Remembering Ireland: The Hunt Museum & St. Mary's Cathedral

Good morning and Happy Monday! Monday means it's time for the fourth installment of my Remembering Ireland series, and this one is about Limerick, Day Two. Enjoy!

After concluding our first evening in Limerick by going to the Gate Bar (hi Peggy!), we woke up on the second day in Limerick happy that we had a day off from traveling. We got ready and ventured forth, ready to see what Limerick had in store for us. We made our way to a vegan/vegetarian cafe across from The Hunt Museum called Bubble Tea Paradise. This was when I was eating vegan a few times a week, and I was hoping to find a good vegan meal. This was the first place I actively sought out vegan fare, and I was pleasantly surprised with their amazing menu. I've since read that they've closed down.

A photo of their menu. We had breakfast but that lentil burger looks particularly delicious.

After breakfast, we walked right across the street to The Hunt Museum. The museum was created out of the large private collection of the Hunt family, and is on the site of a former customs house.

There are a few floors to explore, including the basement, and there are works from every era. It's on par with every major museum I have been to, it's just on a smaller scale than some.

A view down one of the staircases between floors.

Some old sculptures.

Down in the basement were the religious artifacts. Here's a triptych, one of my favorite kinds of antique art.

After a pleasant visit to The Hunt Museum, we walked down the road to St. Mary's Cathedral. Another impressive structure, this one was built in 1168 and has a cemetery on the grounds.

While not a religious person myself, I did get my B.A. in Religious Studies, so I find religious history and artifacts to be fascinating. I minored in Art History and Archaeology, which extends my love of history all the more.

A closer view of the cemetery.

A view towards the main entrance.

Inside the church. Seeing an ancient cathedral, with all the architectural details that I've studied over the years, was an ethereal experience.

A beautiful stained glass window.

Closer view of the main altar.

Look at how old the writing on the wall is! It's so interesting to see things this old, compared to how old things are here in the States.

Statue of Bishop Jebb framed by another set of beautifully created stained glass windows.

After visiting the Cathedral, we headed over to The Locke Bar where I had a standard Irish meal of bangers and mash. See that potrait on the wall of the gentleman? Imagine my surprise when it started to move, talk, and change! It's actually a kind of advertisement for Guinness, but looks convincingly like a real painting. Anyway, pop in here for a pint and a bite if you're ever in Limerick.

Our day wasn't even over yet at this point as we still hit up Grange Henge and Bunratty Castle. Stay tuned next Monday for that one!