Things to do in Co. Limerick
18 places
1.Ballyhoura Mountain Bike Trails
Ireland's largest mountain bike trail network
The biggest mountain bike trail network on the island, cut into the forested slopes of the Ballyhoura Mountains on the Limerick–Cork border. Five waymarked loops run from a 7km family-friendly spin to a 51km all-day red epic.
- Highlights
- 98km of waymarked trail, the largest MTB network in Ireland
- Five loops: 7km, 17km, 28km, 35km and 51km
- Blue, red and black graded sections including boardwalk and rock
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
2.Kilmeedy Social Farm
Puppy cuddles, alpacas and a robotic milking parlour
A family-run social farm in west Limerick where visitors meet puppies, alpacas and a robotic milking parlour, and where everything is designed to be accessible to all ages and abilities.
- Highlights
- Puppy and kitten cuddles at Jenny's Puppy Pad and Nala's Nest
- Robotic milking parlour with Frank the cleaning robot
- Alpacas Biddy & Miley and Rua the Highland cow
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
3.Clare Glens Waterfall
waterfalls in a red sandstone gorge
A wooded red-sandstone gorge on the Clare River, where a chain of waterfalls and rapids tumbles along the Limerick–Tipperary border and two waymarked loops weave through dense forest.
- Highlights
- Waterfalls and rapids in a red sandstone gorge
- Bridges that cross the Limerick–Tipperary county line
- Free to visit, open year-round
4.Glenstal Abbey
Free entry to a 500-acre monastic estate
A working Benedictine monastery set in a 19th-century Norman-Revival castle, where day visitors are welcomed free to 500 acres of gardens, lakes and ancient oak woodland, and to the monks' daily liturgy.
- Highlights
- Benedictine monastery in a 19th-century Norman-Revival castle
- 500 acres of gardens, lakes, forest and streams
- Modern, colourful Abbey Church with contemporary paintings
- Facilities
- Restrooms · Wheelchair access
5.Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum
The world's only full-size flying boat replica
Housed in the original 1930s Foynes flying-boat terminal on the Shannon Estuary, this museum tells how a quiet Limerick village became the hub of transatlantic air travel — and where Irish coffee was invented in 1943. Its centrepiece is the only full-scale Boeing 314 Clipper replica in the world.
- Highlights
- Only full-scale Boeing 314 Clipper flying-boat replica in the world — you can walk inside
- Birthplace of Irish coffee, invented by chef Joe Sheridan in 1943
- Set in the original Foynes Airport terminal building, open as a museum since 1989
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
6.Lough Gur Lakeshore Park & Visitor Centre
6,000 years of history on a horseshoe-shaped lake
Lough Gur is one of Ireland's richest archaeological landscapes, where more than 6,000 years of settlement ring a tranquil, horseshoe-shaped lake in County Limerick.
- Highlights
- More than 6,000 years of continuous settlement
- Grange Stone Circle, Ireland's largest (about 45 m across)
- Waymarked 2.5 km and 4.5 km walking trails
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
7.Wild Encounters Mini Zoo
Meerkat feeds, reptile handling and indoor play
A small, zoo-licensed animal park just outside Newcastle West, home to meerkats, reptiles, owls and farm animals rescued mostly from the exotic pet trade. It's a compact, family-run spot where the money goes straight back into the animals.
- Highlights
- Keeper-led daily talks and animal feeds
- Reptile house with bug and reptile handling
- Meerkats, owls, macaws and a small mammal barn
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
8.Curraghchase Forest Park
300 hectares of lakes, trails and an arboretum
A 300-hectare former de Vere estate of rolling parkland, lakes and an old arboretum, with the shell of Curraghchase House looking down over the water. Six waymarked trails, two playgrounds and easy lakeside paths make it a full day out for families and walkers.
