King's Island
Townland in the civil parish of St. Munchin's, barony of North Liberties, Co. Limerick; in Irish Oileán an Rí
Parcel 1671010
- Area
- 173 m²
- Buildings
- 3 buildings touch it, 102 m² on the ground
- Zoning
- R2 Existing Residential (Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028) The objective
- Townland
- King's Island
Planning applications on this parcel
No planning application touches this parcel 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 this parcel.
Recorded monuments around it
This parcel is in the zone of notification of 129 recorded monuments.
- LI005-016001 Earthwork
Description
Earthwork or small mound depicted with hachures on the 1938 ed. OS 6-inch map, annotated 'Castle Blake or Farranshone (Site of)' (LI005-006002-) which marked the site of Castle Blake. Modern housing located in area marked on OS 6-inch map. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 November 2019
- LI005-016002 Castle - unclassified
Description
Westropp (1907, 32) and Orpen (1914, 167-9) suggested that Castle of Blathac was 'stated to be near Limerick, having been apparently given to the citizens by John with other lands near the city; "forty" castles are named in the grant, as being in these lands; they left no trace known to us. It may have been the "Castleblagh" granted to Sir W. Parsons, in the county of the city of Limerick, and still known as Castleblake, or Farrenshone, on the Clare side of the Shannon'. Farranshone or Castle Blake was described by Westropp (1906-7, 81) as following; '1218 Walter de Lacy held the C[astle]. of Drogheda, the land of Armail [Ardmayle], and the C[astle]. of Blathac, near Limerick city (C.S.P.I., No. 835). The grants are equivocal, some giving Drogheda, Armail [Ardmayle, Co. Tipperary], near Limerick, and C[astle]. Blathac (lb., 952, 953). The citizens of Limerick granted to Henry de Londres, Archbishop of Dublin, 1213-1228, and the Church of the Holy Trinity, Dublin, a carucate at C[astle]. Blathac, with the C[astle], being one of the forty castles granted by King John to Limerick (Crede Mihi, lix. Lib. Nig. Alani, 579). Before 1248 the Archbishop granted it to Matilda, wife of W. de Mareys (C.S.P.I., vol. i., 2759). In 1624, Sir W. Parsons was confirmed in Castleblake or Castleblagh in the County of the City of Limerick (Pat. B.). 1633 Nic[holas]. Arthur held Castleblake or Farrenshone (Inq. Chan. 112) ; also in 1655 (C.S., xxviii., p. 83). It is not marked in Petty's map 63). 1666 Confirmed to Sir W. Petty (Act Sett.)'. Orpen (1909, 40-1) wrote the following account on Castle Blake; 'As to the site of the castle, in my ignorance of the locality I can only look for it on the map. It must have been close to Limerick and adjoining, if not on, the forty carucates of burgage land. It seems certain that these forty carucates, or some of them, are now represented by the "North Liberties" of Limerick, which have been formed into a barony by themselves. At the northern extremity of this barony is "Castle Park." This, however, according to Mr. Westropp's notes, was distinguished in the seventeenth century from Castleblake or Castle blagh. The latter was about the same time equated with Farrenshone, still the name of a disjointed townland here. Evidently the site of Castleblathach, if any trace of it be discoverable, will be found somewhere near'. Modern housing located in area where castle site is marked on OS 6-inch map. See attached 1657 Down Survey barony map of the North Liberties (Hib. Reg.) showing two buildings immediately S of the road leading into Limerick City. The location of Castleblake on the OS maps is similar to the location of these two houses on the Down Survey map. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 13 November 2019
- LI005-017 Historic town
Description
The historic city of Limerick was described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 241-67) as following; 'The city of Limerick is situated on the river Shannon in the north-east corner of County Limerick. The placename is derived from Luimneach "bare or barren land", a name which originally appears to have been applied to part of the Shannon estuary rather than just the immediate site of the city itself. The handful of prehistoric finds from the city indicates only that the site of the future settlement was occasionally frequented by man in early times. The fact that there are not more is surprising because the presence of the Curragour Falls must have given Limerick a topographical significance even in prehistoric times. There are many artefacts in the collections of the National Museum and elsewhere which were found in the river Shannon "near Limerick" but only two stone axeheads and two bronze dirks can be pinned down to the actual vicinity of the old would