Category Archives: Limerick

Rathkeale Dispensary Committee, 1887

There was one vacancy in the Committee of the Rathkeale Dispensary District, caused by the death of Mr. Blennerhasset, and it was filled up by the election of Mr. Keating.
Mr. Naughton was subsequently about to propose another man on the Committee when
The Chairman stated that Mr. Naughton was too late, the vacancy that existed having been filled up.


Mr. Naughton held that his proposition was quite in order and ought to be received.
The Chairman said that if his ruling on the matter were questioned he would put it to a poll.
Mr. Hewson hoped the Chairman would stick to his ruling, and not put the matter to the board.

The Chairman was about pressing the next business, when Mr. Curtin said : You are after saying this minute you would put it to a division, Mr. Chairman.
The Chairman: I will put it to a division now.
A Guardian : I beg your pardon Mr. Chairman, I don’t think you can do that.
The Chairman : It is quite uncalled for, Mr. Curtin, to be going on in this manner.
Mr. Maunsell : It is a question entirely for the Chairman. If he decides to put it to a division h can.
Mr. Hewson said if this question were opened now, it might be that in half an hour’s time again another guardian would raise the matter on the new when most of the members of the board would have left.
The Clerk: I think it would be tantamount to a vote of censure on the Chairman –
Mr. Piggott (sic) Go on to the next business, Mr. Chairman.
A Guardian: I think whatever the Chairman has done, he has done properly.
The matter then ended.

Taken from “The Munster News and Limerick and Clare Advocate”, April 2, 1887

Bunratty Castle Tour Photographs, Co. Clare

I’ve posted photographs of inside Durty Nellies, of outside Bunratty Castle and now these.  There is not a lot I can say, the say we went to the Castle it was really to meet up with Randy and Sue but then off we went to the inside.  Many’s a time I’ve done the tour of the castle but this was the first time that I had no children attached to me.  Children attached to you always means that you miss things, you know the way it is when you are watching a film and have to take off to check on something that the children are doing, or, it might just be as simple as whether or not they are asleep in bed.


Well, the castle tour was interesting

Irish Folk Tales: The Tailor of Rathkeale

There was a little tailor once upon a time in the town of Rathkeale, a small weak little man like a lot of the tailors of his time. He was working away at his trade, but he was never satisfied with it and always saying to himself what a great fellow he would be if he only got a chance. And the neighbours used to joke him about it. Well, it happened one day when he sat down to his dinner, to a big bowl of porridge, that there was a great cloud of flies and midges flying around his head and perching on the table and on the porridge. And the tailor – his name was Jack – hated flies and midges, and he made a slash with the wooden spoon that he had eating the stirabout and he hit a whole lot of flies and midges. The next thing he did was to start counting how many of them he had killed, and he made out that he had seventy of them dead. ‘That is three score and ten,’ says Jack, ‘and it is the great man that would kill three score and ten at one blow!’


Well, he started boasting about it among the neighbours, and before long the prime boys were all praising him up to the moon for his great deed, so that his head was turned by all the flattery. What did he do but go to the blacksmith and tell him to make a sword. And when it was made, the blacksmith was told to write along the blade: ‘Three score and ten at every blow.’ And away with Jack, sword and all, to seek his fortune.

He was travelling before him a very long distance until finally he came to a great big castle. He asked who lived there, and they told him it was the King of Ireland, and that this King had great need of brave fighting men. And nothing would do the tailor but to face up to the gate of the castle with the sword in his hand so that everybody could read what was written on it. And the soldiers at the gate were half afraid of the little man with the big sword. And when they read what was written on the blade of the sword, they sent word in to the King to come out and see this great warrior. And the King invited Jack to come in to the castle and sit down to the table alongside him to eat his dinner. And after a while of talking about the weather and the crops, the King drew down the question of the sword. ‘You seem to be a brave fighting man,’ says the King. ‘Ah, no!’ says Jack, ‘but one of the worst men that ever left the town of Rathkeale.’ And the King began to tell all his troubles to Jack. He was building a new castle, and the builders could make no progress, for what they built during the day was always thrown down the same night. And he put soldiers to guard it, but when he came in the morning some of the soldiers were dead and the rest of them after running away, and he did not know what was doing the damage. ‘And, maybe,’ says he to Jack, ‘you would stay up a night at the castle, you are such a brave man. And maybe you won’t be able to beat whatever it is that is knocking my castle, but – at least you will be able to tell me what kind of a monster is doing the damage.’ They made a bargain. Jack would watch the castle for the night, and when he brought the word to the King in the morning he would get fifty pounds.

