- Kate O’Brien: Born in Limerick City, County Limerick (Mulgrave Street) 1897–1974) A distinguished novelist, O’Brien is known for works like Without My Cloak (1931), which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Hawthornden Prize, and The Land of Spices (1941). Her novels often explore Irish family life, Catholicism, and female identity, with Limerick’s middle-class society as a backdrop. Her radical themes led to some works being banned in Ireland. She lived in Spain and England, but her Limerick roots profoundly shaped her writing.
- Dorothea Spaight Conyers: Born in Fedamore, County Limerick 1869–1949) A novelist, Conyers wrote over 70 works, including The Strayings of Sandy (1907) and The Boy, Some Horses, and a Girl (1924), blending humour with depictions of Anglo-Irish rural life. Her novels, often set in Ireland, reflect her Fedamore upbringing and her family’s landed gentry background. She later lived in England, contributing to popular fiction of the early 20th century.
- Frank McCourt: Born in Brooklyn, New York; lived in Limerick City, County Limerick 1930–2009) Best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela’s Ashes (1996), often considered a semi-autobiographical novel, McCourt vividly portrayed his impoverished childhood in Limerick City. His works, including ’Tis (1999) and Teacher Man (2005), blend stark realism with humour, capturing Limerick’s social struggles during the 1930s and 1940s. He returned to the US in 1949, becoming a celebrated teacher and writer.
- Paul Lynch (1977–): Born in Limerick. Won the Booker Prize in 2023 for Prophet Song, a dystopian novel about a family in a totalitarian Ireland. Lynch’s work reflects contemporary anxieties. He also won the 2018 Irish Novel of the Year Award for Grace.
- Darren Shan (Darren O’Shaughnessy) born in London and lives in Pallaskenry in Limerick, best known for his young adult fiction series The Saga of Darren Shan, The Demonata, and Zom-B, published under the pseudonym Darren Shan.[2] The former was adapted into a manga series from 2006 to 2009 as well as a live-action film in 2009, with a prequel series, The Saga of Larten Crepsley, being released from 2010 to 2012.[ Other children’s books include Koyasan, and The Thin Executioner. From 2020 to 2022, he self-published his latest young adult series Archibald Lox.
Novelists
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Poets
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Writers
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
County Limerick:
Ireland’s county Limerick combines historic landmarks with riverside charm, with Limerick City’s King John’s Castle offering insights into medieval history along the Shannon. The Hunt Museum showcases an eclectic art collection, while Adare’s thatched cottages and historic manor add picturesque appeal. Other attractions include the nearby Ballyhoura Mountains’ cycling trails. Limerick is Ireland’s tenth largest county by size (2,686 sq km), and ninth largest by population (209,536). Population peaked at 330,029 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 133,339 in 1971. In terms of hospitality, Limerick is Ireland’s seventh most visited tourist county with around 420,000 international visitors per year.
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