Missing Limerick City

ObviouslyJesus

Unemployment forced my hand and i emigrated to Perth. but i cant get limerick city out of my mind. born and bred there and lived there for the bulk of my 31 years. gets such a bad rap becaUSE of the actions of a minority but those who know limerick, know the real limerick will attest that it is gan dabht, one of the greatest cities in this great wide world
id give anything to have a cold cider outside the locke on a summers day, take a walk down the market saturday morning,have a wander down cruises street or on match day walk to thomond park to see the boys in red give it their all being shouted on by 26,000 others as passionate as those wearing the jerseys. unfortunately it doesnt look like i'll be going back seeing as the outlook is so bleak but there isnt a day that passes where i dont think of my home, the treaty city

MarkR

It's raining if that's any help.

alanhiggyno1

Biggest ****hole in the world u mean.they don't use knives just for dinner there u know

Skuxx

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

Biggest ****hole in the world u mean.they don't use knives just for dinner there u know

I don't know are you trying to be funny or what but posts like that arn't exactly welcome on here!!
OP I know exactly what your saying, I work out of the country alot but it's the greatest feeling In the world every time I board the plane to come home!!

ObviouslyJesus

it may be a '$hithole'' but its our ''$hithole''

Comhrá

id give anything to have a cold cider outside the locke on a summers day,

Almost as difficult to have that even if you're here in Limerick as it is for you, with the diabolical summer we're having. OJ, it's just an illusion of yours, caused by your enforced remoteness and being at the other end of the world.

I was on hols in NZ a couple of years back when I was unexpectedly taken ill and had an enforced extension there - on my own. I too, was longing for the 'Paradise Lost' of Limerick, but upon my eventual return, the euphoria wasn't long evaporating! Try and make the best of Perth. Nothing much here in Limk. except rain, grey skies and lots of discontent.

J.

vkid

alanhiggyno1 wrote: »

Biggest ****hole in the world u mean.they don't use knives just for dinner there u know

That statement says more about you than it does about Limerick tbf

Clareman

If alanhiggyno1 doesn't think much of Limerick he won't mind be banned for a week from it's forum.

Louche Lad

alan1990 wrote: »

I don't know are you trying to be funny or what but posts like that arn't exactly welcome on here!!
OP I know exactly what your saying, I work out of the country alot but it's the greatest feeling In the world every time I board the plane to come home!!

Agreed, I'm not from Limerick originally but I love it every time I return.

Persiancowboy

Like you I have also left Limerick but mainly by choice though. Was back there last weekend and nothing much has changed. Sorry but if you think Limerick is one of the greatest cities in the world you obviously need to get out more. Whatever about the attractions of the market on a Saturday morning or of the city on a big match day in Thomond Park, Limerick remains more of a large provincial town than the country's third city. As for Cruises St....what a kip. Half the retail units are closed and the place was full of scumbags when my wife and I walked it last Saturday evening. I certainly have never missed the place since I left and although all my family are still there I would never for a second consider returning.

However, you're on the other side of the world and you obviously miss the place...as Dorothy says in the Movie....."there's no place like home.."

Skuxx

Persiancowboy wrote: »

Like you I have also left Limerick but mainly by choice though. Was back there last weekend and nothing much has changed. Sorry but if you think Limerick is one of the greatest cities in the world you obviously need to get out more. Whatever about the attractions of the market on a Saturday morning or of the city on a big match day in Thomond Park, Limerick remains more of a large provincial town than the country's third city. As for Cruises St....what a kip. Half the retail units are closed and the place was full of scumbags when my wife and I walked it last Saturday evening. I certainly have never missed the place since I left and although all my family are still there I would never for a second consider returning.

However, you're on the other side of the world and you obviously miss the place...as Dorothy says in the Movie....."there's no place like home.."

I do agree with what your saying! I spent some time working in Stockholm earlier this year, and as I place to live I would definetly pick it over Limerick, but I think its just the familiarity of the place you grew up, going home too meet the lads and have pint, having a drive around to see what has changed since I was here last that keeps me coming back every so often!!

Berty

I'd prefer Perth. having been there 3 times. Some people are home birds and some people prefer are not bothered by it.

I have family in Perth but the only thing that would put me off being in Perth now would be the reputation the Irish have now. My sister tells me it is only getting worse.

My mother frequently visits Australia and my brother gets out when he can. Flights now are not completely out of the price bracket so two weeks every so often is enough for some people to see family. You get used to it.

The OP mentions watching a match in Thomond Park. I watched the Munster boys play in Perth actually. An evening getting sauced, watching a show and losing some money in Burswood would suit me, hitting Rotnest with a bike, spending a day drinking coffee and perusing the markets in Freo, sunning myself on Cottelsloe beach, dreaming over cars in Barabagalo dealership and coming down to earth with a thud in Ikea around the corner. A few hours in Hillarys harbour would be sweet as well. Nice fish and chips.