Well Jack, being a small little man, was able to hide himself in a place where no ordinary man would fit. And where he hid himself was up in the fork of a tree. Out in the night he heard this great noise coming, and what was it but three big giants with sledgehammers. ‘It is built again tonight,’ says one of them, ‘and it is spoiling the view on us and on our mother. Come on, Lads, and we’ll knock it.’ ‘Easy with that sledge,’ says the second giant, ‘and take care not to hit me with it like you did last night, or you’ll earn it!’ ‘Hold your tongues,’ says the third one, ‘you are doing nothing but talking. Go on now, and knock it.’ And one of them made a swing of the sledge, and with that Jack aimed with a paving stone and hit the second one. ‘Didn’t I tell you not to hit me”. says he. ‘And I won’t warn you again.’ It was no good for the first fellow to be denying it; he wouldn’t listen to any reason. Finally, they turned to the castle again and if they did, Jack met the second fellow with another paving stone. He did nothing but swing the sledge on his brother and stretch him dead on the ground. The third giant was inclined to argue, but the second giant roared at him that that is what would happen to him as well as to the brother if he did not leave him alone. And away home with them, quarrelling and arguing. Jack came down and after a lot of slashing and sawing with the sword he got the head off of the giant and dragged it along with him, he was not able to lift it, to the King’s door. The King was greatly pleased, and praised Jack to the skies, and it was not fifty pounds he gave him but a hundred. ‘And maybe,’ says the King, ‘that you will stay up and mind the castle again tonight.’ And they made the bargain, for a hundred pounds this night.

So Jack was up in the tree again by the fall of dark, and a good supply of paving stones in a bag by him. And it was not long until the giants came and began to level the castle. Jack aimed a stone, the same as the night before. And the row started between the giants, and you can be sure that Jack helped it on as well as he could. ‘Stop your annoying me now,’ says one of the giants, ‘and let you remember what happened to the other fellow last night, because I would do for you as quick as I did for him.’ With that, Jack met the other giant with a big stone., ‘Who is starting the trouble now?’ says the giant that was hit, ‘or who is hitting who!” With that the row rose in earnest between them, and before it was over one of them was stretched dead on the ground, and his head split with a hedgehammer. Away home with the giant who was still living, and down with Jack out of the tree, and he cut off the giant’s head and away with him back to the king’s castle, dragging the head after him, and I can tell you he had enough to do to bring it. Of course the king was delighted.. ‘Oh Jack,’ says he, “What is written on your sword isn’t a word of a lie. And maybe you would go the third night and finish off the third giant, as you are about” And it was not a hundred pounds he gave him for the second night’s work, but two hundred. And he promised him the same amount for the third night.

Off with Jack at the fall of night, and up on the tree the same as before. And when the giant came, Jack met him with a big rock in the side of the head. ‘Are the two of you there again, up to your old tricks?’ says the giant, thinking it was the two brothers. ‘Indeed it is not the two of them, but me,’ says Jack. ‘And who might you be, little man?’ says the giant. ‘Don’t mind your ‘little man’ to me,’ says Jack, ‘but go over there behind the castle, and you’ll see what happened to your two brothers when they got cheeky with me!’ The giant was a simple sort of a poor fellow, and over he went and looked at the corpses of the two brothers, and no heads on them. ‘Where are their heads, little man?’ says he. ‘Don’t mind your ‘little man’ to me!’ says Jack, ‘but look at my sword and you will see what kind of a man I am.’ The giant read what was on the sword, and he got very much in dread. ‘Oh, sir, do not kill me, but come home with me and explain to my mother what happened to the two brothers, for she is blaming me for it,’ says he. Well and good, Jack consented to come home with him. And when they came to the giant’s house, inside in a big wood, and the mother was there, a frightful looking old hag; she had two big long teeth sticking down out of her jaw like the handles of two sweeping brushes, and, by the same token, not another tooth in her head, but every time she talked her nose and her chin were hitting off each other, making a noise like a bodhrán.

