The river view
Walls and towers mirrored in the water.
William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · ExternalFlashPhotography — CC BY-SA 4.0 · William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland — CC BY-SA 2.0
King John's Castle is a thirteenth-century castle on King's Island in Limerick, next to the River Shannon. Its walls and round towers rise from the water's edge, the best-known view in the city. External walls, towers and fortifications survive, and the site is open to visitors. The site goes back to 922, when the Viking leader Tomrair built their first permanent stronghold on the island, raiding along the Shannon from it. Their power later waned. The castle itself was built on the orders of King John of England in 1200. It saw five sieges in the seventeenth century, with its walls badly damaged in 1642. Excavations in 1900 uncovered remains of a Viking settlement. From the opposite bank you see the grey stone wall mirrored in the river, with the old Thomond Bridge in front. Inside you enter a modern visitor centre with interactive exhibits and computer animation, from a €5.7 million redevelopment of 2011 to 2013. You then walk the courtyard and climb towers and walls for views of the city and river. An old cannon stands outside, and some exhibits suit families. The castle is 0.7 km in a straight line north of central Limerick, an easy walk, and 13 km from Bunratty Castle. The best photograph is from the far bank when the water is still. The ground is uneven stone and the tower stairs narrow, so wear suitable shoes. Summer concerts in the courtyard can change opening times.
Walls and towers mirrored in the water.
Interactive exhibits on its history.
City views from the walls.
King's Island, Limerick
It was built on the orders of King John of England in 1200, on an older Viking site.
From the opposite bank of the Shannon, when the water is still.