- Highlights
- Shell of Curraghchase House above the man-made lake
- Six waymarked walking and cycling trails
- Old arboretum and hidden pet cemetery
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
9.Glin Castle
A 700-year Knights of Glin seat you can hire
A gleaming white 18th-century castle on the Shannon estuary, home of the Knights of Glin for seven centuries and now an exclusive-use country house that opens its gates to the public only occasionally.
- Highlights
- Home of the FitzGerald Knights of Glin for 700 years
- Exclusive-hire castle with 15+ en-suite bedrooms
- Walled kitchen garden supplying the kitchen
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
10.Adare Village
Thatched cottages and 13th-century castle tours
Adare is a thatched-cottage village on the River Maigue, built around a 13th-century Norman castle and host of the 2027 Ryder Cup. It is the classic stop between Limerick and Kerry on the N21.
- Highlights
- 13th-century Desmond Castle
- Rows of thatched cottages
- Adare Heritage Centre and its café
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
11.Canon Sheehan Loop (Glenanair Forest)
A 7.6km riverbank loop with a Mass Rock
The Canon Sheehan Loop threads 7.6km of forest track and riverbank through Glenanaar Forest, crossing the Cork–Limerick border twice around a Mass Rock that still hosts the occasional mass.
- Highlights
- 7.6km waymarked loop through Glenanaar Forest
- Blue-arrow waymarking on a white background
- Mass Rock still used for occasional masses
12.Limerick Racecourse
Grade 1 racing with free entry for under-12s
One of Ireland's most accessible racecourses, built at Greenmount Park near Patrickswell and staging both Flat and National Hunt racing all year round, with a 1790 racing heritage behind it.
- Highlights
- Purpose-built racecourse opened 2001, first new track in Ireland in 60 years
- Flat, National Hunt and Grade 1 jumps fixtures all year
- Hugh McMahon Stand and Grandstand with terraced viewing
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
13.King John's Castle
A 13th-century fortress with tower-top river views
A 13th-century Norman fortress rising over the River Shannon in the heart of Limerick's medieval quarter, where 800 years of sieges, Vikings and kings meet hands-on exhibitions and tower-top views.
- Highlights
- 13th-century Norman fortress on the River Shannon
- Interactive exhibitions, 3D models and discovery drawers
- Medieval courtyard games included with your ticket
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
14.Stonehall Visitor Farm
Lemurs, meerkats and go-karts on a family farm
A working farm turned wildlife park near Curraghchase, where lemurs, meerkats, alpacas and wallabies share the fields with picnic tables, indoor play areas and nature trails. It is a relaxed, hands-on family half-day about 20 minutes from Limerick city.
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
15.The Hunt Museum
Picasso, Renoir and 5,000 years of art
A world-class private collection of art and antiquities — 2,500 objects spanning 5,000 years — housed in Limerick's elegant Georgian Custom House on the banks of the Shannon.
- Highlights
- 2,500 objects covering 5,000 years
- Works by Picasso, Renoir and Jack B. Yeats
- 18th-century Palladian Custom House
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
16.Arena 5
UV bowling plus glow-in-the-dark mini golf
Limerick's all-weather family activity centre, home to Ireland's only UV bowling alley and Ireland's first glow-in-the-dark crazy golf course, all under one roof beside the Delta Retail Park.
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
17.Funworld
Ten-lane bowling alley plus arcade and snooker
Funworld is Limerick's only bowling alley and its busiest indoor entertainment centre, packing ten computerised lanes, a pool and snooker room and an arcade under one roof. It is a pay-per-game venue rather than a ticketed attraction, and it hosts parties, school tours and corporate events.
- Highlights
- Limerick's only bowling alley
- 10 computerised lanes, up to 60 players
- Brand new bowling lanes
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
18.Aura Leisure Grove Island
a 25-metre pool, gym and health suite
A modern, family-friendly leisure centre on Corbally Road in Limerick, open since 2013, built around a 25-metre pool with learner and baby pools, a gym and a sauna/steam/jacuzzi health suite.
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access