A lot of changes can occur in a place in 20 years. That is how long since I last visited the University of Limerick. At that time it was relatively easy to find ones way around the campus. Parking was plentiful. Nowadays there is a labyrinth of roads and parking is difficult to find.

I waited in a line of cars to enter the public parking lot for about thirty minutes. I assumed there was space for about 30 vehicles inside the barrier. (That was all I could see.) When I eventually got in I was amazed to see hundreds of cars. One can park there for unlimited time for 3 Euros. Parking illegally will get a clamp on your wheel or the services of a towing business. I had intended conducting the business for which I had come and getting out of there in perhaps one hour.

Instead I ended up spending several enjoyable hours on the campus. The place was a hive of activity with students, faculty and construction workers. (There are additions being built.) I walked across the river on the amazing Living Bridge (An Droichead Beo) which was opened on January 21, 2010 by Mary McAleese, who was the President of Ireland at that time. The structure is designed to move slightly which can be quite disconcerting. I enjoyed soup and a sandwich in the Blas Café.

There are a number of eating places on the campus – I saw three but there may be more. In fact, there are many facilities for the students including a supermarket, book store, laundry, travel agency and bank. Buses arrive and depart constantly. There are numerous bicycle and motorcycle parking bays. The whole place is extremely pedestrian friendly with lots of crossing places. While it is possible to drive throughout the campus the speeds of vehicles is kept in check with ramps (really large speed bumps). There are many places I would like to see that practice enforced. The landscaping is well thought out and I would like to visit in summer when the trees are in bloom.