County Limerick: See
Limerick is an elegant Georgian city with a castle and two cathedrals. The monster that surfaced in its docks in 1922 hasn't been seen since, but keep your eyes peeled.
Adare is an attractive small town with thatched cottages and a stout castle. It's mobbed with tourists at the height of summer.
Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum in Foynes displays the Shannon's role in early transatlantic aviation. Foynes opened as an airport in 1937: sea-planes took 12 hours eastbound from their last staging post in Newfoundland, and 15 hours westbound against the Atlantic headwinds. Flying was cold, miserable and very expensive, so those who passed through Foynes were the rich and famous. The museum's maritime section covers the history of shipping on the Shannon.
Glin Castle is west of Foynes on the coast road to Tarbert and the Shannon Ferry. It's a dilapidated Georgian mansion, formerly a hotel, but nowadays a private dwelling and closed to visits. Glin village was from 1928 to 1966 the home of St Joseph’s Industrial School for Boys, run by the Christian Brothers. A monument commemorates the victims of the school's brutal and sexually abusive regime. The Brothers have said sorry.
Knockpatrick Gardens in Croaghane south of Foynes is a 3-acre (1.2 hectares) garden overlooking the Shannon Estuary, almost 100 years old. Lots of rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, bamboos, primulas and poppies plus tree ferns and grasses.
Rathkeale: the abbey is a ruin, and Castle Matrix 1 km west, a 15th-century tower house, is no longer open to the public. In 1709 many refugees came to this area from Rheinland-Pfalz, the Rhineland Palatinate. They mostly moved on to North America, but many are buried locally. The small Palatinate Museum in the former railway station commemorates their history, open May-Sep: W-Su 10AM-1PM, €7. The Great Southern Trail starts in Rathkeale, see Do.
Newcastle West along N21 towards Tralee has the 15th-century Castle Desmond, not to be confused with the one in Adare. It's mostly ruins; the best-preserved part is the banquet hall, which can only be seen by guided tour May-Aug (daily 10AM-6PM, free).
Lough Gur near Kilmallock is a shallow lake surrounded by prehistoric sites, notably Grange stone circle.
Glenstal Abbey, east of Limerick, is a working Benedictine monastery and school, which incorporates a Normanesque castle. It's set in attractive gardens and woodlands.
Glen Aherlow: see Tipperary for this scenic valley stretching east from Galbally at the edge of County Limerick to Bansha.