Day 185, Friday, July 26, 2019

There was a young girl of Cape Cod
Who thought babies were fashioned by God,
But ’twas not the Almighty
Who hiked up her nightie –
‘Twas Roger, the lodger, by God!

There was a young lady named Bright
who traveled much faster than light.
She set out one day
in a relative way,
and came back the previous night.

There was a young lady of Niger
who smiled as she rode on a tiger;
They returned from the ride
with the lady inside,
and the smile on the face of the tiger.
—attributed to Edward Lear and William Cosmo Monkhouse

There was a young gal name of Sally
Who loved an occasional dally.
She sat on the lap
Of a well-endowed chap
Crying, “Gee, Dick, you’re right up my alley!”

There was a Young Man from Kent
Whose Rod was so long it bent.
So to save himself trouble
He bent it in double,
And instead of coming – he went!

A sweet farmer’s daughter named Kay
Met a slick city waiter one May.
He asked, “In the mood
For some good Chinese food?”
So they had a spring roll–in the hay.

“Oh, Piglet,” said Winnie the Pooh,
“Our friend Tigger’s come down with the flu.
Then he started to hop
And he just couldn’t stop–
I think it’s spring fever, don’t you?”

On the naturist beach, he loves staring
At flesh that the ladies are baring.
He even makes passes
At girls who wear glasses,
Provided that’s all that they’re wearing.

There once was a man from Nantucket
Who kept all of his cash in a bucket.
But his daughter, named Nan,
Ran away with a man
And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

There was a young lady of Louth,
Who returned from a trip in the South;
Her father said: ‘Nelly,
There’s more in your belly
Than ever went in at your mouth.’

A wonderful bird is the pelican;
His beak can hold more than his belican.
He can hold in his beak
Enough food for a week,
Though I’m damned if I know how the helican!

Sites Covered in this Post

• St. Mary’s Cathedral
• King John’s Castle

Lesson Learned:  Well, you can’t go to Limerick without a few bawdy limericks coming to mind, can you? The Irish would most certainly argue with me, but out in the country-side (other than the accent) rural Ireland and rural England are very similar to each other. The people are friendly, and ready to talk to learn about you. The food is very similar. And everyone things their government has lost its marbles. Not so different than the US actually. We’ve enjoyed Ireland, and will definitely be coming back.

St. Mary’s Cathedral

Right in the heart of Limerick on the River Shannon is King’s Island, which is the most ancient part of Limerick. The earliest settlement in the city, Inis Sibhtonn, was the original name for King’s Island during the pre-Viking and Viking eras. The city dates from 812 which is the earliest probable settlement; however, history suggests the presence of earlier settlements in the area surrounding King’s Island, the island at the historical city center. In the year 150 CE Ptolemy produced the earliest map of Ireland, showing a place called “Regia” at the same site as King’s Island.

There is also records of a battle involving Cormac mac Airt (who?) in 221 and a visit by St. Patrick in 434, so at least there are no snakes in Limerick. Saint Munchin, the first bishop of Limerick died in 652, indicating the city was a place of some note. In 812 the Vikings sailed up the Shannon and pillaged the city, burned the monastery of Mungret and may have become integrated with the Irish population. So, founding the city 812 CE may be a little off and about 600 years after people actually settled here. None the less, this place is old.

On the southern edge of the island stands St. Mary’s Cathedral. Today it’s a still functioning church where worship is offered to almighty God daily, as it has been for over 850 years (not my words, but those of the vicar). There is a daily service, which everyone is welcome to attend. This is one of those churches in Ireland that started out as Catholic but switched over to the other team after Henry VIII murdered most of the priests, so now services are according to the Anglican (Church of Ireland) tradition.

The church was founded in 1168 and is the oldest building in Limerick which is in daily use. Saint Mary’s was built on the site of the Viking meeting place, or “Thingmote” – the Vikings’ most westerly European stronghold. Parts of an old palace may be incorporated into the present structure of the cathedral, most prominently the great west door, which is claimed to have been the original main entrance to the royal palace.  The tower of Saint Mary’s Cathedral was added in the 14th century. It rises to 120 feet (36.58 meters), containing a peal of 8 bells.

This place was a constant battle field during the 17^th century. During the Irish Confederacy wars, in the 1640’s the cathedral briefly came into Roman Catholic hands. In 1651, after Oliver Cromwell’s forces captured Limerick, the cathedral was used as a stable by the parliamentary army. That must have been grim, the soldiers must have been in a foul mood since the puritans didn’t allow alcohol in the barracks.

In 1691, the cathedral was knocked about a bit, as cannons are a bit hard on stone structures, during the Williamite Siege of Limerick. After the Treaty of Limerick, William granted £1,000 towards repairs. There are cannonballs from 1691 in the Glentworth Chapel inside just as a reminder that the Brits are always watching.

The church was nice, and not nearly as pretentious as those in France or England. Its amazing how most of the really grand cathedrals are Anglican, even though the majority of the population is Catholic. We especially enjoyed wandering around the church graveyard. I don’t know why, but its interesting to me to see the names on the headstones, the dates of their lives and be amazed at how short life was back in the middle ages, no mater what station in life one occupied.

King John’s Castle, Limerick

 

One of the highlights of our visit to Limerick was our visit to the  medieval King John’s castle dating back to the 13^th century and is one of the best preserved Norman castles in Europe. If you recall the story of Robin Hood, you’ve heard of the evil King John. There is a small museum that walks you through the 800-year history of this castle.

Vikings first settled this area in the 6^th or 7^th century and became incorporated into the Irish people until the Normans showed up on the scene in 1169.  Limerick was in a strategic location on the Shannon River and the Normans could control huge sections of the countryside from this port town. It became a Royal city and prompted King John to build a fortified settlement. The work on the castle began in 1212 and took a couple of decades to complete. An interesting fact is that King John commissioned the castle, but never set foot in the place.

Things were prosperous for the area and the population of the city was around 3,500 people. Well, all good things must end, and the end for the good times of Limerick came in the name of Henry VIII and the reformation. Kicking the Pope out in England (metaphorically) and seizing all Roman Catholic property in the name of the Anglican church really pissed off the Irish. This is another example of how religion really screws up the lives of the Irish. England began to really enforce its rule over Ireland by outlawing the language, banning the Catholic church, heavy taxes, and all the kind of stuff the English are famous for. If they thought it was bad under Henry, it got even worse under his kid, Elizabeth I. She suppressed multiple Irish rebellions and conducted a 9-year war against Ireland.

For 45 years the Brits campaigned against the Irish including a siege of King John’s castle in 1642. By now, the protestants and Oliver Cromwell were in control. Well there were sieges in 1642, 1651, and 1690. It never ended well for the Irish. When you fight the British, you might as well fight to the end, because those who surrender were usually hung or shot anyway. This place has a very bloody history.

The castle itself has been restored beautifully which allows you to climb several viewpoints which offer a 360 degree view of Limerick, the Treaty Stone across the River Shannon, with Thomond park ( home to Munster rugby) in the background. A good time was had by all, now time to head back to the coast.