Singland

More than 2,000 parcels touch this townland. The map cannot draw that many.

• M3Local Centre (District, neighbourhood centre)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• R2Existing Residential (Existing residential)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• C2.1Enterprise and Employment (Industrial, enterprise, employment)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• P1Agriculture
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• S5Education and Community Facilities (Mixed/general community services/facilities uses)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• R1New Residential (New/proposed residential)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• N3.3Utilities (Mixed/general gas and electricity uses)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• G5Open Space and Recreation (Mixed/general 'green'/recreation/conservation, other)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• C1.2Retail Warehousing (Retail warehouse)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• G3Groody Valley Green Wedge (Conservation, amenity or buffer space, corridor/belt, landscape)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• M3District Centre (District, neighbourhood centre)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• M1Mixed Use (Mixed Use, general development, opportunity/proposal site)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan
• R3Traveller Specific Accommodation (Residential, mixed residential and other uses)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick The zoning objective in the plan

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

No planning application touches the townland of Singland in the national file, which goes back to 2010.

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

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

Recorded monuments

• LI005-028 Bastioned fort
  Description

  At the beginning of the campaigning season in 1651 the only major towns not yet captured by Parliamentary troops were Sligo, Galway and Limerick. In May 1651, Lieutenant-General Henry Ireton advanced towards Limerick with an army of 8,000 and on 3 June they arrived on the Clare bank of the river Shannon to the north of the city. After his attempts to enter the city from this side were repulsed, he decided to besiege it and starve the garrison into submission. He now moved the bulk of his army back across the river to the south of the city. By late June Ireton’s engineers began constructing an extensive network of ditches, earthen ramparts and forts to encircle the southern section of the city, known as Irish Town. The siege works effectively surrounded Irish Town and ran in an arc from Singland Hill on the north to the river’s edge on the west. They are represented on a detailed map of the siege drawn in 1651 (O'Flaherty 2010, Map 10) as incorporating four separate bastioned forts placed at strategic locations. The largest of these, at the northern end of the works, is referred to in the 17th century sources as ‘Ireton’s Fort’ (LI005-113----). This was located on an eastern spur of Singland Hill. To the south on another spur of the same hill was ‘Cromwell’s Fort’ (LI005-028----) and beyond this to the west were two further forts linked by earthen ramparts. Both Ireton’s Fort and Cromwell’s fort were garrisoned with 800 soldiers (IBP Report 2009 – Limerick, 1651). The siege of Limerick continued throughout the summer and conditions for the inhabitants and defenders were grave. Contemporary accounts indicate that by September, the city was suffering greatly from a shortage of food and provisions and plaque was taking its toll. By late October the Parliamentary army looked to bring the siege to a rapid conclusion and decided to mount a further assault on the city. The engineers had by this time identified a section in the town’s defensive wall, which had not been reinforced by earthen ramparts, and so was more vulnerable to artillery fire. Ireton established a battery of 28 siege guns directly opposite this point of the wall and the Parliamentary army began battering this position in preparation for an assault. The effect of this battery seems to have finally convinced many within Limerick that the town had to surrender before it was sacked. On 