18 Shannon Street, 061-414327. A great little place, especially lively after a rugby match. Full of atmosphere.
Nancy Blake's. 19 Upper Denmark Street, 061-416443. Another legendary Limerick spot, with a good age range and a great space out back, under a canopy.
Peter Clohessy's Bar, Howley's Quay, 061-468100, www.peterclohessy.ie. Seven years old, popular and lively, and with the Sin Bin club downstairs. All run by one of Irish rugby's leading lights of recent times, the Claw himself.