LIMERICK, or Lough-Meath, a market-town, a borough, and a bishop's see, now the metropolis of the province of Munster. It is an elegant, rich, populous city, and of singular strength, seated partly on an island of the river Shannon, and is counted two towns; in the upper stands the castle and cathedral. It has two handsome bridges of stone, as also bulwarks and little drawbridges, the one leading to the west and the other to the east; to this the lower town is joined, and is strengthened with a wall, a castle, and a fore-gate, at the entrance into it. It was besieged by king William III. in the year 1690; and though there was no army to assist it, the king was obliged to raise the siege. In the year 1691, it was again besieged by the English and Dutch on the 21st of September; and it was obliged to surrender on the 13th of October following, not without the loss of abundance of men: however, the garrison had very honourable and advantageous conditions, being permitted to retire where they thought fit, and the Roman-catholics by these articles were to be tolerated in the free exercise of their religion. W. Long. 8. 30. N. Lat. 52. 35.