Limerick, You're A Lady

Today was a day of exploration in the foggy and chilly, yet still intriguing, city of Limerick. My roommate Michelle and I ventured out after a late breakfast with two of my friends from Penn State to check out the sites and sounds of the former "Stab City."
Not very long ago Limerick had a pretty nasty reputation as being one of the more violent and shady places to go in Ireland, but in the past decade has cleaned up its act and has a lot of really cool stuff to see. Although some parts of town are covered in graffiti and look a little sketchy, there are a lot of things about the city that make it just as beautiful as any other in Ireland.
First there's the Medieval District, which is home to King John's Castle, St. John's Cathedral and St. Mary's Cathedral, all of which were somber and breath-taking. I'm not one to go in churches unless forced or stabbed in the side with a feeling of catholic guilt, but I willingly went in to check out St. John's. It was dim and silent, but the combination of architecture, stain glass and high ceilings gave me chills and made me wonder quietly in awe. The altar was a carefully carved depiction of Abraham preparing to sacrifice his son and the arching supports in the ceiling looked like perfectly fitting ribs of a boat's haul. Maybe I'll go to a mass here to see if I can rekindle my love for Catholicism...haha.
We did get a good look at King John's Castle from the outside, but a tour of the castle and museum was eight euro, so we decided to wait for a discount day. Instead we went to the Limerick Museum which was located right next door. The place was full of cool historical documents and artifacts from the past four centuries. I got to see some old school jewelry, flags and paintings that tell the story of Limerick's evolution. It was a pretty cool place. We walked past St. Mary's Cathedral, but it was starting to get dark so we didn't have time to go inside, we'll have to save that for another day.
But I think my favorite part of the day was wondering through the Milk Market, a small flea/farmers market with all kinds things, from fresh fruit and veggies to old books and Guinness signs. I got some groceries for cheap, and sipped hot chocolate while sorting through old editions of Lord of the Rings and French Literature books. There were award-winning jam makers and people selling plants and flowers. Really really cool stuff.
As much as people saw to avoid "Stab City" I've found a lot of Limerick that makes it delve a little deeper in my heart and make me not want to leave. But my adventure for tomorrow is out of town, a hiking trip with the Outdoor Pursuits Club! Wish me and my new hiking boots luck :)