George Street, now O’Connell Street, formed the bustling commercial and social heart of Limerick around 1900. Elegant Georgian and Victorian façades lined the thoroughfare, their ornate shopfronts illuminated by gaslight and filled with goods for local shoppers. Horse-drawn carriages, jaunting cars and merchant carts crowded the roadway, while pedestrians in heavy coats and hats moved between businesses and hotels. The grand Cruises Royal Hotel stood among the street’s most prominent landmarks, welcoming merchants, travellers and visitors. This scene reflects the energy of late-Victorian Limerick before motor traffic transformed the city’s principal shopping street and historic urban centre during a changing era.