OR head to KFC and get "all you can drink" topups. They have Red Rooster as well. Sunday dinner every day!!

Bars are good outside of the city and northbridge area. Everytime I visit I end up in the suburbs you see.

seachto7

OP, the grass is always greener, but just as hard to mow.

Better off in Perth now over Limerick. I have been to Perth, but would choose Melbourne over it in a heartbeart. Once you're in WA, you're stuck there!!

The South West of France for the win. No danger of getting eaten by a shark, bitten by a snake, abused by the locals, scared by a spider, cancer off the sun etc and so on.......

Not dissing Perth folk, but I seemed to bump into a lot of people who brought their emotional baggage with them from overseas..........

Limerick is in the sheeeets now though. Stay where you are!!

It's a great feeling when your coming home from a long stint abroad and driving over that Shannon bridge for the first time in ages (if you're flying into Shannon obviously) into the city. Well for me it is anyway

jsd1004

Just arrived back from Madrid..Nice to be back but disapointing to see the proliferation of scumbags in their sportswear. Weather is still not great..hard to change..went out to Killaloe..the place is hopping with 100 plus boats tied up along the new canal. Why can not Limerick exploit its enviable position as a beautiful riverside city with stunning vistas along the river. The pig and p is great for the city but more needs to be done. Im only jealous cause i cant go

liammur

Limerick is a fine city, but I must admit it has fallen down big time. Our local politicians and government has failed it. If there's no drastic action taken soon, it will become the detroit of america. It would appear some people in this country would like for that to happen.

As for the OP, it's only natural you would miss your homeplace, with family/friends/memories etc. But as others have alluded to, with unemployment running at 76% for those aged 26 or under, the future looks bleak.

zulutango

I've spent a lot of time away from Limerick, but always love coming back. There's nowhere else I'd live in the world right now. Love it here. I think living in the city centre is what does it for me. There's always lots of good stuff going on and I keep meeting new people and find myself doing plenty of interesting stuff. I think in the decades ahead we'll look back on these years and say that this was when our city turned a corner.

daveob007

I get depressed coming back after a holiday,hate limerick, at least in perth you cant see the pyjama wearing scumbags or the hoody type on every corner, the city centre is a hub of tacky discount shops with beggars and junkies everywhere.
I have lived here for the 44 years of my life and never liked it here and would miss it like a wart. good luck whatever you decide...

Jofspring

I Love Limerick. Not so much the city itself for it's facilities etc... but more because it is home. As someone mentioned it's where I was born, it's where all my family are, it's where all my friends are. It's a great spot for a night out, it's a small city but not too small. You can keep to yourself or get involved easily. Going to Munster games, going to Limerick FC games, playing soccer in Limerick.

The city is in tatters at the moment and riddled with knackers but there is still a chance for the city to be turned around and brought back to what it once was. There is still great parts to the city. It's the smaller things that are great about Limerick.

I'm a home bird myself though. I don't mind traveling around a bit but I always look forward to coming home for as I mentioned the little things.

osarusan

Was born and raised in clare, but spent a lot of time in Limerick, and lived there for a couple of years between my first and current spells in Japan.

What I miss most:

Limerick FC, undoubtedly. I sleep in my LFC shirt every Friday night here in Tokyo and wake up to check our result on Saturday mornings (Top of the league baby!!).

Other stuff I miss:

The market on a Saturday morning is just a really lovely way to start the weekend. Some locally produced bread, ham, cheese and tomatoes and I'm on my way to a great breakfast / lunch. It's a place I've taken a number of non-Irish who've come to visit me and the place never fails to charm them.


Walking around Limerick on a Friday night (Fridays for me because of Limerick FC) when there are plenty of people about. Just a nice atmosphere most of the time. A by-produc of this is me missing a decent pint of Guinness. Not really a thing specific to Limerick, but you get fed up paying 9 quid for Guinness here.

Driving across Thomond or Sarsfield bridge at night with the castle / city lit up in front of me.

A walk in UL grounds on the weekend.

Being pretty close to a lot of other places where you can head for the day like Killaloe, Kilkee, Curraghchase.



The stuff I don't miss:
As jofspring eloquently phrased it above, the city is 'riddled with knackers'. Once or twice I've had people threaten to 'break me' or similar, though on at least one occasion, they were just acting tough for their mates. The last time I was back on holiday, I was confronted by two kids about 9 and 7 on the Childers road, brandishing the jagged remains of a naggin they'd just smashed, looking for money.

On the other side of things, I just asked my Japanese wife what she missed about her years in Limerick. After mentioning friends and visits to my parents' house, I tried to pin down things specific to Limerick (as opposed to people/relationships), and she thought for a few moments and replied, "nothing."