27 October 1651 Limerick surrendered and the Parliamentary Army occupied the city. As the siegeworks were no long necessary they were abandoned. The siege works erected by Ireton were used again during the War of the Two Kings, 1689-91. King William came before Limerick with a large army in August 1690. The army chaplain and chronicler, George Story, has recorded what happened on this occasion. The defending Jacobites had refortified the works and had placed a number of companies in Ireton’s Fort (LI005-113----). However, on seeing the Williamite army approach they abandoned the fort without firing a shot. (Story 1693, 114-5). The Williamites immediately took the forts, moved four field pieces into Cromwell’s Fort and began firing on the city and its outworks. After an unsuccessful and bloody assault on a breach in the wall of Irish Town (where the Williamites suffered huge casualties and were forced to retreat) William decided to raise the siege, and on 30 August he took the road for Waterford from where he sailed to England, never to return. His army then left the city to go into winter quarters. The Williamites returned in the following year and Story records that the defenders had refortified the various forts, including ‘Cromwell’s Fort’. The Jacobites had built a fort around the site of an old church (LI005-029001-) and placed two field artillery pieces in Ireton’s Fort. On the 25 August ‘When the greatest part of our army was got up, our detached body of foot, under the Command of Lieut. Gen. Mackay, was ordered to attack Ireton’s Fort, and the old Church-Fort, where we expected the enemy had lodged a party; our men made a line cross the fields, and were sustained by several entire regiments of foot and a body of horse. We advanced towards both the forts at one tune, and found the upper one deserted: and when we came almost within musket-shot of Ireton’s Fort, the Irish quitted that also, and retired towards a little stone fort nigh the outworks of the town. Our men seeing them draw off, rushed forwards and fired; but to no great purpose, for the enemy, after some faint returns, presently lodged themselves in the other fort: and towards the evening Count Nassau with a party attacked Cromwell’s Fort, standing to the left of the other, which the Irish had made pretty defensible, and wherein they had then about 500 men lodged: our grenadiers were in the front, who were saluted with a volley of shot from the enemy; but this being a thing they were now pretty well used to, they ran forwards, and threw in their grenades; and then being followed by the whole party, the Irish in less than half an hour left the fort to our discretion: we had only two or three killed, and the enemy about ten, though some made them a great many more.’ Ireton’s Fort and Cromwell’s Fort ‘were now ordered to be called Mackay's and Nassau’s forts’ after the two officers who commanded the troops that took them on that day.’ (Story 1693, 187-9) The forts were then garrisoned by the Williamites who placed gun batteries nearby from which to bombard the city which eventually surrendered with the signing of the infamous ‘treaty’ of capitulation on 3 October. The Williamites withdrew their army from the various outworks and forts and left a garrison in the town. The fort is shown on the map of the city published by Story (1693, facing 224). The northern section of the fort appears to have been levelled in the first half of the 18th century. Only the southern half is represented on William Eyres’ map of the city c. 1752 (O’Flaherty 2010, map 16) where it is incorrectly named in the index (marked C on the map) as ‘MacKay’s Fort’ (meaning Ireton’s Fort). The majority of the remaining part was removed when a reservoir was built on the site in 1834 (from Limerick archives; SMR file) though remains of the western section and adjoining south-eastern bastion are indicated on the late 19th century OS 1:2500 survey. Archaeological monitoring was undertaken on this section in 1996 (96E0200) and the remnants of a cobbled road were uncovered. The excavator noted that the remaining section of the fort was probably removed when the housing and amenities were built in this area (https://www.excavations.ie/report/1996/Limerick/0002385/). Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 28 February 2018

