# Castlematrix, Co. Limerick: townland, land parcels and planning

Townland in the civil parish of Rathkeale, barony of Connello Lower, Co. Limerick; in Irish Caisleán Bhun Tráisce.

- Area (Tailte Éireann): 926,982 m² (92.7 ha, 229.06 acres)
- Land parcels (Tailte Éireann): 93 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in it, median 2,004 m² (0.2 ha, 0.5 acres)
- Zoning (national zoning, MyPlan): R2 Existing Residential, the zone with the most parcels
- Planning (National Planning Applications): 4 applications since 2010
- Civil parish: Rathkeale, https://everytownland.com/limerick/parish/rathkeale.md
- Barony: Connello Lower
- Electoral division: Rathkeale Urban, the unit of the census
- Census 2022 (Central Statistics Office): Rathkeale Urban electoral division: 1,408 people in 544 households; 58% of households own their home; 28% of homes were built since 2001; 27% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 8% were holiday homes.
- County: Co. Limerick, https://everytownland.com/limerick.md
- Placenames Database of Ireland: https://www.logainm.ie/en/32261
- Townland number at Tailte Éireann: 120615
- Centre: latitude 52.515697, longitude -8.957355 (WGS 84)

## Land parcels (registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann)

93 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Castlematrix, from 65 m² to 88,488 m² (8.85 ha, 21.87 acres); 44 neighbouring parcels touch its boundary. Largest first:

- Parcel 1615297: 88,488 m² (8.85 ha, 21.87 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1615297.md
- Parcel 1668986: 86,915 m² (8.69 ha, 21.48 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1668986.md
- Parcel 1621175: 66,981 m² (6.7 ha, 16.55 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1621175.md
- Parcel 1615289: 59,324 m² (5.93 ha, 14.66 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1615289.md
- Parcel 1645352: 54,115 m² (5.41 ha, 13.37 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1645352.md
- Parcel 1627654: 50,821 m² (5.08 ha, 12.56 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1627654.md
- Parcel 1613867: 44,550 m² (4.46 ha, 11.01 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1613867.md
- Parcel 1616793: 42,675 m² (4.27 ha, 10.55 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1616793.md
- Parcel 4002220: 37,564 m² (3.76 ha, 9.28 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/4002220.md
- Parcel 1653389: 26,991 m² (2.7 ha, 6.67 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1653389.md
- Parcel 1592217: 26,317 m² (2.63 ha, 6.5 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1592217.md
- Parcel 1673782: 21,504 m² (2.15 ha, 5.31 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1673782.md
- Parcel 1626019: 18,747 m² (1.87 ha, 4.63 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1626019.md
- Parcel 1658775: 17,939 m² (1.79 ha, 4.43 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1658775.md
- Parcel 1591150: 17,286 m² (1.73 ha, 4.27 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1591150.md
- Parcel 1651526: 16,624 m² (1.66 ha, 4.11 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1651526.md
- Parcel 1639868: 15,060 m² (1.51 ha, 3.72 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1639868.md
- Parcel 1663264: 12,622 m² (1.26 ha, 3.12 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1663264.md
- Parcel 1606825: 11,784 m² (1.18 ha, 2.91 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1606825.md
- Parcel 1673184: 10,704 m² (1.07 ha, 2.65 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1673184.md
- Parcel 1592528: 10,666 m² (1.07 ha, 2.64 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1592528.md
- Parcel 1614672: 10,145 m² (1.01 ha, 2.51 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1614672.md
- Parcel 1651869: 8,101 m² (0.81 ha, 2 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1651869.md
- Parcel 1613475: 7,274 m² (0.73 ha, 1.8 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1613475.md
- Parcel 1590923: 6,672 m² (0.67 ha, 1.65 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1590923.md
- Parcel 1639664: 6,409 m² (0.64 ha, 1.58 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1639664.md
- Parcel 1593851: 4,979 m² (0.5 ha, 1.23 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1593851.md
- Parcel 1614047: 4,960 m² (0.5 ha, 1.23 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1614047.md
- Parcel 1624838: 4,931 m² (0.49 ha, 1.22 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1624838.md
- Parcel 5014595: 4,795 m² (0.48 ha, 1.18 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/5014595.md
- Parcel 1596931: 4,310 m² (0.43 ha, 1.06 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1596931.md
- Parcel 1609881: 4,263 m² (0.43 ha, 1.05 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1609881.md
- Parcel 1668811: 4,247 m² (0.42 ha, 1.05 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1668811.md
- Parcel 4928772: 4,078 m² (0.41 ha, 1.01 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/4928772.md
- Parcel 1645881: 3,970 m² (0.4 ha, 0.98 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1645881.md
- Parcel 1665189: 3,162 m² (0.32 ha, 0.78 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1665189.md
- Parcel 5056298: 2,952 m² (0.3 ha, 0.73 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/5056298.md
- Parcel 1618630: 2,936 m² (0.29 ha, 0.73 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1618630.md
- Parcel 1601163: 2,748 m² (0.27 ha, 0.68 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1601163.md
- Parcel 1666324: 2,476 m² (0.25 ha, 0.61 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1666324.md
- Parcel 1626045: 2,467 m² (0.25 ha, 0.61 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1626045.md
- Parcel 1640076: 2,348 m² (0.23 ha, 0.58 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1640076.md
- Parcel 1618073: 2,348 m² (0.23 ha, 0.58 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1618073.md
- Parcel 1591648: 2,255 m² (0.23 ha, 0.56 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1591648.md
- Parcel 2499686: 2,202 m² (0.22 ha, 0.54 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/2499686.md
- Parcel 1672520: 2,178 m² (0.22 ha, 0.54 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1672520.md
- Parcel 1643774: 2,004 m² (0.2 ha, 0.5 acres), https://everytownland.com/parcel/1643774.md
- Parcel 1640507: 1,989 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1640507.md
- Parcel 1644314: 1,986 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1644314.md
- Parcel 1623728: 1,957 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1623728.md
- Parcel 2386362: 1,950 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/2386362.md
- Parcel 1642484: 1,929 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1642484.md
- Parcel 1638755: 1,884 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1638755.md
- Parcel 2486568: 1,882 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/2486568.md
- Parcel 1617811: 1,881 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1617811.md
- Parcel 1641682: 1,869 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1641682.md
- Parcel 1629715: 1,856 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1629715.md
- Parcel 4631762: 1,836 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4631762.md
- Parcel 1671941: 1,834 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1671941.md
- Parcel 1625732: 1,820 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1625732.md
- Parcel 1640691: 1,797 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1640691.md
- Parcel 1626334: 1,796 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1626334.md
- Parcel 1640879: 1,698 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1640879.md
- Parcel 1673407: 1,672 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1673407.md
- Parcel 1611165: 1,634 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1611165.md
- Parcel 3489935: 1,576 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/3489935.md
- Parcel 5519909: 1,565 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/5519909.md
- Parcel 1639861: 1,376 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1639861.md
- Parcel 1646581: 1,343 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1646581.md
- Parcel 1640398: 1,317 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1640398.md
- Parcel 1599227: 1,313 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1599227.md
- Parcel 2386363: 1,303 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/2386363.md
- Parcel 1615656: 1,230 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1615656.md
- Parcel 1656661: 1,214 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1656661.md
- Parcel 1642215: 1,207 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1642215.md
- Parcel 1616951: 1,202 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1616951.md
- Parcel 1667255: 1,201 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1667255.md
- Parcel 1611577: 1,104 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1611577.md
- Parcel 1610209: 906 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1610209.md
- Parcel 1620500: 900 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1620500.md
- Parcel 4103775: 855 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4103775.md
- Parcel 4103774: 843 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/4103774.md
- Parcel 1648416: 829 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1648416.md
- Parcel 1591643: 829 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1591643.md
- Parcel 1674697: 588 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1674697.md
- Parcel 1672869: 488 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1672869.md
- Parcel 1647321: 381 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1647321.md
- Parcel 1625205: 370 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1625205.md
- Parcel 1651417: 279 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1651417.md
- Parcel 2435670: 216 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/2435670.md
- Parcel 1608690: 166 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1608690.md
- Parcel 1591236: 164 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1591236.md
- Parcel 1672747: 65 m², https://everytownland.com/parcel/1672747.md

## Zoning (national zoning of development plans, MyPlan)

- R2 Existing Residential (Existing residential): Rathkeale Local Area Plan 2023-2029, Limerick; 10 parcels. The zoning objective in the plan: https://www.limerick.ie/sites/default/files/media/documents/2023-03/Rathkeale-Local-Area-Plan-2023-2029.pdf#page=65
- P1 Agriculture: Rathkeale Local Area Plan 2023-2029, Limerick; 5 parcels. The zoning objective in the plan: https://www.limerick.ie/sites/default/files/media/documents/2023-03/Rathkeale-Local-Area-Plan-2023-2029.pdf#page=65
- R3 Residential Serviced Sites (Residential, mixed residential and other uses): Rathkeale Local Area Plan 2023-2029, Limerick; 1 parcel. The zoning objective in the plan: https://www.limerick.ie/sites/default/files/media/documents/2023-03/Rathkeale-Local-Area-Plan-2023-2029.pdf#page=65
- G5 Open Space and Recreation (Mixed/general 'green'/recreation/conservation, other): Rathkeale Local Area Plan 2023-2029, Limerick; 0 parcels. The zoning objective in the plan: https://www.limerick.ie/sites/default/files/media/documents/2023-03/Rathkeale-Local-Area-Plan-2023-2029.pdf#page=65

## Planning applications whose site touches the townland (National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

4 applications, newest first.

