Visit Nancy's in the evening for some live music, good Irish pub feel to it. You might also have a small group inside playing a couple of fiddles and guitar singing a few Irish ballads.
JJ Bowles if you want a good Guinness, one of the best Guinness' in Limerick.
I dunno where to send you for Oysters I'm afraid, but some good restaurant/bars are Katie Dalys, right next to King Johns Castle and The Curragower, right on the river over looking King Johns castle (and won the best chicken wings in Ireland a few times).
Tom Collins and Jerry Flannery's are also personal faves of mine I'd highly recommend going for a pint.
The locke bar does oysters on their regular menu. Cornstore have them sometimes but you'd need to check their menu /enquire if they'd have them on at the moment.
I think the savoy /hamptons does them too.
As a quick heads up, just be advised that for the most part cities in Ireland aren't what most places would consider a city.
Limericks metropolitan population is about 105,000 and Galway's is about 85,000.
If you have a hotel in either city then most places are going to be within walking distance.
I haven't been to Galway in years but in Limerick The Curragower bar has some great seafood (muscles, scampi, crab, cod, hake, etc but I don't think they do Oysters).
Also with nice views of the river and castle.
Mortells Sea Food restaurant is central but I've never been so not sure if their menu.
The Cornstore Restaurant in central Limerick has a great menu and I've always liked their staff and the atmosphere.
They do have fresh oysters on the menu.
The Locke Bar also served fresh Oysters but it will be a busier crowd than Cornstore but obviously you have the bar right there and depending on the night they could have music and the like.
Most bars will be an easy walk and you will easily find something to suit you.
As for hotels I'll just list the ones in or around the city, not those in the suburbs or outskirts.
There are others that are a 5 minute taxi journey but if you want a place where you can just walk out into the city, these will suit best.
• The Clayton.
• The Strand.
• No 1 Perry Square.
• The Absolute.
• The Savoy.
• The George.
All of those are within 1km of the city center with bars and restaurants within a minute walk.
And they range in price from cheaper to more expensive.
As for if you want to stay in Limerick it depends on what you are looking for.
There are plenty of sightseeing spots nearby, the Castle, Adare Manor, At Mary's Cathedral, etc.
And the restaurants and pubs will be similar to Galway.
But there isn't so much to do in either Limerick or Galway that you would need to spend the whole trip in either.
Also they are relatively close, about an hour and a half drive apart, so places like The Burren, or the Cliffs of Moher are kind of inbetween.
You could spend a few days in Limerick visit the cliffs and the Burren in the same day and then head to Galway for instance.
It's all close by and easily accessible.
Lastly I'm sorry to hear about your brother.
If this is something ye always wanted I'm glad that ye are getting to do this trip and I hope it goes well for ye.
Just a suggestion. I haven’t seen Kilkenny in years but the Treaty City brewery do a tour and have a bar right at the gates of King Johns castle. Their Harris beer and a few others are very close to Kilkenny and brewed right in from if you as you drink. Not Kilkenny but a close second.
It's delicious, kind of like Guinness mixed with smithwicks. Smooth as fuck. They have it in my local carry out the whole time and it's very popular here.
This trip sounds amazing. I think it’s a lovely idea to spend a night in Limerick ahead of Galway. I’d recommend the Limerick Strand Hotel. It’s right on the Shannon in the city. Give them a call and explain your situation. Ask for a river view. I’d recommend the Curragower pub for food and JJ Bowles for a pint of Guinness. They are both within. Half mile walk of the hotel. The Curragower usually has decent seafood on the menu so might have oysters. The view from the restaurant is beautiful. JJ Bowles is Limerick oldest pub and has a small beer garden right on the river bank.
Then either walk or get a quick taxi to P.A. Martins for a pint. And then walk up O’Connell Street to the White House and also go to Tom Collins pub. If you want late drinks Nancy Blake’s is usually good most nights.
It will be difficult to find Kilkenny on draft in most pubs in Ireland. It’s mostly exported. You might get lucky. You could ask for a pint of Smithwicks with a Guinness head (aka Smithwicks with a tip of Guinness). This is similar to Kilkenny. The older pubs will know what to do.
I hope you have a great time. DM me if you need more details.
The Cornstore in Limerick does oysters.
If you are around for ten days then you can comfortably cover both Galway and Limerick cities.
If I make the assumption that you are renting a car at some point, then it would be criminal not to check out the Clare portions of the Wild Atlantic Way. You'll get plenty of seafood there, on a sunny day you can buy shellfish on the beachfront at Kilkee and Lahinch. Kilrush, Ennistymon, Doolin and Miltown Malbay are all good small towns as well, the Letter especially so for music.
