King's Island
Travel Guide

King's Island

King John's Castle - Marion Wacker - cc

Explore King's Island

Tourist attractions

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King's Island : Must-See Attractions

King's Island

King’s Island is a small island forming part of Limerick city center. Surrounded by the River Shannon, the island is rich in tourist attractions, including the magnificent King’s John Castle. A must-see island if you want to discover Limerick!

Visit King’s Island

Discover Limerick’s historic districts!

Accessible by road, the island is divided into 2 distinct areas: Englishtown (south) and St Mary’s Park (north). With a particularly rich medieval history, King’s Island still boasts significant vestiges of Viking and Anglo-Norman occupation. It’s because of the Anglo-Norman Invasions that part of the island is called “Englishtown”, as opposed to Irishtown, further south.

At the time, Englishtown was surely the poorest and most miserable district in Limerick. The dwellings of the time were likened to miniature shantytowns, where disease and famine plunged families into indescribable misery.

Today, King’s Island is in the midst of renovation and redevelopment. However, there are many monuments and tourist sites to discover, including :

  • Old Bishop’s Palace
  • the Royal Military Cemetery, founded in 1856
  • Fanning’s Castle, on Mary Street, built in 1641
  • St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, on Athlunkard Street
  • the Exchange Walls on Nicholas Street
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