• LI005-029001 Church
  Description

  No surface remains visible of St. Patrick's Church which was located inside St. Patrick's graveyard (LI005-029002-). The church is not visible on Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018. Described in 1827 as following; 'St. Patrick's Church stood in the S. E. Liberties at a short distance from the walls. The stones of the church and of a round tower in its vicinity are supposed to have been used by the English army for the erection of their batteries during the siege. Some remains of both were visible half a century ago. The parish contains 2,090 inhabitants, and is an entire rectory united with those of Cahiravahalla and Emly-grenan, being the corps of the Treasurership, which was valued in the King's books at £13. 6s. 8d. There is a glebe of nine acres near the site of Patrick's Church, and another of fifty acres near Emly-grenan. This parish is situated on both sides of the Shannon, and the duties are performed by the resident curates of the adjoining parishes' (Fitzgerald 1826-7, 561). Westropp gives the following details about St. Patrick's Church in the townland of Singland; 'Parish and Prebend. St. Patrick is stated to have baptised Cairthenn, son of Blatt, chief of the Dalcassians, the children of Toirdelbach, at Sengal, about 440 ("Tripartite Life," x. cent.,ed.W. Stokes, p. 207). Monkish legend derived the place-name from "Sois aingel,'" because "another angel" than " Victor" appeared to the Saint. A great victory was gained by Ceallachan, of Cashel, over the Norse at Saingeal ( Wars G. G.) in 943. Sengola, 1201, Bathgerallan, and Dromohiba pertained to it, 1224. A charter of Bishop Hubert, ante 1250, and a quit claim of John de Penrys to Sennkyll, to be held in pious memory of Bishop Bobert (died 1275), remain (B.B. L., xlviii.), Sen na ghauil, 1410; Sangole (valor), 1591 ; "St. Patrick in Singlelandprope civitatem," 1615. On July 18th, 1597, the Dean, Chapter, and Vicars Choral granted to James Cromwell, Singleland, of which the mearings were, Aghnebegh, Curraghbirrin, Frelinfourde, or Aghkillfellin, or Cloghanenemagarte; along with the "personages" and vicarages of Corkmohead, Dromcollohon, Killmyde, Cloencath, Cloneltie, and Killmollanie, with their chapels and "gleabes" to be "paid at the stone within the said cathedral" (P.R. O. I., Deeds and Wills, No. 6). Site - The graveyard alone remains. A broken round tower and ruined church are shown on the Down Survey map, 1657 (p. 13), and were levelled in 1776 (Fitzgerald, ii., p. 561); near them stood the Singland battery in the sieges of 1690-91' (Westropp 1904-5, 364). In 1906 the following details were recorded about the church and graveyard; 'Now Singland. It was here St. Patrick cured the Thomond Prince from his bodily ailment as already related. It was a very important church and had the right of sanctuary. In old maps it is represented as having a round tower beside it ; both have long since disappeared, but the site is still used as a graveyard, and popularly known as St. Patrick's' (Begley 1906, 121-2). The Down Survey map of St. Patrick's Parish depicts the ruins of a single cell rectangular church with multi-storey residential tower at W end that has been mistakenly identified as the remains of a round tower. The church and residential tower are depicted in a similar fashion of the 17th century Down Survey map of South Liberties Barony (Hib. Reg.). See attached image of church taken from Down Survey map of St. Patrick's Parish (NLI, MS 718) and image of church taken from Down Survey barony map (Hib. Reg.). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 3 October 2018

• LI005-029002 Graveyard
  Description

  St. Patrick's graveyard which contained the ruins of a medieval church (LI005-029001-) and tower (LI005-029003-) that were levelled in 1776 (Fitzgerald 1826, 561). Site of Cromwell's Fort (LI005-028----) 220m to W. Graveyard described by Westropp (1904-5, 364) as following; 'The graveyard alone remains. A broken round tower and ruined church are shown on the Down Survey map, 1657,and were levelled in 1776 (Fitzgerald, ii., p. 561); near them stood the Singland battery in the sieges of 1690-91'. Graveyard consists of an L-shaped area (approx. dims. 75m N-S x 63m E-W) enclosed by a post-1700 stone wall with entrance gate at NW. On the return of the Williamites in August 1691 the chronicler, George Story, recorded that the defenders had refortified the various forts, including Ireton’s Fort (LI005-113----) and Cromwell’s Fort (LI005-028----) and had ‘built another some distance to the right, where formerly stood an old church [St. Patrick's], and a third was begun also with a line of communication from one to the other, but not as yet finished’ (1693, 187). On the 25 August ‘When the greatest part of our army was got up, our detached body of foot, under the Command of Lieut. Gen. Mackay, was ordered to attack Ireton’s Fort, and the old Church-Fort, where we expected the enemy had lodged a party; our men made a line cross the fields, and were sustained by several entire regiments of foot and a body of horse. We advanced towards both the forts at one time, and found the upper one deserted.’ (ibid;, 187-9). They proceeded to take Ireton’s Fort (LI005-113----) and later that evening also took Cromwell’s Fort (LI005-028----). The fort is shown on the map of the siege published by Story (1693, facing 224) but is not recorded as such on any of the 18th century or later maps of the city though it is possible that the outline of this work may be reflected in the regular shape of St Patrick’s Burial Ground (LI005-029002-). See attached Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018 Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 26 July 2019