So Jack told her that it was himself that killed the two giants. But would she believe him? ‘A little caistín of a man like you to kill my two big sons!’ says she, ‘It is tricks, that is what it is!’ But the third son would not believe her; he was greatly in dread of Jack all the time.

She started to make the supper. ‘Son,’ says she to, giant, ‘there isn’t a bit of meat in the house. Will you get a bit somewhere for the supper.’ Off with the giant and Jack along with him, to the king’s fields, where there was a big herd of fine bullocks. The giant caught one of them and twisted his neck. ‘You do the same now, Jack, and we will have enough for this evening,’ says he. But Jack drove all the bullocks into the corner of the field. ‘What I am going to do,’ says he, ‘is to take them all, and we won’t have to be coming back every day for them.’ ‘Oh, no, Jack,’ says the giant, ‘the meat would go bad on us. Two of them is plenty,’ and he picked up the second bullock and off home with them. The giant was boasting to his mother what a great man Jack was, how he was going to kill the whole heard of bullocks, but the mother was trying to persuade him that Jack was only making a fool of him. ‘But, look here,’ says she, ‘there isn’t a bit of firing in the house to boil the supper. Let you go out and gather a handful of brosna for me.’

Off with the two of them out into the wood, and the giant pulled up a big dead tree by the roots. ‘Let you pull another one, and we have enough, Jack,’ says he. But that wouldn’t satisfy Jack. He got a bit rope and started to run through the wood with it. ‘I’ll tear up the whole wood,’ says he, ‘and then we will not have to be gathering twigs for the fire every day.’ ‘Oh, no, Jack,’ says the giant, ‘for if you tear up the whole wood, everyone will see where our house is, and I want to keep it hidden: And with that he pulled up the second tree and away home with them. The giant boasted greatly about what a strong man Jack was, but the old hag would not believe a word of it.

She started to make the supper in a big pot. “Will you have enough in the two bullocks men?” says she. “And sure we will,” says Jack, “one bullock apiece is not bad feeding.” The giant was getting more in dread than ever, when he heard the big appetite the small man had, and he hardly able to finish one bullock for his supper of an evening. “Let you go out the two of you, and have sport for yourselves while the supper is boiling” says the old hag. Out with them into the yard. There was a black-smith’s anvil lying in the yard, a lot bigger than the anvil you would see at the forge. The giant picked it up in one hand. ‘This is a little game that my brothers and myself used to play,’ says he. And he tossed the anvil over the top of the house, the same as you might toss your cap in the air. And he ran around the house and caught the anvil before it touched the ground. ‘Now, Jack, it is your turn, says he. Jack took off his coat and trussed up his sleeves. ‘Stand back, and give me a run at it,’ says he, ‘and I’ll fling it from here to County Limerick. It will come in handy for my poor old mother, to iron the clothes with. It is the stone of a mill she was using when I left home, and it was getting a bit heavy for her, the creature.’ But when the giant heard that he wouldn’t have it at all; he did not want to lose the anvil. And he had great boasting to the mother about how strong Jack was. But she was saying all the time that Jack was making a fool of him.

Well, the supper was ready, and the mother put a boiled bullock up before each of them. And Jack made some excuse to go out for a minute, and what did he do but to fold the skin of one of the bullocks like a bag, and put it inside his shirt. And it was into the skin that he put the most of the meat, until he had the table cleared in front of him. And he would not be satisfied until the giant gave him a quarter of his own bullock, and into the bag with that too. ‘And now, my brave giant,’ says Jack, ‘I must show you the way to cure yourself of a surfeit of boiled meat,’ says he, and with that he picked up the carving knife and ripped up the skin, and out with all the meat around the floor. And before the mother could stop him, the giant had himself split up the middle, trying to he as good as Jack. And down with him in a heap on the floor, stone dead. And the old hag let out a screech out of her that nearly split the roof, and away with her running mad through the country and was never heard of again.

But Jack cut the head off the giant, and dragged it away back to the king and told him that the danger was over for good and all. And the king was so delighted that he gave Jack a thousand pounds this time, all gold, in a bag, and a horse to carry himself and all the wealth home to his old mother in the town of Rathkeale. And he minded his money, and never had a day’s want for the rest of his life.

