Limerick City is situated on the Shannon, ninety-four miles south-west by west of Dublin. The name is a corruption of Luimneach, signifying “barren spot of land.”
King John’s Castle is one of the finest examples of Norman military architecture in the country. It was erected to guard Thomond Bridge, and was the citadel of the English town of Limerick.
The curtain wall by the river is about 200 feet long, and is flanked at both ends by round towers, each having a diameter of 50 feet, and with walls 10 feet thick. A third tower protects the north-east angle, while the corner towards the town had a square platform raised to the level of the battlements and capable of mounting five or six cannon. In the lower part of this structure was the sally port of the fortress.
The modern entrance is in Nicholas Street, but the former gate led into Castle Street, and was protected by a drawbridge. It was exceedingly narrow, and flanked by two massive towers, one circular and the other semicircular. The arms of the city surmount the gate. A wet ditch surrounded the castle, and was supplied with water from the Shannon.
The oldest part of the structure is the tower nearest the bridge, which shows marks of bombardment.
The dilapidations caused by the guns have been
KING JOHN’S CASTLE, LIMERICK.