Like any old town, Limerick has multiple, manifold, fractured and intersecting personalities. One of the (many) reasons why I’m fond of the film The Howling II is that the subtitle, ‘Your Sister is a Werewolf,’ is something that could conceivably be shouted at you from the open window of a passing Honda Civic on the Dock Road.

Limerick doesn’t do things by halves. In 1577, following the First Desmond Rebellion, a rebel leader named Murrough O’Brien was beheaded at Limerick, and according to the English poet Edmund Spenser, who claimed to have witnessed the execution, O’Brien’s foster-mother picked up his head from the ground and swallowed the blood from the stump, declaring that “the earth was not worthy to drink it.”

Centuries later, in response to the attempted imposition of martial law by the British Army, the Limerick Trades and Labour Council called a general strike and declared the establishment of the short-lived Limerick Soviet: the Soviet printed its own money and newspapers, organised its own food supplies and enforced its own laws for two weeks in April 1919. Less than a decade later, the Ardnacrusha power station, scarcely twenty minutes’ drive outside the city limits, was up and running and supplying 80% of the country’s electricity; it was, at the time of its construction, the largest hydroelectric dam in the world.

If the dam looks familiar, by the way, it’s not without reason: the headquarters of the German engineering firm contracted to build it, Siemens-Schuckert, just happened to be close by the film studios where Fritz Lang was preparing to film his 1927 classic, Metropolis. It has been suggested that the Shannon Scheme’s architects wandered over to the film set every so often, and that elements of Lang’s set design found their way into the Ardnacrusha project long before the legendary director had begun principal photography.

More recently, one of the factories left vacant by the recession was re-purposed into a film production venue – Troy Studios, where Nightflyers was recently filmed. Maybe sometime in the near future, Limerick will be able to repay the favour to Germany and leave a sci-fi landmark on their landscape.

The legacy of economic mismanagement can be seen in the scattered clusters of abandoned cranes and building sites, and Limerick is often associated with crime in the mass media – beginning with the shameful early-1900’s campaign of harassment against the local Jewish community, and stretching on to the early 2000’s with an ongoing feud between two criminal gangs. Put it this way: Limerick-born author Kevin Barry obviously didn’t have Galway in mind when he wrote his ultra-violent, not-quite-post-apocalyptic crime epic, City of Bohane. The truth, however, is that Limerick is a very relaxed kind of town, as vibrant and bohemian as it is plain-spoken, and it is no more dangerous than any other small city if you take your usual precautions.

Chances are, if you’re visiting from abroad for WorldCon, that you’ll either be too late or too early to check out the Saint Patrick’s Day Festival in March, our annual metal-fest ‘the Siege of Limerick’ in April, the Limerick Sings International Choral Festival (June 6-9), or the renowned Limerick Jazz Festival (September 26-29).If you’re thinking of arriving in the early summer and sticking around, though, there are lots of upcoming events that may take your fancy. For example, there’s PolskaÉire (May 5-June 19), a nationwide festival celebrating Ireland’s Polish community and the friendship between Poland and Ireland; in Limerick, you’ll find showcases of storytelling, traditional Polish crafts and literature, as well as a Parkrun (5km against the clock) and a football tournament. Limerick also stages events as part of Pride Month: the full programme is yet to be announced at the time of writing, but the Pride Parade will take place on Saturday, July 13. At the start of August, the city comes alive with all kinds of creativity for the Elemental Arts Festival (August 2-5), which is definitely worth experiencing.

Otherwise, Limerick is a great town to just lounge around in. It’s bursting out all over with pubs and nightclubs, catering to all kinds of scenes. You can’t visit Limerick without stopping at Dolan’s, which combines a traditional Irish pub atmosphere with a gorgeous live music venue out the back (the Warehouse). It’s a local landmark, and your visit isn’t complete without it.

There are tours of King John’s Castle (the same King John from the Robin Hood legends) for the mediaeval history buff, as well as the eclectic collections at the Limerick Museum, the Hunt Museum, and the City Gallery of Art. If you fancy taking in a show after your sightseeing, there’s nearly always something running at the Belltable Arts Hub or the University Concert Hall, and every Saturday morning, the Milk Market fills up with stalls selling all kinds of treasures.

Ever wanted to walk around a fantasy city in real life – ancient, brash, rough around the edges, weird and artistic and full of character? If you fly into Shannon Airport, you’ll be passing right by such a place on your way to Dublin; drop in and give it a gawk.