Story from Mrs. Mary Moylan to Kevin Danaher.
Published in ‘Folktales of the Irish Countryside’
published by Mercier Press SBN 85342 056 4

Tithe Applotment Book, Dunmoylan, Co. Limerick

Dunmoylan Parish,


Shanid Barony, Glin, Newcastle & Rathkeale Unions, Co. Limerick 7
Griffiths Valuation 1852
Tithe Applotments 1833

Surname in Tithes only
Carroll
Connelly
Conway
Costelloe
Dillane
Doherty
Downs
Egan
Firehan
Gready
Guinane
Hanly
Hanrahan
Holman
Kent
Landers
Lloyd
M\’Carthy
M\’Grath
Moloney
Mulcare
Neill
O\’Connell
O\’Connor
Scanlan
Scollard
Shea
Woulfe

Surname in Tithes & Griffiths
Barry
Braddish
Cahill
Condon
Connor
Connors
Culhane
Cummane
Cusack
Dalton
Danaher
Downey
Enright
Farrell
Fitzgerald
Fitzgibbon
Frawley
Geeran
Hamilton
Hastings
Holland
Hurley
Johnston
Keane
Keeffe
Kelly
Kennedy
Kinnealy
Leane
liston
Long
Lynch
Lyons
M\’Coy
M\’Donnell
M\’Enerney
M\’Mahon
Mulvihill
Murphy
Murray
Neville
O\’Brien
O\’Neill
Pierce
Purtle
Riordan
Ryan
Shanahan
Sheehan
Sheehy
Smith
Sullivan
Treacey
Vaughan
Walsh
Ward
White
Wingle

Tithe Applotment Book, Kilbradan, Co. Limerick

Kilbradan Parish (part of), Shanid Barony, Glin and Rathkeale Unions, Co.


Limerick No. 9
Griffiths Valuation 1852
Tithe Applotment 1833
Remainder of this parish in Connello Lower Barony

Surnames found in Tithes only

Brown
Cahill
Conway
Cummins
Cussen
Duggan
English
Flahivan
Fraley
Hanafin
Hiffle
Hoare
Leahy
M’Coy
Mulcahy
Nash
Neile
Phelan
Quirk
Riedy
Sullivan

Surnames in Tithes and Griffiths
Carmody
Casey
Condon
Connell
Connolly
Connor
Culhane
Cusack
Dannaher
Deneen
Downey
Egan
Enright
Fitzgerald
Gorman
Hallinan
Halloran
Hanrahan
Hassett
Hayes
Healy
Histon
Hogan
Kelly
Liston
Long
Madigan
M’Mahon
Moloney
Murray
Naughton
Neville
Nolan
O’Donnell
Scanlan
Shaughnessy
Sheehan
Sweeny
Wall
Walsh
White

Tithe Applotment Book, Killeely, Co. Limerick

Killeely Parish – Civil (part of)


Limerick City, Co. Limerick 1
Griffiths Valuation 1850
Tithe Applotment 1833
Remainder of this parish is in Co. Clare. The part of the parish in North Liberties Barony is included in this list

Surnames present in the Tithe Aplotment Books but not in the Griffiths
Allan
Canny
Devine
Hartney
Leddan
Mulcahy
Palmer
Reddan
Vereker

Surnames present in the Tithes and the Griffiths
Boland
Bowland
Carmody
Collins
Daley
Daly
Donnellan
Dunmate
Egan
Gleeson
Grady
Gueran
Halloran
Hartigan
Hassett
Hayes
Healy
Hinchey
Hinchy
Hourigan
Kickey
Kirby
Lillis
M’Carthy
M’Enerney
M’Mahon
M’Namara
Molloy
Myles
O’Brien
O’Dea
O’Donnell
Price
Quane
Quinn
Ryan
Semour
Sheahan
Sheehan
Stunden
Walnutt

Tithe Applotment Book, Munchins, Co. Limerick

St. Munchin’s parish (part of)


Limerick City, Co. Limerick 1
Griffiths Valuation 1850
Tithe Applotments 1825
Tithes available for part of parish only.
Remainder of parish in Co. Clare. The part of the parish in the North
Liberties Barony included here.