seem to have been an into early historic times. The Hiberno-Scandinavian Town The first evidence for the presence of Scandinavians occurs in 845 (AFM: 843) when Viking fleets appeared on the Shannon estuary and launched raids into county Limerick. It is unlikely that they settled, however, but there are a few scattered references which may indicate that a base existed at or near Limerick for a short time in the later ninth century. An eleventh century saga states that the Vikings Hona and Tomrir Torra were at Limerick with an army in 860 (Radner 1978, 109); a Viking fleet is known to have raided along the Shannon from Limerick in 866; and the Chronicon Scottorum states that the "foreigners of Limerick" were slaughtered by the Connachtmen in 887. It is hard to know if these three references add up to a permanent settlement at late ninth century Limerick or not but they certainly show that there was Scandinavian activity in the area at this time. The present city was founded in 922 by the Norse king Tamar mac Ailche (?Thormodr Helgason), "king of an immense fleet" who landed on Inis Sibtond (King’s Island) and established a lonqphort there. The site afforded considerable natural advantages. Being an island it was easy to defend, there was immediate access to the open sea along the Shannon estuary and thereby to the lucrative Atlantic trade routes of Europe. The shallows at Curragour Falls formed a natural barrier restricting the flow of river traffic and the situation also afforded an entry into the rich heart of central Ireland along the Shannon basin. Tamar, indeed, lost no time in making his presence felt. His fleet proceeded to devastate the monasteries which could be reached from the Shannon: Terryglass, Lorrha, Clonfert and Clonmacnoise among others (Smyth 1979, 21). At Inis Cealtra, on Lough Derg, the raid was so fierce that two centuries later it was remembered that "they drowned its shrines, relics and its books" (Todd 1867, 38-9). They proceeded into Lough Ree and from there started to raid into Meath and Connacht, all the while presumably sending back the loot of plunder and slaves to the newly founded settlement at Limerick for auction and sale. The history of Scandinavian Limerick can in fact be divided into four phases: (1) the period of foundation, 922-37; (2) the period of Dublin domination, 937-67; (3) period of Ua Briain domination 967-c.1065; and (4) the period as Ua Briain capital c.1065-c.1195. These periods can only be briefly glanced at here. The period of foundation, 922-37, witnessed Limerick emerge as an independent Scandinavian settlement struggling to maintain its independence from the kings of Dublin. The events of these years, which witnessed raids by the Limerick Vikings all over central, western and northern Ireland are particularly well recorded in the annals. In 923 they captured Flaithbertach mac Inmainen, the retired king of Munster, from his island retreat at Loch Cré and brought him back to Limerick for ransom. In 924 they again placed a fleet on Lough Ree, this time under the command of Colla mac Bairid (Kolli Baardarson), described in the annals as king of Limerick (AFM: 922; CS: 923). In 924 the Dublin Vikings, worried that the growing number of Limerick raids in central Ireland would diminish their power, sent an army to subdue their Limerick kinsmen but they were defeated and had to retreat back to Dublin (AU). This victory seems to have encouraged the ambitions of Limerick’s leaders. In 928 Tamar mac Ailche put his fleet on Lough Neagh and burnt the islands of that lake (AU: 927). In 929 Limerick vessels are recorded on Lough Corrib and they remained there until the following year (AU: 928; AFM: 927; CS: 930). In 930 a Limerick army encamped in central Ossory, establishing their base at Loch Beathrach, an unidentified lake which appears to have been either on the Nore or its tributary the King’s River (Smyth 1979, 25) and was only driven out by the appearance of Gothfrith, king of Dublin, with a rival army in the following year (AFM sa 929; AU sa 929). The year 931 saw a Limerick fleet on Lough Ree (AU: 931; AFM: 929; CS: 930) and the activities of the Limerick Vikings in Connacht and central Ireland between 931 and 937 has led to the suggestion that they must have established a base in Lough Ree (Smyth 1979, 250-1). Indeed Smyth (ibid) has speculated that the famous Hare Island (Co. Westmeath) hoard, the largest known gold find from Viking-age Europe, formed part of the treasure of the Limerick armies. In 933 a new leader, Olafr Cenncairech ("scabby-head") lead them into Roscommon (AFM:932) and returned there again the following year (CS: 933). In 936 he transported his ships overland from the Shannon to the Erne and raided down into the present-day county of Cavan (AFM: 