Can someone who lives in Limerick tell me its history?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerick%2C...

will have ALL your answers. Enjoy :)

History
Main article: History of Limerick

King John's Castle sits on the southern bank of the River Shannon. Alongside is Thomond Bridge.Luimneach originally referred to the general area along the banks of the Shannon Estuary, which was known as Loch Luimnigh. The earliest settlement in the city Inis Sibhtonn was the original name in the annals for King's Island during the pre-Viking and Viking eras. This island was also called Inis an Ghaill Duibh.

The city itself dates from at least the Viking settlement in 812. The Normans redesigned the city in the 12th century and added much of the most notable architecture, such as King John's Castle and St Mary's Cathedral. During the civil wars of the 17th century, the city played a pivotal role, besieged by Oliver Cromwell in 1651 and twice by the Williamites in the 1690s. Limerick grew rich through trade in the late 18th century, but the Act of Union in 1800, and the famine caused a crippling economic decline broken only by the so-called Celtic Tiger in the 1990s.

The Waterford and Limerick Railway linked the city to the Dublin-Cork main line in 1848 and to Waterford in 1853. The opening of a number of secondary railways in the 1850s and 1860s developed Limerick as a regional centre of communications.

See also: History of Ireland, Sieges of Limerick, and Cromwellian conquest of Ireland

Great answer above. I only want to add the we toured the castle and it was very interesting. It overlooks the river and we watched Limericks Kayaking the rapids. It was January and very cold but we had a great time.

Im Irish...read Angela's Ashes...its a personal acount of a mans childhood growing up in Limerick! Its one of the best books ive ever read its funny & sad at the same time..you wont know what im talking about unless you read it.
> I hope times have changed!!!!!!!!!!

Thats pretty much it from the first answerer!
:)