Surnames listed in Tithes and not Griffiths
Arthur
Butler
Couney
Creagh
Desterre
Dillon
Evans
Frost
Griffin
Hanrahan
Palmer
Price
Quigley
Reeves
Shannon
Sheehy

Surnames found in both Tithes and Griffiths
Allen
Boland
Brennen
Collins
Connell
daly
Flanagan
Flanigan
Gearan
Hayes
Hickey
Hourigan
Johnson
Kelly
Kenny
King
Mahon
M’Namara
Moloney
Mulcahy
Mullins
Murnane
O’Brien
O’Halloran
Quane
Ryan
Shea
Sheehan
Vereker

Emigration and Education Statistics, 1931, Co. Limerick

Limerick a county in the province of Munster, is bounded on the north by the Shannon, on the east by Tipperary, on the south by Cork and on the west by Kerry. Its greatest length from near Abbeyfeale to the boundary at Galtmore is 50 miles, and its greatest breadth from a point on the Shannon on the north to the Ballyhourna mountains on the south is 33 miles: average breadth about 23 miles.


Name and Former Divisions

The Gealic name is Luimneach, which means “bare spot” and was probably derived from a piece of land on which the city was originally built. The name was afterwards extended from the city to the whole county. The part of the county west of the Maigue and the barony of Coshma east of the river, was until the 12th century the territory of the O’Donovans and called Hy Tidgente or Hy Carbery. The Barony of the Small County was called Deis Beg. Part of the barony of Coshlea was the ancient Clin Mail. Bruree (Brugh-Righ, “Fort of the King”) was called after Olioll Olum, the 2nd King of Munster in the second century, who is supposed to be buried in a large cromlech which stands near Duntryleague church, betwen Galbally and Knocklong. Bruree was also for several centuries the principle seat of the O’Donovans. The Barony of Coonagh was the ancient Hy Cuanach; Oweneybeg was Uaithne; Connelo was Hy Connall Gavra; and Kenry was the ancient Caenraighe.

PHYSICAL FEATURES

In a general way the borders of the county are hilly and mountainous, and the centre forms a great plain, which contains some of the finest land in Ireland. The district of the “Golden Vale” extending by Hospital, Kilmallock and Bruree, into the county of Tipperary towards Cashel is famous for its rich soil.

In the north east are the Slieve Felim mountains, the chief peaks of which are Cullaun (1,523), and Knockastanna (1,467). In the north east the Ballyhoura Mountains extend along the boundary between this county and Cork. The principle summits are Seefin (1,702), Blackrock (1,696), Carron (1,469), Knockea (1,311), Knockeennamroanta (1,319) and Barnagheeha (1,311), near Ballyorgan. Overlooking the “Golden Vale” is Slievereagh (1,439). The western part of the galtees belong to Limerick, and forms a fine range, the highest point being Galtymore (3,015) on the border. In the south west are the Mullagharurk Mountains running into Cork, having in Limerick, Knockanade (1,070), Knockawarrig (1,007) and Mullaghanuish (1,189). Knockaunnpaha (1,132) is the chief summit on the west. Near Ballingarry, Knockfeerna (949) is an outstanding feature of the landscape with a great cairn on its summit.

Rivers

The Shannon, from O’Brien’s bridge to Tarbert is 48 miles in length, and forms the boundary, except for about 6 miles near Limerick City where a portion of the county lies on the Clare side of the river. Below the city the river gradually widens till it becomes a grand estuary as it enters the Atlantic. There is much picturesque scenery on its banks. Nearly all the other rivers in the county drain into the Shannon. The Mulkear (or Mulkern) which has many small tributaries, joins the Shannon mid way between Limerick and Castleconnell. The Crompaun river forms part of the boundary between Limerick and Clare. The Maigue flows from Milford west of Charleville, runs past Bruree, Croom and Adare and into the Shannon 9 miles below the city; it has as tributaries, the Loobagh, the Morning Star, the camoge, and the Barnakyle. The Deel rises near the source of the Maigue, and flowing past Newcastle passes through Rathkeals and Askeaton before joining the Shannon near Askeaton. The Feale forms the boundary between Limerick and Kerry for 7 miles. The Aherlow river flows by Galbally, enters Co. Tipperary, and eventually joins the Suir, and the Funshion joins the Blackwater, after running for 5 miles along the boundary with Cork.

The only Lake of any importance in the county is Lough Gur near Bruff.