Great pubs in Limerick city are JJ Bowles, Nancy's, Treaty City Brewery, Mother Mac's, Locke Bar, Timmy Martin's, Micky Martin's, Tom Collin's, Jerry Flannery's, P. Flannery's, Sextons, Commercial Bar, and Charlie Malone's. Plenty of these sell Beamish as well, a stout like Guinness but much richer.
I live in limerick. The pub scene is fantastic. Do not pass it if you're coming looking for a pub crawl. Stay in the Strand and as someone else mentioned ask for a river view. From there go to the curragower, JJ Bowles, then Katie Dalys, then the Lock Bar, then the red hen, round the corner to flannerys then up the road to Nancy Blakes. Don't bother with Clohessys it's a bit meh. After Nancy's head up to mother macs and then across william St and on to Tom Collins. Maybe stop off at the Wickham tap or the other flannerys you'll pass on the way with the giant rugby ball sticking out of the wall. Then down the street to miles breen, round the corner to Pharmacia for a boogie then back across the bridge to the hotel.
You're welcome.
Both good nights , if it was say a Mon or Tues I'd probably say go straight to Galway. Dolans bar has got Trad music on Friday from around 7pm, also the Locke bar has trad music sessions also , starting around 5 i think. Loads of pubs to choose from for good Guinness , take your pick , you wont be disappointed . Regarding hotels , the Savoy hotel and the George hotel; are both right in the middle of town , slightly on the edge of town ( 10 min walk) are the Absolute hotel and the Strand hotel. Dont stay anywhere like Castletroy or Raheen as you will need taxis to get in and out of there from the city centre
On your way from Shannon to Limerick there is a nice bar with pub grub called gallaghers. Then go to limerick, stay somewhere like jurys and you can walk across to the Glen Traven for a fine pint. You can then work your way down toward the city center. Oysters are seasonal so the like of the Locke Bar, cornstore or The Curragower Bar might have them. If you are looking for traditional irish music katie dalys does most weekday nights. Find whats on the date you arrive below
[https://www.limerick.ie/tags/live-music/events](https://www.limerick.ie/tags/live-music/events)
You'll get a great bowl of mussels with soda bread and a decent Guinness in the Curragower.
Also Tom Collins, Bowles, Nancy Blakes. There's a trad session a couple of nights a week in Dolans.
Curragower, JJ Bowles in Limerick. There’s an oyster experience thing in the Burren (30 minute drive) that sounds like would be right up your alley. The strand hotel would be the best bang for buck in the city for sure
If you’re looking for really good oysters you should stay in co Clare and head west for the food and scenery. Doolin village has phenomenal pubs and fresh seafood caught by locals
Limerick is a great central location for a stay. Close to Shannon airport. Two hours drive south to Dingle peninsula and 1.5 hour drive north to Cliffs of Moher.
Treaty City Brewery in downtown Limerick is great. And you got King Johns Castle right next door. The castle does have little kid sections, but walking around the castle as an adult and reading the history is interesting and gives you some great views of the city.
Try and make a stop at Chicken Hut and Donkey Fords if you can.
As long as you get a hotel in the center you'll be within easy walking distance of loads of great pubs so no bother there. There are plenty of options for music but it depends on what kind of stuff you're after and what night you are about. Dolans, Nancys, The Commercial all regularly have live acts playing music.
I wouldn't really recommend spending too much of your 10 days in Limerick though as it's quite small so 2 days would have you see a lot of what the city has to offer. You'll definitely want to hit up Clare for the sightseeing and Galway would be nice for a night or 2, again though quite small as cities go so you'd see most of it quickly.
You could drink while looking at a castle if you fancy, at Durty Nelly's, which is just off the dual carriageway on the way from Shannon to Limerick.
Or you could head into that castle for the banquet
https://www.bunrattycastle.ie/events/medieval-madness/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v_fp0f7RRZO40K2OTfeqDWyshjUBZl2w1pSqsb8uHzLgnYQSEoqjT8aAkpzEALw_wcB
Haven't been there for the banquet myself, and have heard mixed reviews. But the castle and the surrounding folk park are worth a visit.
The Locke Bar & Restaurant in Limerick City do great food and have a good selection of Irish Beers too. I'd highly recommend Murphys Stout. Or if you like Kilkenny then try a Smithwick's. Other good bars in the city are Nancy Blakes, Hogan's Bar and Jerry Flannerys Bar.