• LI005-029003 Castle - tower house
  Description

  No surface remains visible of site of round tower which is shown on the revised ed. OS 6-inch map as located in SW corner of St. Patrick's Graveyard (LI004-029002-). Westropp (1904-5) recorded the following details about this site; 'The graveyard alone remains. A broken round tower and ruined church [LI005-029001-] are shown on the Down Survey map, 1657 (p. 13), and were levelled in 1776 (Fitzgerald, ii., p 561)'. The Down Survey map of South Liberties Barony shows a a tower attached to the W end of St Patrick's church with cross rising from top of building (Hib. Reg.). This tower is more likely the remains of a residential tower attached to the west end of St Patrick's Church rather than the remains of a round tower. This tower is clearly visible on the Down Survey map of St. Patrick's Parish (NLI, MS 718). See attached images of church and tower taken from Down Survey Barony map of South Liberties and from St. Patricks Parish map. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 8 June 2020

• LI005-029004 Fortification
  Description

  This fort built around the site of the church (LI005-029001-) on Singland Hill in 1691. Between the lifting of the first siege of Limerick in 1690 (see LI005-017183-) and the starting of the second a year later the defending Jacobite forces improved and upgraded the defences of the city. On the return of the Williamites in August 1691 the chronicler, George Story, records that the defenders had refortified the various forts, including Ireton’s Fort (LI005-113----) and Cromwell’s Fort (LI005-028----) and had ‘built another some distance to the right, where formerly stood an old church, and a third was begun also with a line of communication from one to the other, but not as yet finished’ (1693, 187). On the 25 August ‘When the greatest part of our army was got up, our detached body of foot, under the Command of Lieut. Gen. Mackay, was ordered to attack Ireton’s Fort, and the old Church-Fort, where we expected the enemy had lodged a party; our men made a line cross the fields, and were sustained by several entire regiments of foot and a body of horse. We advanced towards both the forts at one time, and found the upper one deserted.’ (ibid;, 187-9). They proceeded to take Ireton’s Fort and later that evening also took Cromwell’s Fort. The siege works were now controlled by the Williamites and the city eventually surrendered, the commanders signing the infamous ‘treaty’ of capitulation on 3 October. The Williamites withdrew their army from the various outworks and forts and left a garrison in the town. The fort is shown on the map of the siege published by Story (1693, facing 224) but is not recorded as such on any of the 18th century or later maps of the city though it is possible that the outline of this work may be reflected in the regular shape of St Patrick’s Burial Ground (LI005-029002-). Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 28 February 2018

• LI005-030 Ritual site - holy well
  Description

  Ó Danachair (1955, 203) recorded the following details about this holy well; "St Patrick's Well" on 1840 map. A wall encloses small field in which are the well, the rounds path and three natural rocks, which are "stations". The well has over it a statue of the saint, in an alcove of cut stone, erected in 1904 by the clergy and people of the parish. Rounds are still made and it is visited by numbers of people on 17th March. Water cures sore eyes and other ailments. St Patrick baptised Cairtheann, Chief of the Dal gCais here (Trip. Life, ed. Stokes, 207). Legends: No water could be found when building the church. St Patrick prayed for water and the well sprang up. The print of his feet can be seen on one of the rocks'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 01 July 2019

• LI005-033 Well
  Description

  Situated on poorly drained grassland with stream to 55m to SE. Area of scrub and trees visible today on Digital Globe orthophotos taken 2011-13. Spring well associated with the 1690 Siege of Limerick and named after King William. Described by Lenihan (1866, 228-9) as following; 'In a field about 50 yards from the high road, and nearly opposite Singland House, on the other side of the road. A stream of pure water runs to the road from the well, and joins another stream from the well of Shesharee, which is some distance off, on another road. King William's well is deep, but covered with a thick coating of leaves and greenish, weedy, deposit, which conceals its waters from the view - at least so it was on the beautiful evening I visited the locality. Tradition says that a large flag or standard lies buried in a field near the well. There are other evidences hereabouts, that it was the site of a camp; and the well is said to have supplied William's troops with water during both sieges'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 8 June 2020

