King John's Castle

King John's Castle in Limerick

King John's Castle is situated next to the river Shannon in Limerick city. It is a 13th century castle that was ordered to be built by King John in a time when vikings lived in Ireland. The castle is an exquisite piece of archictecture in Limerick. When you first go inside after being greeted at reception, you head upstairs to a room with a lot of visual information on the castle. It looks less like a castle in these parts and more like a museum. There is also a place to sit down and watch a short film on the history of the castle. Another fun activity for adults and children alike is a canonball game inside where you shoot a ball from a canon.

Venture outside

After the tour inside, you can go outside the castle into the grounds and see some armour and weapons from that time. This is the most beautiful place in the castle in my opinion. You can go up the stairs and enter different rooms where you are greeted by a character from that time on a screen, that gives you more information on the history of the castle. You can climb all the way to the top of the castle and look down upon Limerick city, which is a great view. Afterwards there is a café and a souvenir shop to explore. I would give yourself approximately two hours to go around as there is a lot of reading to do.