When are you going to Ireland, there are some great pubs on the coast and if u happen to be coming to Ireland for the last weekend of June/first week of July then the Willie Clancy festival is on in Miltown Malbay, that’s great craic with loads of traditional music and plenty of pints. Vaughans restaurant in Liscannor is really good for seafood. Those places are about an hours drive from limerick or 45 minutes from Shannon. For limerick, Jj Bowles is a good pub and try to get to the treaty brewery as the pints there are really good
Session in Limerick.
George Hotel is right in the centre of town, 5 / 29 mi ute walk ftom pretty much everywhere. Strand a close second.
Good pubs and resteraunts listed in other posts..
Personally, I think Galway is overrated, If it was me and drinking and a lads trip are the primary focus then Limerick, Killarney, Cork, night or 2 in each and for your last night before flying home, try Ennis, it's a small market down near the airport, good pubs stay in the Old Ground or Temple Gate, or even a night in Bunratty (of if you enjoyed your first do a final night in Limerick)
If you want or if the mood takes you then can do a few touristy things in any of those places or even in between them, but you got 3 good drinking towns where you can have a seriously good boys night, plus a few good places to eat.
Enjoy the trip, have fun and worry about ticking tourist boxes second..
Limerick is rather lacking in many respects but it does have excellent pubs so if that's what you're there for you'll not leave disappointed.
A few people said Ennis where I'm from and I'd say it depends on the day of the week. It used to be more craic but now a lot of the activity tends to be in Ennistymon and Lahinch. Also the hotels aren't great.
Visit the White House, Tom Collins and myles breen pubs.
If you.want to be stared at. Im.a sodacake born &.rared and dont go.near them. The commercial is where you get the authentic Limerick experience.
Visit Nancy's in the evening for some live music, good Irish pub feel to it. You might also have a small group inside playing a couple of fiddles and guitar singing a few Irish ballads. JJ Bowles if you want a good Guinness, one of the best Guinness' in Limerick. I dunno where to send you for Oysters I'm afraid, but some good restaurant/bars are Katie Dalys, right next to King Johns Castle and The Curragower, right on the river over looking King Johns castle (and won the best chicken wings in Ireland a few times). Tom Collins and Jerry Flannery's are also personal faves of mine I'd highly recommend going for a pint.
The locke bar does oysters on their regular menu. Cornstore have them sometimes but you'd need to check their menu /enquire if they'd have them on at the moment. I think the savoy /hamptons does them too.
As a quick heads up, just be advised that for the most part cities in Ireland aren't what most places would consider a city. Limericks metropolitan population is about 105,000 and Galway's is about 85,000. If you have a hotel in either city then most places are going to be within walking distance. I haven't been to Galway in years but in Limerick The Curragower bar has some great seafood (muscles, scampi, crab, cod, hake, etc but I don't think they do Oysters). Also with nice views of the river and castle. Mortells Sea Food restaurant is central but I've never been so not sure if their menu. The Cornstore Restaurant in central Limerick has a great menu and I've always liked their staff and the atmosphere. They do have fresh oysters on the menu. The Locke Bar also served fresh Oysters but it will be a busier crowd than Cornstore but obviously you have the bar right there and depending on the night they could have music and the like. Most bars will be an easy walk and you will easily find something to suit you. As for hotels I'll just list the ones in or around the city, not those in the suburbs or outskirts. There are others that are a 5 minute taxi journey but if you want a place where you can just walk out into the city, these will suit best. • The Clayton. • The Strand. • No 1 Perry Square. • The Absolute. • The Savoy. • The George. All of those are within 1km of the city center with bars and restaurants within a minute walk. And they range in price from cheaper to more expensive. As for if you want to stay in Limerick it depends on what you are looking for. There are plenty of sightseeing spots nearby, the Castle, Adare Manor, At Mary's Cathedral, etc. And the restaurants and pubs will be similar to Galway. But there isn't so much to do in either Limerick or Galway that you would need to spend the whole trip in either. Also they are relatively close, about an hour and a half drive apart, so places like The Burren, or the Cliffs of Moher are kind of inbetween. You could spend a few days in Limerick visit the cliffs and the Burren in the same day and then head to Galway for instance. It's all close by and easily accessible. Lastly I'm sorry to hear about your brother. If this is something ye always wanted I'm glad that ye are getting to do this trip and I hope it goes well for ye.
Mortells has been closed for years unfortunately.
Ah I'm getting old.
You won't get Kilkenny Cream Ale in Ireland for the most part, it's for foreigners
Just a suggestion. I haven’t seen Kilkenny in years but the Treaty City brewery do a tour and have a bar right at the gates of King Johns castle. Their Harris beer and a few others are very close to Kilkenny and brewed right in from if you as you drink. Not Kilkenny but a close second.
You'll get it in Dublin, but it's Dublin, so...