934; CS: 935; A. Clon., 149). He returned back to Lough Ree on Christmas night of 936 and he remained there for seven months plundering and looting the plains of Connacht (AFM: 934). In August 937 the long-awaited confrontation between the Dublin and Limerick Vikings occurred. Olafr Gothfrithson, king of Dublin, led his army to Lough Ree where he defeated the Limerick vikings, broke up their ships and carried Olafr Cenncairech back to Dublin as his prisoner (AFM: 935; CS: 935; A. Clon. 931). That the defeat of Olafr Cenncairech marks a stage in Limerick’s history is clear from the absence of references to it the succeeding years. Indeed, from what little evidence there is, it appears that the king of Dublin now imposed a member of his own family, Haraldr Sigtryggson (d. 940), king of Limerick (Smyth 1979, 35). The settlers now seem to have become more closely integrated into the local political scene. In 953 Limerick vikings assisted the king of Munster, Cellacháin Caisil, in plundering Clonmacnoise (AFM 951; AU 952). This integration was to reach a head in 967 (AU 966) with the capture of the town by Mathgamain mac Cennetig, who had seized the kingship of Cashel in 963. The Coqadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh, written some two hundred years later states that "the fort and good town (deabali) was burned and reduced ashes" (Todd 1867, 80-1). The booty obtained at the time had all the appearance of oriental origin as Smyth (1977, 165-6) has remarked: "they carried off their jewels and their best property, and their saddles beautiful and foreign; their gold and silver, their beautiful woven cloth of all colours and kinds; their satins and silken cloth, pleasing and variegated, both scarlet and green" (Todd 1867, 78-9). The captives "soft, youthful, bright, matchless girls ..blooming, silk-clad young women, large, active and well-formed boys" were rounded up on the hills of Saingel and "every one that was fit for war was killed and every one of them that was fit for a slave was enslaved" (ibid.,78-81). The capture of Limerick in 967 marks the beginning of a period of Ua Briain domination that was to last until the coming of the Anglo-Normans. Within this period, however, there is a noti
- LI005-017001 Bridge
Description
19th century Balls (Baals) Bridge (NIAH Reg. No. 21513031) traversing the Abbey River was built on the site of the four arched medieval Baal's Bridge. The medieval bridge was described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 256) as following; 'The reference to the destruction of a bridge by Domhnall Mor Ua Briain in 1176 indicates that there has been a bridge at Limerick since Viking times. The location of this bridge, however, is not absolutely certain. From the context in which the reference occurs it is most unlikely that it is a bridge which straddles the Shannon but rather a bridge linking King’s Island with Irish Town or the mainland probably on the site of the present Baal’s Bridge (Scott and Martin 1978, 167). Ball’s bridge may retain a medieval core although rebuilt in 1830 (Leask 1941,102). Both Baal’s Bridge and Thomond Bridge (LI005-017002-) are shown many times on sixteenth and seventeenth century maps and there can be little doubt but that both are ancient crossing points'. In 1998 three cuttings were excavated under licence No. 98E0581 on George's Quay and one at Broad Street before construction activity associated with the Limerick Main Drainage Scheme. In addition, a programme of excavation (50 trenches) was initiated in the Abbey River before the first phase of pipe-laying in the riverbed. Phase II of the construction work will see river gravels being investigated for archaeological structures and artefacts at the mouth of the Abbey River at its confluence with the River Shannon and another short programme of land-based excavation in the Potato Market. The summary of these excavations were described by Edmond O'Donovan for Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd as following; 'Broad Street Excavations at Broad Street (Cutting 3) uncovered two medieval bridge piers under the junction of Broad Street and Charlotte Quay. These structures formed part of the medieval bridge (on the site of Baal's Bridge) that formed the vital link between the Irishtown and the Englishtown on King's Island. When the Anglo-Normans launched their assault on Limerick in 1175 there was no bridge in the location later occupied by Baal's Bridge. Giraldus Cambrensis records that the attackers found a ford across the Abbey River and he 'hurled himself headlong into the swiftly flowing river...' and managed to cross to the opposite bank. It would appear that the bridge linking King's Island to the mainland to the south, on the site of what is now called Baal's