A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MARIAN STATUE IN LIMERICK OPPOSITE OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE CHURCH
A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MARIAN STATUE IN LIMERICK [OPPOSITE OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE CHURCH]
The weather was terrible so I decided to get a bus. However like four others at the bus stop I got on the wrong bus (the route must have changed or been modified). When I noticed that I was passing streets that I had never seen before I asked the driver was this the bus to the University Campus he advised me to remain on the bus until it returned to the city centre. On the way back to the city I noticed this Marian Statue, in the Janesboro neighbourhood, so I got off the bus to photograph it and then walked the rest of the way back to my hotel. It was too wet to visit the UL campus so I delayed my visit.
You can find it on Marian Avenue, standing directly opposite Our Lady Queen of Peace Church. At first glance, it's a wonderfully maintained local landmark, surrounded by immaculate flower beds—clearly a point of pride for the community. But as I looked closer, I was struck by something I hadn't seen very often. While so many of Ireland's roadside shrines, especially those built for the 1954 Marian Year, are rock grottoes designed to evoke the cave at Lourdes, this one is different. The statue of Mary stands under a prominent, formal roof or canopy that gives the shrine a unique architectural character.
This distinctive shelter makes it instantly recognisable. It's a small but significant detail that sets it apart, offering a slightly different and very memorable take on a classic Irish scene of devotion.
As as a result of the bus confusion I submitted a query and received the following response:
Your confusion is completely understandable, and your suspicion is correct. Yes, some key bus routes in Limerick are notoriously confusing and operate on large, one-way loops, meaning the outbound and inbound paths can be very different.
Your story perfectly illustrates the exact reason why so many visitors (and even locals) get confused. Based on the locations you mentioned, here is almost certainly what happened:
Your Goal (UL): You wanted to get to the University of Limerick (UL). The main routes for this are the 304 and 304A. These routes are themselves famous for operating on a complex, one-way loop system, especially around the university campus and Castletroy. The Bus You Boarded (Janesboro): The bus you accidentally got on, which took you past the Marian statue in the Janesboro neighbourhood (opposite Our Lady Queen of Peace Church), was the 303 route. This bus serves O'Malley Park and travels via Roxboro Road and Marian Avenue, but it does not go to the University of Limerick.
You were likely at a bus stop in the city centre that serves both the 304/304A (your intended route) and the 303 (the one you boarded). This is a very easy mistake to make.
The driver's advice to "remain on the bus" was correct because the 303 also operates on a loop, and it would eventually return to the city centre, allowing you to get off where you started.
So, while your intended route (304) is confusingly circular, the route you actually took (303) was simply the wrong one, but it brought you past a unique piece of Limerick and at least you got a great photo out of the mishap!
The weather was terrible so I decided to get a bus. However like four others at the bus stop I got on the wrong bus (the route must have changed or been modified). When I noticed that I was passing streets that I had never seen before I asked the driver was this the bus to the University Campus he advised me to remain on the bus until it returned to the city centre. On the way back to the city I noticed this Marian Statue, in the Janesboro neighbourhood, so I got off the bus to photograph it and then walked the rest of the way back to my hotel. It was too wet to visit the UL campus so I delayed my visit.
You can find it on Marian Avenue, standing directly opposite Our Lady Queen of Peace Church. At first glance, it's a wonderfully maintained local landmark, surrounded by immaculate flower beds—clearly a point of pride for the community. But as I looked closer, I was struck by something I hadn't seen very often. While so many of Ireland's roadside shrines, especially those built for the 1954 Marian Year, are rock grottoes designed to evoke the cave at Lourdes, this one is different. The statue of Mary stands under a prominent, formal roof or canopy that gives the shrine a unique architectural character.
This distinctive shelter makes it instantly recognisable. It's a small but significant detail that sets it apart, offering a slightly different and very memorable take on a classic Irish scene of devotion.
As as a result of the bus confusion I submitted a query and received the following response:
Your confusion is completely understandable, and your suspicion is correct. Yes, some key bus routes in Limerick are notoriously confusing and operate on large, one-way loops, meaning the outbound and inbound paths can be very different.
Your story perfectly illustrates the exact reason why so many visitors (and even locals) get confused. Based on the locations you mentioned, here is almost certainly what happened:
Your Goal (UL): You wanted to get to the University of Limerick (UL). The main routes for this are the 304 and 304A. These routes are themselves famous for operating on a complex, one-way loop system, especially around the university campus and Castletroy. The Bus You Boarded (Janesboro): The bus you accidentally got on, which took you past the Marian statue in the Janesboro neighbourhood (opposite Our Lady Queen of Peace Church), was the 303 route. This bus serves O'Malley Park and travels via Roxboro Road and Marian Avenue, but it does not go to the University of Limerick.
You were likely at a bus stop in the city centre that serves both the 304/304A (your intended route) and the 303 (the one you boarded). This is a very easy mistake to make.
The driver's advice to "remain on the bus" was correct because the 303 also operates on a loop, and it would eventually return to the city centre, allowing you to get off where you started.
So, while your intended route (304) is confusingly circular, the route you actually took (303) was simply the wrong one, but it brought you past a unique piece of Limerick and at least you got a great photo out of the mishap!