- 1 Jun 2022, Limerick County Council 228008: N/a. Permission. the construction of footpath link in the field adjoining L6158 Castlematrix Road for a distance of 100m from its junction with the R523, including public lighting improvements, fencing and landscaping. File: https://eplanning.ie/LimerickCCC/AppFileRefDetails/228008/0
- 14 Jun 2021, Limerick County Council 21837: N/a. Permission. installation of a prefabricated 'pod' unit to be used as a facility for serving teas, coffees and ancillary snacks to go with all associated site works. The works as listed are located within the curtilage of a Protected Structure. File: https://eplanning.ie/LimerickCCC/AppFileRefDetails/21837/0
- 27 Apr 2021, Limerick County Council 21546: N/a. Permission. installation of a prefabricated 'pod' unit to be used as a facility for serving teas, coffees and ancillary snack to go with all associated site works. The works as listed are located within the curtilage of a Protected Structure. File: https://eplanning.ie/LimerickCCC/AppFileRefDetails/21546/0
- 2 Aug 2018, Limerick County Council 18780: Conditional. Retention, 1 home. existing dwelling and garage as constructed and Planning Permission to complete works granted under PP 05/333, namely installation of wastewater treatment system, percolation area, entrance and all associated site works. File: https://eplanning.ie/LimerickCCC/AppFileRefDetails/18780/0

Applicants are not shown.

## Designated sites (National Parks and Wildlife Service)

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Castlematrix.

## Recorded monuments (Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service)

- LI029-016: Enclosure, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CLI029-016----. On undulating pasture 250m W of townland boundary with Courtmatrix and 2km SW of Rathkeale. The ringfort known as the Rath of Rathkeale (LI029-031007-) is located 1400m to ENE. The site is not depicted on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map nor is it on the 1897 ed. OSi 25-inch map. The site is not visible on the OSi orthoimage taken 2005-12 or on the Digital Globe orthoimages taken 2011-2013. The ‘enclosure’ was identified by the Limerick City Archaeologist Celie O’Rahilly in 1990 during fieldwork associated with the construction of the Rathkeale bypass. The site has subsequently been developed for housing. A map prepared by O’Rahilly suggested that an enclosure (Site B ext. diam. c. 35m) occupied the site. The location is visible on the Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018. The Google Earth orthoimage reveals three small cropmark enclosures (ext. diam. c. 10m) and other associated cropmark features 160m S of the enclosure (LI029-016----). These sites roughly overlap with a kiln marked on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. See attached extract from a report by Celie O’Rahilly1990 and Google Earth orthoimages Compiled by: Edmond O’Donovan Date of upload: 24 September 2020
- LI029-021: Castle - tower house, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CLI029-021----. Westropp (1906-7, 214) recorded the following details on Castle Matrix; ‘1487 James ninth Earl of Desmond, murdered by his servants in Caslan Mattras (Len., p. 68), called Courtmattress, 1488. 1580 N. f. William held Matrascourte (Matrackscourt) C[astle], on the Deel, on Nekraghe, in Rathkealy (Peyton, 164; Inq. Exch., 10, 11). 1588 Granted to Billingsley (Fi. 5171, Carew i., p. 450); and 1608 to Sir J. Dowdall, of Pilltown, with the Courts-Barron, and the Abbey [LI029-031006-] (Pat. R. and Inq. Chan., 15a). 1616 Held by Edm. Southwell (Exchr. Lease, 32). 1642 Besieged by M. Herbert, and surrendered (Dep., 1903). 1655 G. Matrix, or Court Matrix, with Inishgousee, the C[astle], orchard, and grist mill on the Deel. Edm. Southwell (C.S., p. 58). Traditionally a Desmond C[astle]. Fabric - It was repaired by J. Browne before 1840. The tower is 44 feet [13.4m] by 35½ feet [10.8m] outside, 60 feet [18.3m] high, with walls 7 feet [2.1m] thick. It is battlemented, and has four stories (O.S.L., 8, p. 186)'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 January 2019 See attached ASI aerial photographs ASIAP – taken on 04/03/2006.
- LI029-026: Castle - tower house, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CLI029-026----. The Urban Survey of Limerick recorded the following details about Glebe Castle; 'A three floored castle at the extreme south-west of the town (LI029-031001-). It is built of evenly coursed slaty limestone with long and short quoins; it has a basal batter c. 3m high and is roofed with galvanise. The walls and gables are stepped and the east and west walls have chimneys while the north and south walls have drainage chutes' (Bradley et. al. 1989, 225). Westropp gives the following details on Glebe Castle; 'A tower 21 feet [6.4m] by 13 feet [4m] inside, 40 feet [12.2m] high, walls 6 feet [1.8m] thick. It has four stories without vaults and was inhabited in 1840 (O.S.L., 8., p. 186)'. Compiled by: Denis Power Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 14 January 2019 See attached ASI aerial photographs ASIAP – taken on 04/03/2006.
- LI029-138: Fulacht fia, https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CLI029-138----. Possible fulacht fia identified as 'Site A' by Ceile O'Rahilly in her archaeological report on the Rathkeale Bypass dated August 1990. She described the site as following 'Field near river. Fulacht Fiadh, possible. Low ground of Iris (damp). V. close to river. No mound visible.' (SMR File) Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 25 September 2020

Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

## Architectural heritage (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage)

- Bridge, 1860–1870, Regional interest, registry number 21831001, https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=LC&regno=21831001. Two-span railway bridge, built c. 1867, formerly part of the Rathkeale to Newcastle West line, now carrying a road over the River Deel. Comprising cast-iron Howe truss bridge with latticed parapets supported by rusticated limestone supports on concrete plinths. Tarred surface to carriageway.
- Water pump, 1870–1890, Regional interest, registry number 21831003, https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=LC&regno=21831003. Freestanding cast-iron water pump, erected c. 1880. Now disused. Comprising fluted cylindrical shaft, fluted domed cap with acorn finial, spout and bucket stand.

## Ground and risks (Radon Risk Map of Ireland, EPA; Landslide Susceptibility Classification and LiDAR, Geological Survey Ireland)

- Radon: About 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home: https://www.epa.ie/environment-and-you/radon/radon-testing/#d.en.82887
- Landslides: Susceptibility moderately high, moderately low, low, low (inferred), on the 1:50,000 map.
- Terrain model: LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_553, https://gsi.geodata.gov.ie/downloads/LiDAR/OPW_NASC/OPW_553.zip (ZIP).
- Flooding: the flood maps of the Office of Public Works, https://www.floodinfo.ie/map/floodmaps/, linked only: their licence does not allow re-use.

LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

## Downloads

- DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, for a drawing program: https://everytownland.com/limerick/castlematrix.dxf
- GeoJSON, in WGS 84, for a map: https://everytownland.com/limerick/castlematrix.geojson
- KML, for Google Earth: https://everytownland.com/limerick/castlematrix.kml

## Homes sold (Residential Property Price Register)

- Castlematrix, Rathkeale: 7 sales, https://everytownland.com/limerick/castlematrix-rathkeale.md

## Neighbouring townlands (National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann)

- Ardbohil: https://everytownland.com/limerick/ardbohil.md
- Ardnaveagh: https://everytownland.com/limerick/ardnaveagh.md
- Cloghanarold: https://everytownland.com/limerick/cloghanarold.md
- Courtmatrix: https://everytownland.com/limerick/courtmatrix.md
- Enniscoush: https://everytownland.com/limerick/enniscoush.md
- Wolfesburgess West: https://everytownland.com/limerick/wolfesburgess-west.md

A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address; old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.

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Everytownland reads the registered freehold land and the statutory boundaries of Tailte Éireann, the national zoning, planning file and heritage records of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Residential Property Price Register. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee; this site names no owner. A price is the price recorded for a past sale, not a valuation.

Sources: Cadastral Parcels Freehold, Townlands, Civil Parishes, Baronies, Electoral Divisions and Buildings, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0; national zoning of development plans (GZT, MyPlan) and National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0, applicants not shown; designated sites, National Parks and Wildlife Service, CC BY 4.0; Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service, CC BY 4.0; National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, CC BY 4.0; Residential Property Price Register, Property Services Regulatory Authority, re-used with the source acknowledged.

- Page: https://everytownland.com/limerick/castlematrix
- In JSON: https://everytownland.com/api/townland/limerick/castlematrix