Bridge, was non-existent when the Anglo-Normans arrived in Limerick in 1175. The excavations at Broad Street indicated a long archaeological sequence commencing in the mid-13th century up to the present day. The cutting measured 35m east-west by between 5m and excavated to a depth of 5m below the street level. Three samples from oak timbers that revetted one of the bridge piers were submitted for dendrochronological dating (David Brown, The Queen's University of Belfast). The results suggested that the bridge piers were constructed in the early 13th century. Organic deposits were identified abutting the bridge piers. Environmental analysis of macrofossil plant and insect remains (by Eileen Reilly and Penny Johnston of Margaret Gowen & Co.) has demonstrated that the deposits around the bridge piers accumulated slowly as a result of the dumping of organic refuse and the accumulation of river silts. The organic deposits originated from natural silting and contemporary settlement in the medieval city during the 13th and 14th centuries. The excavation revealed evidence for the growth and development of Broad Street, with evidence of house floors dating from the 14th/early 15th century built on top of ground reclaimed from the riverbed. This expansion of the Irishtown towards the Abbey River is likely to have been associated with renewed town wall building extending into the Abbey River. The uppermost archaeological deposits in the cutting consisted of post-medieval cobbling, drains and culverts. The medieval bridge was demolished in 1830 before the construction of the current Baal's Bridge. Baal's Bridge Extensive excavations of the riverbed from Matthew Bridge to Baal's Bridge have been completed. These involved opening a large cutting under Baal's Bridge and fifty smaller trenches upstream and downstream of the ford on which the bridge is sited. The river gravels (c. 1m deep) in these locations are rich in archaeological artefacts. While no in situ structures have been uncovered, a large, important and eclectic collection of archaeological objects was found. The trenches were excavated in situ in the riverbed, and the artefacts were recovered layer by layer. A preliminary summary of the artefacts found includes objects dating from the prehistoric period (worked flint) to the post-medieval period. To date, no Bronze Age objects have been recovered. Several pre-Viking Age artefacts have been recovered, including a possible Iron Age horse bit, an Early Christian bronze zoomorphic object and a spiral-headed pin. A number of Viking Age stick-pins and a coin (c. 1035), minted in London for King Cnut, were also found. Medieval and post-medieval artefacts include beads, coins, horse equipment, pins, brooches, tools and weapons. A small assemblage of locally manufactured and imported medieval pottery has been recovered from the riverbed. Fifty medieval coins dating from 1200 to 1540 have been recovered; they are largely Irish, although Scottish, French and English coins are also included. An early post-medieval (c. 1600) seal bearing the 'Lymerick Port' coat of arms was also recovered from the riverbed. Objects dating from the Williamite siege of the city, including iron and stone cannon, musket balls of various sizes, gun flints, spurs, fragments of iron mortar bombs, grenades, iron bayonets and coins (Jacobite gun money), have been retrieved.' (www.excavations.ie). The present 19th century bridge was described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage [NIAH] as a, 'Single-arched hump-back limestone bridge, built between 1830-31, linking Mary Street to the north in English Town with Broad Street to the south within Irish Town and spans the Abbey River. Plaque to bridge reads: 'This bridge was erected by virtue of an Act of the XIth of Geo.e the IV. The Rt. Honble. Thos. Spring Rice M.P. for the city of Limerick. Commenced taking down the old bridge Nov. 1830. The new bridge finished Nov. 1831. J.A. & G. R. Pain Architects.' Another plaque reads: 'The ancient bridge of four arches which occupied this site was taken down and this bridge erected at the expense of the new Limerick Navigation Company incorporated 1830 - Chas. Wye Williams Esqr. Chief Director. J.A. & G. R. Pain Architects.' (www.buildingsofireland.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 November 2019
- LI005-017002 Bridge
Description