Planning your trip to Ireland? You can find all the places Touring Tuesdays has visted on this handy map.

Jack Fennell is a writer and editor from Limerick. He is the author of Irish Science Fiction (Liverpool Unive

rsity Press, 2014), and the anthologist behind A Brilliant Void: A Selection of Classic Irish Science Fiction (Tramp Press, 2018).

The post Touring Tuesdays – Limerick City by Jack Fennell appeared first on Dublin 2019.

The crackle of the grand fireplace, the slosh of wine pouring into a goblet, the glow of candles, the smell of fresh food wafting around the stone hall. The Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet is one of the most immersive experiences you could ask for.

Hi everyone, I’m Paul Anthony Shortt, fantasy author and YouTuber. For my entry into the Dublin 2019 Touring Tuesdays Blog, I wanted to harken back to an experience I had several years ago, which I’ll never forget.

Several years ago, I brought my wife, Jen, on a trip to Bunratty for her birthday. Home of Bunratty Mead and close to Limerick and Ennis, Bunratty is a lovely area with beautiful countryside. It’s also home to an attraction we’d been wanting to experience for years.

Bunratty Castle is a 15th Century tower house in Co. Clare. Shannon Heritage host banquets here, in full medieval style. Tickets have to be booked in advance, but it’s well worth the time if you can go.

The evening begins as you make your way up the wooden steps, to the sound of a piper playing. There is no wheelchair access, unfortunately, which made things tricky for Jen, but she made her way up with her crutches and staff were happy to keep her wheelchair safe for us. This leads you to the main level of the castle, where you’ll sit for your meal.

Before that, you are led up a spiral staircase to a reception room where a string quartet plays while you’re served a cup of mead. As Jen couldn’t make it up the spiral stairs, she was brought to the main hall and given a jug of mead to herself. The music is pleasant, and really sets the tone of the evening. And all the while, the period-attired staff greet you as “m’lord” and “m’lady.”

But where the night really gets going is when the banquet itself begins. Seated at long benches in the main hall, you can feel the banter and atmosphere rise. Then the Earl of Thomond appears on a balcony above and greets you as his guests.

The etiquette of the night is explained. The Earl’s Butler will ask the Lord, nominated from the assembled guests, to give approval for each course brought out in order, and there is to be no smoking of the tobacco leaf from the New World “for fear of witchcraft.”

The first course is soup, but there is no spoon. You must drink by lifting the bowl and slurping, mopping up the rest with fresh bread served on wooden boards. Between courses you are entertained by singers and musicians, and clay jugs are brought out to refill your wine throughout the night.

Next is a course of ribs, and you’re left to use your dagger (a wood-handled serrated knife) to cut your food and eat by hand. Historically-accurate or not, it evokes an intoxicating atmosphere that only the most cynical could resist.

Before the main course, it is revealed that someone among the guests is a traitor, and is revealed to the Earl. They are swiftly locked behind a cage door until the Earl can decide a fitting fate. Which, usually, turns out to be singing a song or telling a joke.

The traitor dealt with, it’s time for pain-fried chicken on the bone and a selection of vegetables, again eaten with just your dagger. I should mention that vegetarian options are available for all courses, and the commitment to customer experience is stellar.

The night ends with desert and tea or coffee. Despite the heavy element of performance and the structure of the evening, nothing ever feels rushed or forced. The staff fit their roles so naturally that, sitting under wooden rafters and surrounded by stone walls decorated with tapestries, you could be forgiven for feeling like you’d been pulled into another time.

It’s not a night for everyone, of course. I can easily imagine some might have issues with how the food is to be eaten and the obvious difficulty for the mobility-impaired. And anyone suffering from social anxiety might have a problem if they’re selected as the traitor. But if my own experience is anything to judge by, if there is a way that the staff can help you enjoy the banquet, they will do their utmost to make it happen.

If you’re looking for a unique activity and some fond memories, this is heartily recommended.

Paul Anthony Shortt has been writing since he was a teen, starting with attempts at horror, then discovering urban fantasy as an adult. His first series, The Memory Wars Trilogy, began in 2012 and in 2014 he dabbled in steampunk fantasy with Lady Raven. The final book in this series, The White Raven, will be released this winter. He is presently working on two dark urban fantasy series and hosts a YouTube channel called Epic Storytelling. He can also be found on Twitter.

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