St. Mary's Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral is the city's oldest building in daily use. It was founded in 1168 on the site of an elaborate palace, some of which can still be seen today, such as the elaborately carved Romanesque-style door that was once the entrance to original building. Inside, the black-oak carved misericords in the choir stalls are unique to Ireland and are from this period, while the alter in the Lady' Chapel is 13 foot long, and it is the cathedral's original pre-Reformation (from when the church was a Catholic place of worship) masterpiece. Oliver Cromwell's troops had dumped it, but it resurfaced in the 1960s in remarkably good shape. Donal Mór O'Brien, the last king of Munster and the man who constructed the cathedral, is believed to be buried in St Mary's; a stunning carved sculpture of O'Brien prince stands on the grounds.
Other notable features include cannon balls that have remained since the siege of Limerick by the Williamites in 1691, exquisite stained glass windows and a leper's squint - a slot where the sick could hear mass and receive communion. The bells of the cathedral's bells have cast a spellbinding melody across the city for decades. Bear in mind this is a fully functioning church with daily Church of Ireland services throughout the week.