The present 19th century Thomond Bridge (NIAH Reg. No. 21508001) crossing the River Shannon overlooked by King John's Castle (LI005-017014-) was described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a, 'Seven-arch rock-faced limestone road bridge, built in 1836, spanning the River Shannon, with pointed curved breakwaters and short quadrant abutments. Inscription to commemorative plaque, on road side of parapet reads: 'This bridge was built A.D. 1840 at the Expense of the Corporation of the Borough of Limerick. This tablet was placed there by order of the town council A.D. 1843. The Right Worshipful Martin Honan Mayor John F. Raleigh Esq. Town Clerk Francis O'Neil Esq. Treasurer James and G.R. Pain Architects.' The building of a wider and more accessible Thomond Bridge, which was constructed between 1836-1838 to the design of James Pain and George Pain, gave better access to the agricultural districts of Clare. It replaced a series of previous bridges dating to the twelfth or thirteenth century, linking the west side of the River Shannon with King's Island. The previous medieval bridge was of fourteen arches. It is believed to incorporate pier foundations from the bridge which it replaced, as survey drawings dated to 1814, demonstrating the re-use of existing historic fabric by James Pain' (www.buildingsofireland.ie). Thomond medieval bridge crossing the River Shannon was described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 256) as following; 'The reference to the destruction of a bridge by Domhnall Mor Ua Briain in 1176 indicates that there has been a bridge at Limerick since Viking times. The location of this bridge, however, is not absolutely certain. From the context in which the reference occurs it is most unlikely that it is a bridge which straddles the Shannon but rather a bridge linking King’s Island with Irish Town or the mainland probably on the site of the present Baal’s Bridge [LI005-017001-] (Scott and Martin 1978, 167). The bridge across the Shannon appears to have been built in the reign of John [1199-1216]. In 1358 the citizens received a grant to assist them in extending this bridge and adding towers to it in order to repel the Irish (Tresham 1828, 74: no. 82). Both Baal's Bridge and Thomond Bridge are shown many times on sixteenth and seventeenth century maps and there can be little doubt that both are ancient crossing points'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 November 2019 See Hodkinson, B. (2005) 'Old Thomond bridge' NMAJ 45, 1-6
- LI005-017003 House - medieval
Description
Bourke's House described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 258-9) as following; 'One wall of this structure stands on the north side of Athlunkard St near the junction with Mary St. It is built of roughly coursed rubble limestone and is c.7m high and 12.5m wide although incomplete at both ends. In the centre of the facade, at ground level, is a modern pointed recess containing a drinking fountain; this possibly occupies the site of an earlier door. A large concave moulding runs across most of the facade some 2m above ground level. Above the drinking fountain, c.3m above ground, is another pointed recess occupying the site of a fireplace with chimney-flue rising above it. To the west of the fireplace is a small wall cupboard. Above the fireplace, c.6m above ground level, the wall is thickened inwards by 40cm and is supported on a row of flat lintels resting on pyramidal corbels. Above each lintel is a relieving arch'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 November 2019
- LI005-017004 Castle - tower house
Description
National monument No. 383. Late medieval tower house known locally as Fanning’s Castle which stands at the S end of King's Island, E of Creagh Lane and S of Mary Street, 55m N of the Abbey River and 130m SSE of St Mary's Cathedral (LI005-017015-). The castle was named after the Fanning family who were in possession of this building in 1641. The castle was also known locally as Whitamore's Castle named after Whitamore's Inn which was described in the 17th century as facing the Old Tholsel in Mary Street (Limerick Leader July 15, 1950). However in the 17th century the Town Hall was housed in the Exchange, of which the portico still survives standing behind the chancel of St. Mary’s Cathedral. Thomas Dineley a visitor to the city in the late 17th century stated the 'The Inns of the best accommodacon are at Mr. Francis Whittemares' (Shirley 1886, 440). The footnotes to Dineley's diary stated 'Francis Whittamore was mayor of Limerick in 1682' and that Whittamore's Castle was located in Mary-street (ibid.) Conservation work was first carried out on the building by the state c. 1940 (ibid.). In the 1950 article in the Limerick Leader the building was described as following; 'The house dates from about 1500. It fronted originally on Mary Street, and the present conspicuous remains really represent the hind portion with fireplace, doorway, Tudor windows and a graderobe. North of the ruin a stump of ancient masonry behind Creagh Lane houses marks the former home of the most notable of the Fanning's, Dominic. In 1646 a peace treaty was rejected, the existing Mayor