Islands in the Shannon – Foynes Island, which is nearly circular and 196 feet high, is about a mile in diameter. Aughinish is near Foynes, and King’s Island at Limerick city is formed by two branches of the Shannon, and part of the city is built upon it.

ANALYSIS OF THE CENSUS FOR COUNTY Limerick, 1821-1926


Year

Males

Females

Total Pop.

1821
136,916 140,561 277,477

1831
153,625 161,730 315,355

1841
161,997 168,032 330,029

1851
127,387 134,745 262,132

1861
105,712 111,565 217,277

1871
93,112 98,824 191,136

1881
88,311 92,321 180,632

1891
78,607 80,305 158,912

1901
72,456 73,642 146,098

1911
72,229 70,840 143,069

1926
70,985 68,949 140,343

Houses & Families 1926

The number of families in the county was 19,896, the average number in each family being 4.7. The number of inhabited houses was 20, 688 showing an average of 4.9 persons to each house. The special inmates of public institutions are omitted from these calculations.

There were in the county, 13,765 Occupiers or Heads of families, who were in occuptation of less than 5 rooms, neing 69.1 % of the total for the county. Of these 682, or 3.4%, of the families in the county occupied more than one room; 2,580 or 12.9% : 2 rooms; 4,369 or 21.9%: 3 rooms, and 6,134 or 30.8%, occupied 4 rooms.

There were in the county 337 tenements in which the room had only one occupant; 825 cases where the room had 2-4 occupants, 266 cases in which there were 5-7; and 35 cases where the occupants of one room exceeded 7 in number, including 4 cases where ten persons and 2 cases where 11 persons occupied one room.

Birthplace of Inhabitants

Of the population in 1926, 89.09% were bron in the county; 9.73% in other counties in the Republic of ireland; 0.16% in Northern Ireland and 0.42% were bron abroad.

Education

In 1911 there were in the county 86,034 persons aged 9 years and upwards; of these 77,999 or 90.7% could read and write; 1,753 or 2.% could read only and 6,282 or 7.3% were il;literate. As this census was the first for which age was raised from 5 to nine years for this information no comparison can really be made between it and previous Censuses. But, the report states that the percentage of those of 5 yrs and upwards who were unable to read and write which was 16.3% in 1891, was 11.6% in 1901 and in 1911 had fallen to 10.1%.

IRISH SPEAKING (1861-1911)

No.
of people
1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911

Irish only
2,111 1,389 104 15 5 1

Irish & English
45,556 21,708 29,390 15,912 12,347 10,920

Irish Total
47,667 23,097 29,494 15,927 12,352 10,921
% of
population
27.6 15.1 20.8 13.8 11.4 13.8

RELIGIONS, 1861-1911 (% of population)


Religion
1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911

Presbyterian
0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.13

Church of Ireland
3.3 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.54 2.44

Roman Catholic
96.4 96.6 96.8 96.8 97.01 97.08

Methodist
0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Others
0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.08 0.09

EMIGRATION (1861-1911)

1861 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911
62,173 46,339 22,132 33,081 14,426 11,278

Bog Bursts, Co. Limerick, 1697

A.D. 1697, June 7th. Kapanihane Bog, Co. Limerick, near Charleville:


Described in a letter dated June 7th, 1697:

\”On the 7th day of June, 1697, near Charleville, in the County of Limerick, in Ireland, a great Rumbling, or faint Noise was heard in the Earth, much like unto a Sound of Thunder near spent ; for a little Space the Air was somewhat troubled with little Whisking Winds, coming to meet contrary Ways: and soon after that, to the greater Terror and Afrightment of a great Number of Spectators, a more wonderful thing happened ; for in a Bog stretching North and South, the Earth began to more, viz. Meadow and Pasture Land that lay on the side of the Bog, and separated by an extraordinary large Ditch, and other Land on the further side adjoining to it; and a Rising, or Little Hill in the middle of the Bog thereupon sunk flat.

This Motion began about Seven of the Clock in the Evening, fluctuating in its Motion like Waves, the Pasture-Land rising very high, so that it over-run the Ground beneath it, and moved upon its Surface, rowling on with great pushing Violence, till it covered the Meadow, and held to remain upon it 16 Feet.