Mairzydoats

I live abroad as well and my memories are of things that no longer exist. Few pints in Quinns on Denmark street before a night in Termight's (top floor of the Savoy - though Theatre Royal was alright too) and a munch in Friar Tuck's or the Lobster Pot before heading up to fixed price taxis and heading home.
I'm saddened when I walk around the city now. I used to remember meeting my mates outside Todd's on a Saturday afternoon, heading up to Black Spot records, gowlin' around town, hanging out in Arthur's Quay Park or in the People's Park when the weather was good (rarely I know) without being worried about scumbags. I'm too old for that sh*t now anyway....

Skottoman

As an American who now has friends in Limerick, and has visited 3 times. I find myself missing Limerick for a few reasons.

In 2005, I was in France traveling solo, and bought a cheap ticket to Shannon, as I was looking for more adventures and had never been to Ireland. My first ever day in Ireland/Limerick I met 2 people, who are still my close friends to this day.

Limerick to me is a place where Ireland welcomed me in, and showed me the best hospitality I could imagine. I spent many hours at O'Raida's Pub with Tom (now passed on), and Sophia the bartender. I was befriended at Magners on Roches St. I went to a friends wedding in the Absolute, I enjoyed the hospitality of the Pery's Best Western Hotel. I ate Full Irish Crepes at Frenchs, I even had a sandwich in the Chicken Hut! Late nights with friends in Nancy's, Smyths, and even Icon. Taco fries at Abrakababra, Dinner with friends and their families, toured the Castle, walked endless miles around the city, peoples park, was amused at the amount of gum on the sidewalks, had many pints of guinness properly poured, etc...

While I can understand the view of the quality of the city, I see Limerick as the ambassador who welcomed me in and has given me great friends and memories.

For that I will return again, and again...
Cheers,
Skottoman
(Santa Cruz, California. US)

killwill

jsd1004 wrote: »

Just arrived back from Madrid..Nice to be back but disapointing to see the proliferation of scumbags in their sportswear. Weather is still not great..hard to change..went out to Killaloe..the place is hopping with 100 plus boats tied up along the new canal. Why can not Limerick exploit its enviable position as a beautiful riverside city with stunning vistas along the river. The pig and p is great for the city but more needs to be done. Im only jealous cause i cant go

I am from Killaloe and I can tell you Killaloe is suffering big time from the recession and also the weather. There might be alot of boats on the canal but they are not tourist bringing in any trade. They are mooring there long term.

roseagra

I can see two points of view through these posts; the OP missing home possibility with slightly rose tinted glasses and hey, which of us hasn't looked back at something, be it home, an event, relationship of some sort and remembered it to be better than it actually was...the stuff that sentimentality is made of, I think it would be a sad world if we lost that altogether.

Then I see the pragmatic, realistic and possibly slightly jaded view point of those, some still here and others elsewhere (but with less of the rose tint on the glasses) that see the antisocial behaviour, closed shops, lack of services etc.

I can relate to both sides.

I'm org. a Galway woman but living here for nearly six years and I have become very fond of Limerick. I have lived better places and I have lived in worse but I'm happy to live here. There is a lot going for it, even if there is a lot going against it.

And I've come across a few things in recent months that have swayed me more to the positive. Nice neighbours (I'm very lucky where I live now, have had less than pleasant experiences in the past but that's true of other locations). Shop owners and trades people going out of their way to be helpful; simple things like the butcher joking with me about having a bone for the dog and adding in extra to keep the hound happy. Open mic night in the Chicken (mini revelation for me!), the spice guy in the market (see him in UL on a Tue, thank you for the star aniseed), the same faces in Nancy's on a Sunday (this can be a positive or a negative depending on your view point and what you want of a night out!).

I suppose a lot of the good I've seen has been due to little projects people have put in place or efforts made by individuals. Yes there are sunnier, cleaner, cheaper etc places to live but there's a lot to be made of Limerick and the thing my Dad said to me when I moved here was 'Limerick people are the salt of the earth', he was right. Even my taxi driver the other night educating me on dyslexia (I'm mildly so), the kindness to stop to chat even though he was probably missing out on fares.

But yes, a drop of sun would be good!

RINO87

Spent 5 years living in Limerick and had the best time of my life. Wonderful wondeful place with the most amazing people. Im not denying it has problems, yes it does, but in my time there I never ran into an ounce of trouble. The creativity in Limerick is undeniable, just look at the music scene, possibly the best in the country; macronite, siege, hip hop fest, roots factory etc... Attended and hosted some amazing parties in my time there, with a great mix of people. I dont get to visit as often as i like anymore but when I do I have a ball. Beautiful city, just look around you as you walk from the crescent sc into town, fantastic, the english town, beautiful, the strands, the parks (peoples and shelbourne). Jesus I miss limerick, if i could get a job there I would be back in an instant.