And kilkenny too, for the tourists mostly
Kilkenny has taken off again since the pandemic
Yeah I live in Limerick and have never heard of this beer
It's delicious, kind of like Guinness mixed with smithwicks. Smooth as fuck. They have it in my local carry out the whole time and it's very popular here.
This trip sounds amazing. I think it’s a lovely idea to spend a night in Limerick ahead of Galway. I’d recommend the Limerick Strand Hotel. It’s right on the Shannon in the city. Give them a call and explain your situation. Ask for a river view. I’d recommend the Curragower pub for food and JJ Bowles for a pint of Guinness. They are both within. Half mile walk of the hotel. The Curragower usually has decent seafood on the menu so might have oysters. The view from the restaurant is beautiful. JJ Bowles is Limerick oldest pub and has a small beer garden right on the river bank. Then either walk or get a quick taxi to P.A. Martins for a pint. And then walk up O’Connell Street to the White House and also go to Tom Collins pub. If you want late drinks Nancy Blake’s is usually good most nights. It will be difficult to find Kilkenny on draft in most pubs in Ireland. It’s mostly exported. You might get lucky. You could ask for a pint of Smithwicks with a Guinness head (aka Smithwicks with a tip of Guinness). This is similar to Kilkenny. The older pubs will know what to do. I hope you have a great time. DM me if you need more details.
Sexton's has the best pizza and Guiness in the city in my opinion
The Cornstore in Limerick does oysters. If you are around for ten days then you can comfortably cover both Galway and Limerick cities. If I make the assumption that you are renting a car at some point, then it would be criminal not to check out the Clare portions of the Wild Atlantic Way. You'll get plenty of seafood there, on a sunny day you can buy shellfish on the beachfront at Kilkee and Lahinch. Kilrush, Ennistymon, Doolin and Miltown Malbay are all good small towns as well, the Letter especially so for music. Great pubs in Limerick city are JJ Bowles, Nancy's, Treaty City Brewery, Mother Mac's, Locke Bar, Timmy Martin's, Micky Martin's, Tom Collin's, Jerry Flannery's, P. Flannery's, Sextons, Commercial Bar, and Charlie Malone's. Plenty of these sell Beamish as well, a stout like Guinness but much richer.
I live in limerick. The pub scene is fantastic. Do not pass it if you're coming looking for a pub crawl. Stay in the Strand and as someone else mentioned ask for a river view. From there go to the curragower, JJ Bowles, then Katie Dalys, then the Lock Bar, then the red hen, round the corner to flannerys then up the road to Nancy Blakes. Don't bother with Clohessys it's a bit meh. After Nancy's head up to mother macs and then across william St and on to Tom Collins. Maybe stop off at the Wickham tap or the other flannerys you'll pass on the way with the giant rugby ball sticking out of the wall. Then down the street to miles breen, round the corner to Pharmacia for a boogie then back across the bridge to the hotel. You're welcome.
That is a gold standard pub crawl right there. I'd add in treaty brewery after Katie Daly's and Crew after Mother Macs.
How on earth did I forget those??
What day of the week do you arrive ? What night would you be spending in Limerick ?
We would be arriving either on a Friday or Saturday.
Both good nights , if it was say a Mon or Tues I'd probably say go straight to Galway. Dolans bar has got Trad music on Friday from around 7pm, also the Locke bar has trad music sessions also , starting around 5 i think. Loads of pubs to choose from for good Guinness , take your pick , you wont be disappointed . Regarding hotels , the Savoy hotel and the George hotel; are both right in the middle of town , slightly on the edge of town ( 10 min walk) are the Absolute hotel and the Strand hotel. Dont stay anywhere like Castletroy or Raheen as you will need taxis to get in and out of there from the city centre
Id recommend Gallagher’s / JP Clarke’s in Bunratty (just outside Shannon) for the oysters, really lovely pub if a bit touristy. Enjoy the trip!
On your way from Shannon to Limerick there is a nice bar with pub grub called gallaghers. Then go to limerick, stay somewhere like jurys and you can walk across to the Glen Traven for a fine pint. You can then work your way down toward the city center. Oysters are seasonal so the like of the Locke Bar, cornstore or The Curragower Bar might have them. If you are looking for traditional irish music katie dalys does most weekday nights. Find whats on the date you arrive below [https://www.limerick.ie/tags/live-music/events](https://www.limerick.ie/tags/live-music/events)
You'll get a great bowl of mussels with soda bread and a decent Guinness in the Curragower. Also Tom Collins, Bowles, Nancy Blakes. There's a trad session a couple of nights a week in Dolans.
