10. Limerick is not just a poem

02 August 2025

I have been very complacent in the planning for this trip and I should have done more research. Simple...

But this is Ireland, and things seem to fall into place even when I think there are impossible challenges ahead of us.

My problem is that I do not realise that Foynes (pronounced Fines) is a long way from Limerick, well, maybe not in kilometres but certainly in time.

Laraine has joined a tour that will take her to visit the Cliffs of Moher, so after alighting from the tender, Carolyn, Marianne, and I board a shuttle bus to take us the short distance to the village. Foynes, situated on the estuary of the Shannon River is, although it doesn't look like it, a major deep water seaport. It is quite early, and I interrogate the driver to find out the time and frequency of the local buses to Limerick. I am assured that they go every half-an-hour and it takes half-an-hour to travel the distance to Limerick. This is good, because I do not particularly want a repeat of yesterday's issue with buses and drivers today. However, his colleague contradicts him and informs me that the local buses leave every hour. So, within a few minutes, I am already confused.

We are dropped off at the Flying Boat museum right across the road from the bus stop. Foynes was once one of Europe's largest civilian airports during World War II, and the first non-stop New York service began operations in 1942. Before that though, it was the last port of call for seaplanes crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

We are not the first cruise passengers at the bus stop, but the line is orderly and we join the end of the queue. Along a grey stone wall, two ladies have set up tables filled with all sorts of handicrafts for sale. These crafty women know there is a ship in port and are capitalising on an opportunity to sell their wares. I don't think they sell anything today, but one of the ladies is very friendly and is a wealth of knowledge as she informs us that a bus is imminent and that one comes along every two hours. With further questioning, we find out that since refugees live in some of the outlying villages, new double-decker buses now ply this route and yes, there will be enough room for us. Our new friend also informs us that we will have to go to the station to pick up the return bus. We do wait for a while and eventually a green bus pulls up, we pay the €8.90 fare and we settle in for the ride to Limerick. The bus is quite full, and after the next few stops is full to capacity, which is a problem for the people waiting to catch the bus further up the road because the driver refuses to pick them up. Believe it or not, nobody seems to be upset and I suppose they resign themselves to getting to Limerick either on the next bus (in two hours' time) or by some other means.

Tom and I stayed in Limerick for a few days in 2018 and enjoyed our visit very much, so I am quite familiar with the town. Since the bus has stopped in front of Dunnes in the city centre, we initially find ourselves wandering through the discount department store. I am waiting on a phone message and whilst Carolyn decides to stay in the store, Marianne and I walk down to the Shannon River. We do not have time to visit St Mary's Cathedral today. Built in 1168, it is the oldest building still in use in Limerick and was built on the site of a Viking meeting place. After seeing the statue of Terry Wogan, who was born in Limerick in 1938 and later became a well-known television personality in England, we return to Dunnes.

I receive the call I am waiting for, and turn to find my in-laws, who live in Kilkee, County Clare, and who have decided to come to Limerick, walking towards me. It is an expected turn of events as I did not think I would be able to meet them due to time constraints and the inability to make firm arrangements. After exchanging pleasantries, Carolyn, Marianne (who had already met them during her last visit to Ireland), and I find a café where we enjoy lunch and a long chat.

On the other side of the river near where the ship is moored is County Clare, and, as luck would have it, my in-laws could take a shortcut back to their home and drive us back to the ship at the same time. So, our return drive to Foynes is by car and with our own personal tour guides, who point out places of interest on the way. To be honest, I would not want to have spent this day any other way. And driving with my in-laws is always an adventure, especially when posting a letter causes a traffic jam, a U-turn on a bend is quite hairy, to say the least, and an attempted entry by car into the port is met with a strict but polite security guard.

As we say goodbye, my brother-in-law makes a claim that we should have gone back to Kilkee with them, stayed overnight, and then meet the ship in Galway tomorrow - just for the devilment! It's not such a bad idea, but as we find out later, it could also have been a problem. More on that later.

We wave as they turn their car around and drive back to the main road. They will drive the short distance to Tarbert for the 20 minute ferry ride to Killimer.

Laraine has had a lovely, but very tiring, day visiting the iconic Cliffs of Moher and other points of interest between there and Foynes. It's a lovely day, so I am sure her photos will be a good reminder of her day.

We return to the ship by tender and I take myself to Deck 13 to take photos of County Clare on one side of the ship and County Limerick on the other. The weather seems to be a little cooler, a little cloudier, a little windier, but we are on the Atlantic coast and that is to be expected.

We later hear from a Canadian lady we had met on the ship that a special bus from Limerick Station to Foynes for the cruise passengers was put into service. Perhaps there were complaints about passengers being left on the side of the road earlier in the day.

We meet as usual for our pre-dinner drinks and to catch up on Laraine's day. There is a duo, a singer and pianist who perform in the atrium each evening, and we enjoy the different styles of music they belt out each night. After last night's dinner at Cagney's tonight's one at the Venetian is a bit ho-hum.

Tomorrow we will arrive in Galway.

Next >>

<< Previous