Co. Limerick has been my home from September to December of 2014. I'm living there because I go to college in the University of Limerick.  The last few months have been an eye-opener and I think that more than ever that you shouldn’t believe everything you read or hear. Especially when it comes to the Irish media's portrayal of Limerick.

I will put up my hand and say that because of living in Leinster and only ever hearing about Limerick through the news in a negative light, I wasn't expecting much. I was expecting a derelict and decaying city. Of course, some parts of it are, but that's the case with many cities here in Ireland.
However, I was not expecting to see as much cultural heritage and art.

There are so many murals dotted around the city.

First of all, Limerick is home to many art galleries and museums. I have visited the Hunt Museum and Limerick City Gallery of Art and I was more than impressed. One thing, in particular, I like about the art gallery is that it’s never the same each time you visit, new artwork is added, new exhibitions come and go and this keeps the place fresh and exciting. I never knew that Limerick was home to so many talented artists. During my time in Limerick I've gone out in the city so many times that I've lost count, visiting places such as Dolan's Warehouse, Crush 87, Mollie's, Charlie Chaplin’s and I've found that Limerick's nightlife is drastically improving. I'm well used to Limerick at night, I go out at least once a week, in college it is a rite of passage almost! Dolan’s Warehouse is a great place for musicians and also a great place to hold events such as DIE. I love rummaging through O' Mahoney's bookshop to find a good magazine or book. Or taking a trip with my friends to Moody Cow for delicious milkshakes. We have our priorities! I'm preparing to go back for my second semester in UL and I couldn't be more excited. The last six weeks of Christmas holidays have been slow, boring and almost torturous in a way. I never thought I’d say it.


My favourite place to walk in the city is by the Docks, be it late at night where the lights of the city reflect on the water or during the day where you can see hundreds upon hundreds of different birds flying around. The air is really fresh around that area and on more than one occasion I’ve walked along the docks while the sun has been setting. Let me tell you that the sight of the honey coloured sun’s rays reflecting on the rippling water is a gorgeous sight. If you lean against the railings of the docks and look to your left you can where the river Shannon begins to widen and it’s breathtaking. To your right, you can see King John’s Castle. I’ve yet to visit it but it’s on my bucket list for this semester. On Saturday there are markets in the city and if you root around you can find little gems, you just have to know where to look.

You can also find so many sculpture pieces, especially along the Docks

The people of Limerick have been given a mostly negative image by the national media. I feel outraged when I hear this now because I've come across nothing but kindness in Limerick. I remember going into a butcher's in Limerick completely lost and the workers there went out of their way to make sure I could find and get to where I wanted to go. Not to mention the banter I've had with people on my treks through the city.

Take for example the campaign that a young Limerick school girl has started to “Light Up Limerick’s Bridges”. The aim is to put messages of hope and support on all three bridges in Limerick with the hope that it will give support and solace to anyone who is struggling or suicidal. It’s things like this that make me proud of Limerick. There's even a petition related to the cause being signed and it is gaining signatures daily.

No one can say that I'm being biased. I'm an outsider, I'm from the opposite side of the country. But I can still use the hashtag, #Limerickandproud because I'm living in Limerick, and I am proud of it. I want the city and county to continue improving. I'm still so surprised by how much I've taken to the place. I never thought I'd get used to it, but I have and I'm starting to get a proper feel of the place.

The negativity was largely unjustified.

Of course, there's room to improve and I think that Limerick Co Council and the people of Limerick are more than motivated and capable of coming up with new ways to improve and expand Limerick's attractions. I just think that the negativity it’s gotten in recent weeks is completely undeserved and almost crushes the positive change that has been occurring for a while. People took to Twitter and started tweeting their support of their city and also included lovely photos of the many positive things
around the city and county. I even had my own say on the matter. Through this campaign, I've discovered even more sights that I had not previously heard about. I thought I had explored all of Limerick during the last few months but it turns out that I haven't and I'm looking forward to discovering other aspects of the city. I’m looking forward to living here for the next three and half years.

Thanks for reading and I can't wait to get back to UL and see all my friends.

This particular mural was striking.

This cheeky little bird kept watching my friends and I and tilting its head to the side.

Just one of the beautiful views along the Docks.

The three Musketeers.

We happened upon this mural by chance!

As you can see, I love the Limerick Docks.