Limerick or Manchester?

Neither city is for swimming, and the difference is in the kind of coast within reach. From Limerick, a drive of an hour or so reaches the wide Atlantic sands and big surf of Kilkee, Lahinch and Ballybunion, which give wetsuit surfers a real reason to go. From Manchester, the train reaches the Irish Sea at Formby's dunes and pinewoods or Blackpool's promenade, which suit a breezy walk and fish and chips more than time in the water.

Manchester eats better because it offers far more choice. Chinatown, the cheap curry houses of Rusholme and the food halls in the old mills of Ancoats give a visitor a different meal every night, and the craft-beer and coffee scene adds to it.

Limerick's strength is simpler: Munster beef and lamb, cheese, smoked fish and cured ham, best seen at the Milk Market at the weekend. Add a good pint of stout in a pub and a short stay eats honestly, but without much variety.

Manchester gives the fuller two days of sightseeing. The neo-Gothic Town Hall, the John Rylands Library, the Science and Industry Museum and a string of free galleries tell the story of the first industrial city in depth.

Limerick's history is older but smaller. King John's Castle, St Mary's Cathedral and the Treaty Stone on King's Island, the Hunt Museum's medieval objects and the Georgian terraces of Newtown Pery make a pleasant day rather than a reason to travel.

This is one of the widest gaps between the two. Manchester's dance-music past still shapes its nights. There are cocktail bars and basement DJ rooms in the Northern Quarter, the long-established Gay Village on Canal Street, the dressier Deansgate crowd and big warehouse raves in the colder months.

A night out in Limerick means traditional pubs with snugs and open fires around O'Connell Street and Thomas Street, plus a few late bars and clubs at weekends. It is good for conversation and a few pints, livelier in term and on Munster match days, but not a party city.

The scenery is equally good around both cities, but it is reached in different ways. Manchester's hills are a train ride away: the Hope Valley line drops walkers at Edale for Kinder Scout and Mam Tor, and Heaton Park and the canal towpaths give green space without leaving town.

Limerick's landscapes are more varied but need a car. There is sailing and kayaking on Lough Derg, hill walking in the Galtees, the limestone of the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Expect wind and rain in both.

Manchester has more outings, and they are easier to reach. Liverpool, Chester and York are all an easy train journey away, and the Peak District, Chatsworth and the Lake District add countryside to the list.

Limerick is a good base too, especially for Bunratty, Adare, Lough Gur and the Rock of Cashel, with Galway and Cork about an hour and a half away. But most of these mean driving or a coach tour, so the choice is narrower without a car.

Manchester gives children far more to do, and much of it is indoors and free. There are the working engines at the Science and Industry Museum, dinosaurs at the Manchester Museum, and an aquarium, Lego attraction and snow slope at the Trafford Centre. Chester Zoo and Alton Towers are within a day out.

Limerick is calm and easy with children but has little made for them. The siege displays at King John's Castle, Bunratty Folk Park and the playground in the People's Park fill a day or two while touring.

Both centres are compact and flat enough to walk. The difference lies beyond them. Manchester's yellow Metrolink trams reach Salford Quays, Old Trafford and the airport, and the rail hubs at Piccadilly and Victoria make a car unnecessary.

In Limerick, city buses and trains to Dublin, Ennis and Galway cover the basics, but rural buses are sparse. Most visitors pick up a hire car at Shannon Airport to see the region.

Manchester is the regional shopping capital of the north of England. It has department stores around Exchange Square, designer labels on King Street, the giant Trafford Centre and, best of all, the record shops, vintage clothes and stalls of Afflecks in the Northern Quarter.

Limerick's shopping is mostly high-street basics around O'Connell Street. The Milk Market's crafts and secondhand stalls are the most interesting stop, and Irish woollens and design are better found in Clare and Kerry.

Costs are similar, but the money goes on different things. In Limerick the big extra is the hire car you need to see the region, on top of food and drink that are dear by continental standards.

In Manchester you can manage without a car, the main museums are free and curry houses keep meals cheap. Hotels, though, jump on football, concert and conference dates, so check the calendar before booking.

Manchester is in a different league. It has two major orchestras at the Bridgewater Hall, the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Exchange's theatre-in-the-round inside the old cotton hall. Add a gig circuit that runs from back rooms to a huge arena, and there is something on most nights.

Limerick's programme is decent for its size, with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Lime Tree and the Belltable. Its real draw is traditional music, played in pub sessions and supported by the university's Irish music and dance programme.

Neither city is a place to unwind, and in both the restful options lie outside town. From Limerick, that means country-house spas around Adare and Lough Derg, or hot seaweed baths in the Atlantic seaside towns, and the city's pace is gentler to come back to.

From Manchester, it means the train to the old spa town of Buxton or the Peak District. The Edwardian Victoria Baths are a heritage visit, not a swim.