Limerick city in Ireland is rapidly becoming one of Ireland’s most attractive destinations to live and work. The city offers a brilliant quality of life, affordable accommodation and plenty of job opportunities. Based in the mid-west of The Republic of Ireland, Limerick is renowned for the breath-taking beauty of its lush green countryside and its vibrant riverside city. Limerick is the country’s third-biggest city behind Dublin and Cork with a population of 191,809. Shannon International Airport is located just 24 kilometres from Limerick.
Its 18th century Georgian housing with the River Shannon flowing close by makes this city one of the most attractive places to live and work in the country. With its picturesque beauty and growing employment rate; Limerick is your next destination to work and live.
Economy
The area is the main economic region in Ireland outside Dublin and Cork. Limerick’s latest development plan, Limerick 2030, is part of the council’s determination to boost the area’s retail and education sectors. The building will generate 1.4 million square feet of office space. This will lead to another 5,000 jobs for locals in the next five years. You will be pleased to know that the local economy is expanding across all sectors. In 2019/20, the mid-west experienced the country’s highest rate of employment growth. In fact, employment rose by 7.4%. The city is keen to drive investment and with Limerick 2030 in the works, it is already heading in the right direction.
If you are interested in the IT or the pharmaceutical sector your next destination could be the National Technology Park. Built in 1984 across from the R445 in Castleroy, the building holds 3,000 professionals across 80 companies. This makes it a real driver for local businesses. Particularly in research and development.
And, if you thought Dublin was the only hotspot in the country for technology, think again. Many of the biggest technology companies in the world have offices in Limerick. With that said, now could be the ideal time to move to Limerick! So, let us look at what it is like to live and work in this city.
People & Culture
Limerick locals are a welcoming bunch and take a lot of pride in their city. In fact, the city even entered the 2020 European Capital of Culture competition. It narrowly lost out to Rijeka, Croatia, and Galway. Limerick’s bid aimed to support and grow the local creative industries. It was part of a strategy to drive professionals involved in theatre, art, and music to the city.
One of the programme’s most impressive features was the Sonic Union Festival. This is a week-long event showcasing the latest classical music. The festival featured events at Limerick’s University Concert Hall and performances from the Irish Chamber Orchestra. The concert hall in Limerick was Ireland’s first-ever purpose-built concert hall. Limerick has plenty to keep you busy if you are interested in culture.
The Hunt Museum sits at the heart of the city. Nestled between the River Shannon and O’Brien’s Park. Opened in 1978, the museum houses 2,000 works of art and antiques Elsewhere, you can tap into more history with King John’s Castle. This boasts a range of art, gardens, and restored villages dating back to when the castle first opened in the 13th century.
Limerick will always be proud of its rugby league team, Munster. The team has an impressive trophy cabinet. You can catch a game at their 25,000-seater Thomond Park ground which is a short walk away from Colbert station.
Transportation
Shannon International Airport is located just 24 kilometres from Limerick. If you need to drive between Limerick and any of the country’s main destinations, the town connects to Dublin via the N7, Cork via the N20, and Ennis and Galway via the N18.
For more local journeys Bus Eireann proves 12 services at only €2.20 for an adult single. The city’s train service, operated by Irish Rail, provides frequent journeys from Colbert station to Dublin, Cork, Ellis, and Galway.
Accommodation
Another piece of good news if you are considering moving to Limerick—it is one of the world’s cheapest places to live in Ireland. Most rental properties are furnished in Ireland. Prices can vary depending on the state of the property (old/new) and the area that the property is located in. The below links from popular Irish property search sites will give you an idea of the rental prices in Limerick.
• 1 Bed
https://www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/renting_limerick/1_beds/
https://www.daft.ie/property-for-rent/limerick-city?numBeds_from=1&numBeds_to=1
• 2 Beds
https://www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/renting_limerick/2_beds/
https://www.daft.ie/property-for-rent/limerick-city?numBeds_from=2&numBeds_to=2
• 3 Beds
https://www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/renting_limerick/3_beds/
https://www.daft.ie/property-for-rent/limerick-city?numBeds_from=3&numBeds_to=3
• 4 Beds
https://www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/renting_limerick/4_beds/
https://www.daft.ie/property-for-rent/limerick-city?numBeds_from=4&numBeds_to=4
• 5 Beds+
https://www.rent.ie/houses-to-let/renting_limerick/5_beds/
https://www.daft.ie/property-for-rent/limerick-city?numBeds_from=5
Schools
With Limerick 2030 aiming to drive business in the city, educating the area’s next generation will of course be a priority. The city features 33 primary schools and 15 secondary schools. Indeed, one of the area’s primary schools, Corpus Christi School in Moyross, made headlines earlier this year when it introduced mindfulness to its curriculum.
The University of Limerick (UL) specialises in business, education, health sciences, and engineering. The Munster team trains at the university’s sports centre, UL Sports, which also features full-size football pitches and tennis courts.
If Limerick sounds like a city you would be interested in locating to, get in touch with Solas IT Recruitment at info@solasit.ie. Be sure to include details about the type of IT role you are looking for in Limerick and to include a recent CV.