was deposed and Alderman Dominic Fanning was appointed by the clergy and the local people as the new Mayor of Limerick (Gilbert 1879, 699). He took a prominent part in the resistance to Ireton, was taken after the fall of the city and executed in November 1651'. Thomas Dineley recorded that Dominic Fanning, Mayor of Limerick City between 1646-52 had held out 'against Ireton Cromwells son in law, for which he was hanged at this own door & his house is demolished to this day' (Shirley 1866, 441-2). Described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 259-62) as following: ‘This five storied tower house is located on the south side of English town behind the Vocational school. It originally overlooked the Abbey River. It is in a poor state of preservation; only the south wall (c. 11.5m high) being completely intact, the east wall is largely intact but with modern modifications, the south return of the west wall survives and the north wall is completely missing. The masonry is roughly coursed limestone with dressed limestone quoins and all the windows and doors in the south wall have chamfered limestone jambs. The present ground level is built up, c.2-3m higher than in gardens to the west, and covers most of the ground floor. This may have been barrel-vaulted as a broad (3.75m) segmental arch, most of the keystones of which are modern replacements, is visible just above present ground level in the south wall (internally) and another protrudes c.75cm above external ground level at the rear (north). No features of the ground plan are visible internally but externally the south wall has a round headed doorway and a rectangular window/door both of which are now blocked. First Floor There is a large splayed twin-light rectangular window with flat rear arch and window seats, now mostly missing, and a splayed round-headed door, now missing its rear arch, in the south wall. This must have led to an external wooden stairs or balcony, supported on corbels which are now missing, although some survive on the upper floors. In the south east angle is a rectangular door leading to a narrow passage in the thickness of the east wall which projects to the south beyond the line of the south wall; this may have formed a stair turret with spiral stairs to upper floor but now is partly rebuilt and no trace of the stairs is evident. In the east wall was a large fireplace, now missing; the chimney flue rises up through second and third floors. There is also a small wall-cupboard beside the fireplace. The west wall is featureless apart from a possible blocked opening. Second floor There is a large splayed twin-light ogee-headed window in the south wall with window seats and a round headed doorway with flat rear arch. Two corbels are visible externally just below the door to the east and possibly another to the west which may have supported a balcony/stairs. Both window and door are spanned by a single segmental arch. In the east wall is a rectangular door, leading to the stair turret, and wall cupboard beside the chimney flue. The west wall has a blocked flat lintelled door, apparently original, although one jamb is modern. Third floor The south wall has a splayed twin-light ogee-headed window with a flat/segmental rear arch and window seats and a rectangular door with flat lintelled rear arch. No definite corbels to support a stairs or balcony are visible on this level externally although there is a projecting stone on the west side of the second floor door just below the arch and another projecting stone on the west side of the third floor door itself. Just above the door, to the west is a drainage chute. In the east wall is a rectangular door leading to the stair turret and a wall cupboard beside the chimney-flue. The stair turret rises only to third floor level; on ground, first and second floors, moreover, the east wall continues south beyond the stair turret. Fourth floor Externally the south wall rises uniformly (i.e. there is no gable) to a height of 11.5m but internally there is a stepped flat topped gable built against the outer wall. In this gable is a single light splayed round headed window with a flat/segmental rear arch and window seats. It would appear that the roof rested on this gable and that the east and west walls did not rise any higher than the third floor. On the east wall, north of the chimney a pediment supports a slightly thickened wall, possibly a wall walk around the base of the roof with external parapet. On both east and west walls this parapet rises sharply, by c.2.5m, one metre south of the south wall to provide a higher parapet for the south wall with gable end’. Described by Harbison (1970, 152) as; 'The somewhat disappointing walls of a four-storey house built by a Limerick merchant named Fanning in the late 16th or early 17th century. It has unusually wide windows. Another building was added to the house later'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 18 April 2018