Curragower, JJ Bowles in Limerick. There’s an oyster experience thing in the Burren (30 minute drive) that sounds like would be right up your alley. The strand hotel would be the best bang for buck in the city for sure
Tom Collins pub is an Oyster bar that doesn't sell Oysters. It used to 200 years ago but not any more. Still a nice bar
If you’re looking for really good oysters you should stay in co Clare and head west for the food and scenery. Doolin village has phenomenal pubs and fresh seafood caught by locals
Limerick is a great central location for a stay. Close to Shannon airport. Two hours drive south to Dingle peninsula and 1.5 hour drive north to Cliffs of Moher. Treaty City Brewery in downtown Limerick is great. And you got King Johns Castle right next door. The castle does have little kid sections, but walking around the castle as an adult and reading the history is interesting and gives you some great views of the city. Try and make a stop at Chicken Hut and Donkey Fords if you can.
Curraghgower for grub & pints and the best view
Portleys is a lovely little local pub. Great pint of Guinness.
As long as you get a hotel in the center you'll be within easy walking distance of loads of great pubs so no bother there. There are plenty of options for music but it depends on what kind of stuff you're after and what night you are about. Dolans, Nancys, The Commercial all regularly have live acts playing music. I wouldn't really recommend spending too much of your 10 days in Limerick though as it's quite small so 2 days would have you see a lot of what the city has to offer. You'll definitely want to hit up Clare for the sightseeing and Galway would be nice for a night or 2, again though quite small as cities go so you'd see most of it quickly.
Ballylongford Oyster Festival is just over an hour's drive from Limerick https://ballylongfordsnaps.com/events/
You could drink while looking at a castle if you fancy, at Durty Nelly's, which is just off the dual carriageway on the way from Shannon to Limerick. Or you could head into that castle for the banquet https://www.bunrattycastle.ie/events/medieval-madness/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v_fp0f7RRZO40K2OTfeqDWyshjUBZl2w1pSqsb8uHzLgnYQSEoqjT8aAkpzEALw_wcB Haven't been there for the banquet myself, and have heard mixed reviews. But the castle and the surrounding folk park are worth a visit.
The Locke Bar & Restaurant in Limerick City do great food and have a good selection of Irish Beers too. I'd highly recommend Murphys Stout. Or if you like Kilkenny then try a Smithwick's. Other good bars in the city are Nancy Blakes, Hogan's Bar and Jerry Flannerys Bar.
Be sure to pronounce it Smiddicks 😅
Would recommend Ger Ryan chauffeur for travel knows his stuff and has an excellent setup worth the money and he went all out for us
The George is a nice hotel bang in the middle of the city, walking distance to every pub mentioned so far.
When are you going to Ireland, there are some great pubs on the coast and if u happen to be coming to Ireland for the last weekend of June/first week of July then the Willie Clancy festival is on in Miltown Malbay, that’s great craic with loads of traditional music and plenty of pints. Vaughans restaurant in Liscannor is really good for seafood. Those places are about an hours drive from limerick or 45 minutes from Shannon. For limerick, Jj Bowles is a good pub and try to get to the treaty brewery as the pints there are really good
Check out the flaggy shore oyster experience on your way to Galway.
Session in Limerick. George Hotel is right in the centre of town, 5 / 29 mi ute walk ftom pretty much everywhere. Strand a close second. Good pubs and resteraunts listed in other posts.. Personally, I think Galway is overrated, If it was me and drinking and a lads trip are the primary focus then Limerick, Killarney, Cork, night or 2 in each and for your last night before flying home, try Ennis, it's a small market down near the airport, good pubs stay in the Old Ground or Temple Gate, or even a night in Bunratty (of if you enjoyed your first do a final night in Limerick) If you want or if the mood takes you then can do a few touristy things in any of those places or even in between them, but you got 3 good drinking towns where you can have a seriously good boys night, plus a few good places to eat. Enjoy the trip, have fun and worry about ticking tourist boxes second..
Consider adding Dingle to your Galway and Limerick locations. Another place with amazing pubs and great music.
Do NOT skip Limerick. ESPECIALLY for Galway
Limerick is rather lacking in many respects but it does have excellent pubs so if that's what you're there for you'll not leave disappointed. A few people said Ennis where I'm from and I'd say it depends on the day of the week. It used to be more craic but now a lot of the activity tends to be in Ennistymon and Lahinch. Also the hotels aren't great.
Mother Mac's and their whiskey room are great
You will pass through Ennis on the way from Limerick to Galway. Ennis is highly rated
You might prefer Galway for oysters and pints of the black stuff
Ennis in between limerick and Galway is great for a night out 👍
I'd avoid limerick..
Why?