County Limerick (Contae Luimnigh in Irish) is a county in the province of Munster, located in the mid-west of Ireland with County Clare to the north, County Cork to the south, County Kerry to the west and County Tipperary to the east. The River Shannon flows through the city of Limerick and into the Atlantic Ocean at the north of the county. Below the city, the waterway is known as the Shannon Estuary. Because the estuary is shallow, the county's most important port is several kilometres west of Limerick city, at Foynes. Newcastle West is the most important county town outside of Limerick city. Other towns mainly lie along the Limerick – Tralee roads (N21,N69) and Limerick – Cork road (N20).

County Limerick is the green heartland of Munster and its Irish name

Luimneach (the flat area) certainly makes sense when compared with the rest of the province. Especially in the east, the land consist mostly of a fertile limestone plain, which is ringed by mountains on its borders; The Slieve Felims, The Galtees (Na Gaibhlte) and the Ballyhouras. However it would be wrong to say that the county is a monotonous plain, for the county is dotted with hills and ridges. This eastern part of the county is the heartland of the Golden Vale, the rich, verdant fields famous for their dairy produce. Towards the west, the aptly named Mullaghareirk Mountains ("Mullach na Radhairc" in Irish, roughly meaning mountains of the view) push across the county offering dramatic views east over the county and west into County Kerry.

Volcanic rock is to be found in numerous areas in the county, at Carrigogunnell, at Knockfierna, and principally at Pallasgreen/Kilteely in the east, which has been described as the most compact and for its size one of the most varied and complete carboniferous volcanic districts in either Britain and Ireland.

County Limerick is drained principally by the Rivers Mulkear, Maigue, Deale and the Feale, which are all tributaries of the River Shannon. The Shannon Estuary forms the northern boundary of the county, giving Limerick a navigable outlet to the sea, the principal ports being Limerick and Foynes

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