A Lot In Common

Limerick and Spokane are a lot closer than most cities.

Every other year for the past decade, city officials and residents of Spokane have traveled to Ireland to visit Limerick and share cultures and experiences.

And before the last trip, many of the travelers read “Angela’s Ashes” to get a taste of the history of Limerick.

But those frequent visitors already know that Spokane’s Irish sister city has changed.

“Limerick is much different than it was even eight years ago,” said Kerry Lynch, president of the Limerick Society and two-time Limerick visitor. “All of a sudden their roads are paved and they’re wider. Now there’s a tremendous amount of building going on there.”

That’s due to the city’s recent economic boom.

Spokane and Limerick have a lot in common, Lynch said. “We’re similar in size,” she said. “They’re looking at growth. There’s a lot of tourism. And Spokane is trying to build that too.”

Finally, Limerick is always competing with Dublin, as Spokane is with Seattle, for economic opportunities, Lynch said.

This year, the Limerick society has a record 190 members. “I think a lot of it is because we have a large Irish population in Spokane,” Lynch said. “We have second- and third-generation families who came here through the railroad.”

In March, Limerick’s mayor, city manager and a few of its council members will visit Spokane and celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the sister city relationship with Spokane.