• LI005-087 Road - road/trackway
  Description

  Situated on the N side of Fairview Crescent and continuing to E and W, in the Singland/Garryowen area of Limerick city. Potentially following the N side of Fairview Crescent, which is adjacent to the site of the Garryowen Reservoir (Limerick Waterworks), which in turn is understood to be on the site of a star-shaped fort (LI005-028----). Identified by Rose Cleary as a road which was uncovered to N of the old waterworks during excavations (License No. 96E0200) carried out in advance of a housing development (Cleary 1996, 3). According to Cleary (ibid), the road was recorded on the N side of the excavation area (in Test Trenches 2 and 3) and appears to have been on the same line as a road recorded on some of the seventeenth-century maps of Limerick city. The cobbled road (Wth 4.3m) consisted of a central metalled surface comprising of small rounded limestone pebbles of varying size (10mm-50mm) (ibid, 8). The central portion (Wth 2m) was very compact and had two ruts (Wth c. 0.3m) which were 0.9-1m apart (ibid). There was evidence of repair and filling of the rutted surfaces, where stones had been set in a matrix of boulder clay (ibid, 11). The finds from the surface of the road were 19th century pottery and glass fragments of corroded iron (ibid). See attached plan extract from excavation report (Cleary 1996). Compiled by: Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 29 June 2020

• LI005-107 Pit
  Description

  On flat former pasture now under the Parkway Roundabout to Plassey Rd. Junction Realignment Road, 500m W of the Groody River. An archaeological excavation under licence No. 01E0946 (dims. 15m EW x 10m NS) uncovered a small number of pits (Cummins 2001; Cummins 2003, 244-5). The pits were initially discovered during topsoil stripping under licence No. 00E0653 (O’Rahilly 2002, 201-2). Two of the pits were located near the centre of the road. The first was oval (dims. 0.69m NS x 0.4-0.22m D). There were no finds in the charcoal-rich fill and the base was heat-reddened, indicating an in situ burning. This pit was disturbed by a later circular pit (dims. 0.44m W x 0.22m D). The fill contained charcoal and a single sherd of prehistoric pottery (tentatively identified as Neolithic). Another pit was uncovered 5m to the NW (dims. 0.98m EW x 0.7-0.25m D). The eastern side was fire reddened and the fill contained charcoal in quantities indicative of in situ burning. The function of these pits was unclear. The burning may suggest a domestic activity, but no other habitation evidence was identified in the excavation cutting. The excavator suggested a ritual function, such as burial or a votive offering, however no cremated human bone was discovered. The interpretation of the site was hampered by modern activity. A field boundary ditch, tree root activity and cultivation furrows were recorded. Post-medieval field boundaries and buildings are illustrated close to the site of the excavation on the 1840 ed. OS 6-inch map and later 1897 ed. OS 25-inch map. See attached location map taken from excavation report (Cummins 2001) Compiled by: Edmond O'Donovan Date of upload: 16 July 2020

• LI005-117 Ring-ditch
  Description

  Situated in the lower south west area of Kimurry Park, Garryowen. Faint cropmark of circular-shaped ring ditch (diam. c. 11m) visible on Google Earth orthoimage taken 28/06/2018. See attached Google Earth aerial photographs Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Niall O'Callaghan Date of upload: 10 November 2021

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Singland.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. 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).

Radon

At the centre of the townland of Singland, about 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as low, partly inferred. Parts of the land are made ground.

Terrain model

LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_973 (ZIP).

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. 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.

No address of the register names Singland with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Limerick.

Name

Singland · Saingeal

Area

2,116,270 m² (211.63 ha, 522.94 acres)

Civil parish

St. Patrick's, and its townlands

Barony

North Liberties

Electoral division

Singland B, the unit of the census

Census 2022

3,777 people lived in 1,363 households in the Singland B electoral division. 82% of households owned their home. 14% of homes were built since 2001. 3% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 0% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Killalee, Monaclinoe, Monamuck, Park, Reboge, Reboge Meadows, Spital-Land, Towlerton

Placenames

Singland on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. 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.