- LI005-017005 House - medieval
Description
Medieval building listed as House A and described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 262-3) as following; 'A short stretch of wall between the Garda Station (Nos.32-3) and No.34 Mary Street may be the wall of a medieval house. It is built of roughly coursed rubble limestone c.3.5m long and 5.5m high with a batter c.2m high. It has a projecting dressed corbel at 4.5m and a segmental (relieving) arch near this'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 November 2019
- LI005-017006 House - medieval
Description
Medieval building listed as House B and described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 263) as following; ‘Two walls of a house between Nos. 35-36 and 37-38 Nicholas St are probably the side walls of a medieval house. They are built of roughly coursed rubble limestone some 7m high. The south wall is 1.5m thick. There is a round headed doorway with chamfered limestone jambs in the north wall between Nos.35-6'. This house was added to the Register of Historic Monuments on the 17/06/1994. Excavations carried out at 36-39 Nicholas St and No.'s 1-3 Peter St by Celie O'Rahilly under licence No. 94E0071 ext. were summarised as following; 'The site was within the Englishtown, on the east side of Nicholas Street and north of Peter Street. The latter, positioned opposite the northern end of St Mary's Cathedral, was formed between 1840 and 1870 and presumably was so named as it led to Peter's Cell, off Bishop's Street to the east. Nicholas Street was the main street and has its origins in the medieval town. There were four properties in the site, Nos 36-39 (consisting of two buildings, each subdivided into two units), facing onto Nicholas Street, and a range of three cottages extending down the northern side of Peter Street. Building 1 (Nos 36 and 37), to the north, was a three-storey, two-bay building, 9.5m deep by 6m wide. The front wall, on Nicholas Street, was a mixture of brick- and blockwork. The rear wall was mass concrete. These units were inserted between the standing remains of two stone side-walls of a late medieval house, the southern one containing, at first-floor level, the sides and part of the lintel of a late medieval fireplace. The sides were finely carved limestone, with the eastern side intact but the western side damaged. It was obvious from the vertical building breaks in the two side-walls that the walls of the medieval house did not originally extend as far as the present street line but c. 4m short of it. Between the two side-walls, towards the rear of the property, were the remains of a vaulted undercroft (Excavations 1994, 58-9; Excavations 1995, 56). The Urban Archaeology Survey also mentions 'a round headed doorway with chamfered limestone jambs in the north wall between Nos. 35/36' (Bradley et al. c. 1989-90, 263, House B). At the rear of the property was another building, of which only the northern gable and eastern side-wall survive. Building 2 (Nos 38 and 39), to the south, was a two-storey, two-bay building at the corner of Nicholas Street and Peter Street. The original building was 8.5m wide and 6.5m deep. At the rear the northern unit had a lean-to (total depth 3.5m and 1.5m wide) against the party wall with a tiny open space beyond it. The remainder of the area was covered with an extension, measuring 7m north-south by 3.75m, accessed from Peter Street. The Peter Street range consisted of three single-storey houses (artisan dwelling type), each with a central door and one window on either side. All opes were defined with brick arches set in stone walls. The total length was 21.5m, and they were 5m wide. At the rear, between the house walls and the party wall to the north, were sheds/outhouses. The three houses were at the same floor level, which was at street level at the west end of the street, but, given the drop in the latter, there was a flight of five steps to the footpath at the eastern end of the third house. Both the Peter Street cottages and the building on the corner were built between 1840 and 1870, but Nos 36 and 37 dated to the 1930s. The recent work on this site, in April 1999, following the demolition of Nos 36 and 37, consisted of a cutting, Cut 9, and limited access to the undercroft. A report was prepared incorporating an account of all the archaeologically supervised work done, together with historical and cartographic research, 18th-century descriptions and a brief inventory of comparative structures in Limerick. The standing remains of the medieval walls were recorded photogrammetrically, and