In the Motion of this Earth, it drew after it the Body of the Bog, part of it lying on the Place where the Pasture-Land that moved out of its Place it had before stood; leaving great Breaches behind it, and Spewings of Water that cast up noisom Vapours : And so it continues at present, to the great Wonderment of those that pass by, or come many Miles to be Eye-witnesses of so strange a thing.\”

This communication was accompanied by a map and detailed description by John Honohane.

Ref: Philosophical Transactions, vol. Ixi, pp.714-716, October, 1697; & Boate, Molyneux and others, a Natural History of Ireland, 1755, p. 113

A.D. 1708. Castlegarde Bog, County Limerick.- The Castlegarde bog, or as it was then called Poulevard, moved along a valley and buried three houses containing about twenty-one persons. It was a mile long, a quarter mile broad, and about 20 feet deep in some parts. It ran for several miles, crossed the high road at Doon, broke, through several bridges, and flowed into the Lough of Coolpish.

Ref: Dublin Evening Telegraph, 2nd January 1897

A.D. 1840, January.- Bog of Farrtindoyle, Kanturk, Co. Cork.

The bog was 10 feet in thickness, resting on a substratum of yellow-clay; the pent-up water underrmined a prodigious mass of bog, and bore it buoyantly on its surface; twenty acres of valuable meadow were covered, and a cottage: was propelled and engulfed ; a quarter of a mile of the road from Kanturk to Williamstown was covered 12 to 30 feet deep.

Ref: Freemans journal, January 3, 1840 (copied from the Cork Standard)

Local Government, Co. Limerick, 1931

Former Administrative Areas


Before the passing of the Local Government Act, 1898, the county was divided for fiscal purposes into 14 Baronies, namely :- Clanwilliam; Conello, Upper ; Connello, Lower ; Coonagh ; Coshlea ; Coshma ; Glenquin ; Kenry ; Kilmallock ; Limerick (North Liberties) ; Owneybeg ; Pubblebrien ; Shanid ; Small County.

Under the Act of 1898, Baronies ceased to exist as administrative areas, and each county was divided into urban and rural districts. No alteration was made under this Act in the boundaries of the County, but there are two towns, Newcastle and Rathkeale – which have Commissioners under the Towns Improvement Act, 1854, the Council of the Rural District(R.D.) in which each is being the local Sanitary Authority within the town.

Administrative Areas with Statistics taken from census Returns

Rural
Districts
Area
Statute Acres

Valuation 1926
Croom R.D.Glin R.D. (b)

Kilmallock R.D.

Limerick No. 1 R.D. (a)

Mitchelstown No. 2 R.D.

Newcastle R.D. (c)

Rathkeale R.D. (d)

Tipperary No. 2 R.D.

Total of the County

83,36924,673

125,781

107,167

38,561

143,840

102,526

35,656

661,573 (e)

64,1198,219

119,498

101,397

17,579

66,375

69,988

28,684

475,859

(a) See under Co. Borough of Limerick
(c) Includes Newcastle, a Town under the Towns Improvement Act, 1854
(b) See under County Kerry
(d)Includes Rathkeale, a Town under the Towns Improvement Act, 1854
(e) Exclusive of 16,938a. 2r. 8p., under large rivers and tideways

Population

Rural
Districts
1926 1911 1901
Croom R.D.Glin R.D. (b)

Kilmallock R.D.

Limerick No. 1 R.D. (a)

Mitchelstown No. 2 R.D.

Newcastle R.D. (c)

Rathkeale R.D. (d)

Tipperary No. 2 R.D.

Total of the County

10,0873,712

19,610

19,165

4,672

23,884

13,511

6,252

100,895

10,3724,016

20,806

20,257

5,045

23,594

13,863

6,598

104,551

10,8064,301

21,430

20,271

5,501

23,891

14,991

6,756

107,947

Houses

Rural Districts 1926 1911 1901
Croom R.D.Glin R.D. (b)

Kilmallock R.D.

Limerick No. 1 R.D. (a)

Mitchelstown No. 2 R.D.

Newcastle R.D. (c)

Rathkeale R.D. (d)

Tipperary No. 2 R.D.

Total of the County

2,305745

4,382

3,933

1,049

4,929

3,082

1,356

21,781

2,394770

4,442

4,083

1,054

4,868

3,306

1,360

22,277

2,395770

4,408

3,892

1,102

4,746

3,341

1,370

21,924