Limerick

The city of Limerick lies on the Shannon & Abbey Rivers in Ireland’s south-west, 12 miles from HX, give or take. It dates from Viking days, circa 800 AD, although there were older settlements in the locality. The architecture is primarily Georgian, with many buildings built from red brick and containing impressive Georgian-style doorways. The population is approximately 100,000, making it the Nr 3 city in Ireland. Sport is huge; with hurling, soccer and rugby (in particular) to the fore.

The city also gives its name to a 5-line style of poetry – the Limerick. From http://www.familyfriendpoems.com – A limerick is a five-line witty poem with a distinctive rhythm. The first, second and fifth lines, the longer lines, rhyme. The third and fourth shorter lines rhyme. (AABBA)

This five line poem also follows a syllable count.
Line 1: 7-10 syllables
Line 2: 7-10 syllables
Line 3: 5-7 syllables
Line 4: 5-7 syllables
Line 5: 7-10 syllables

Example (author unknown):

The limerick packs laughs anatomical
Into space that is quite economical.
But the good ones I’ve seen
So seldom are clean
And the clean ones so seldom are comical.

In recent times, the city became even more well-known following the publication of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Angela’s Ashes, by Limerick native, Frank McCourt. From Wikipedia:

Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir is a 1996 memoir by the Irish author Frank McCourt. The memoir consists of various anecdotes and stories of Frank McCourt’s impoverished childhood and early adulthood in Brooklyn, New York, and inLimerick, Ireland. It also includes McCourt’s struggles with poverty and his father’s alcoholism. The book was published in 1996, and won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.

MB doesn’t often travel to his nearby city of Limerick, preferring the rural HX bliss & peace during his travels home. However, he had cause to ‘go to town’ on one day last week, and took the opportunity to capture some shots around the King’s Island locality. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. Picture-perfect weather.

If considering a holiday, or even a mini-break, HX followers could do worse than take a trip to Limerick (or HX). Herewith a few of MB’s favourite pics from last week’s shoot: