Limerick – Viking city on King's Island, founded in 812
Limerick was founded by Scandinavian settlers in 812 on an island in the Shannon, today's King's Island, known in Viking sources as Hlymrekr. Even earlier, the island was called Inis Sibhtonn, and Ptolemy's map of Ireland from around 150 AD shows a place called Regia at the same site, hinting at older settlement.
The name Luimneach originally referred to the whole area along the Shannon Estuary. Over the centuries the Viking town grew into a walled medieval city and an important centre of Munster. Today Limerick is Ireland's third-largest urban area, with more than 100,000 people, known for its sport, culture and riverside heritage. Have a Limerick story? Share it with the community!