Castle John King

800 years of history brought to lifeGenuine 13th Century CastleExcavated pre-Norman settlementsInterpretative Centre with historical exhibitionPanoramic views of beautiful Limerick City and the River Shannon
What started as an island Viking settlement, you can still see the original ringed settlement walls underground, and the footprints of the wattle and daub medieval dwellings, as well as later additions and battlements which saw the castle develop into a major strategic stronghold between warring factions in the region. The new exhibition area tells the story of King John (brother of Richard the Lionheart) from those very first settlers to the Norman conquerors and the infamous siege of Limerick which led to the signing of the Treaty a year later in1642d, through the medium of print and film with no less than three theatres. As well as interactive maps and ‘talking’ figures as well as lots of fun ideas for kids of all ages. A group of Italian students where busy with their smartphones taking photos of themselves dressing up while younger children were busy building stone arches, firing mock canons and opening discovery drawers to inspect medieval artefacts and treasures....