structural analysis by an architectural historian is pending. Cut 9 was 2.3m east of the front wall, parallel to the dividing wall of Nos 36 and 37, and extended eastwards as far as the mass concrete back wall. There was a possible cross-wall 5m from the front of the property. It was very poorly built, with a layer of soft, cement-like substance with underlying brick, and its total width was 1m. Given its instability, it appears unlikely to have been load-bearing. West of this wall the cut was 2.7m long and 1.4m wide. There was 2m of rubble overlying soft, brown, silty fill with a high bone content. This may be of archaeological significance, although no finds were recovered that could be used to date it. Given the unstable nature of the rubble fill, no further digging was done. To the east of the cross-wall the cut was 1.6m wide and 2.7m long, and the fill consisted of a high amount of large stones, slabs and brick. The base of the back wall was 1.3m below the floor level and was set on a stone plinth from the base of which a cut and carved stone was recovered, identical to one in situ in the mantelpiece. The dividing wall of Nos 36 and 37 defined the southern side of the cut. To the west of the cross-wall it was of a very poor quality, mainly brick, which curved vertically, possibly because it was vaulted (?cellar). It was 1.6m high. East of the cross-wall it was built with 0.25m of concrete overlying courses of brick. The total exposed height was 0.45m. Given the instability of the dividing wall, it is unlikely that the 1930s buildings had separate cellars. It is possible, however, that there was a single cellar for the building they replaced, with an arched longitudinal dividing wall. The underlying fill was very loose, which would suggest that the preceding building was demolished into an existing cavity. Apart from the dividing wall with possible vaulting, no other cellar walls were identified, and it was not possible for reasons of safety to make a cutting close to the side-walls. Given that the two side-walls relate to the original late medieval house, if there was a cellar belonging to the 18th/19th-century building it is likely that it was a conversion of the existing undercroft, with an extension westwards, as it would have been structurally very difficult to have inserted a cellar at a later stage. The vaulted undercroft was initially identified towards the rear of the property, where its eastern end wall was found. This consisted of a blocked arch, with the blocking done in two parts, northern and southern. The wall itself may be original, but this was not confirmed. At the western end the vault, or at least the central part of it, was partly destroyed by the levelling of the area immediately east of the mass concrete wall of the 1930s building, in order to accommodate the concrete floor of their backyards. It was clear from the accumulation of debris here and on both sides of the eastern end wall that it was backfilled with household-type rubbish that, judging by the pottery, was dumped in the 18th and 19th centuries. The undercroft It had been intended to record the undercroft. To do this it was necessary to reduce the ground level east of the end wall. The access ramp, first made in 1995, extended from the south, through the existing gap in the property wall at the rear of the last house on Peter Street. It then curved westwards down the centre of the plot to meet the arch just north of its centre point, cutting a thick deposit of sand. The front wall of the building at the rear of the property (on the 1840 and 1870 OS plans) was identified during the removal of this fill. Its base was cut into the upper layers of the sand, at a depth of 0.5m, implying that, once the end wall of the undercroft was blocked, the area was infilled with sand before the construction of the house. This building used the end of the northern late medieval wall as its northern gable. Visible in the n
- LI005-017007 House - medieval
Description
Medieval building listed as House C and described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 263) as following; ‘The dividing wall between Nos. 2 and 3 Nicholas St, 6-7m high and 90cm thick, is built of roughly coursed rubble limestone. On the north face at a height of 6m is a projecting corbel face at a height of 4m is a projecting in dressed limestone. A similar moulding face of the wall between Nos.3 and 4. Residents stated that these walls are part of an "Augustinian Church" but are more likely to have been the walls of a private house'. This house was added to the Register of Historic Monuments on the 17/06/1994. Excavations carried out here in 1994 by Celie O'Rahilly under licence No. 94E072 were summarised as following; 'This site is located on the west side of Nicholas St. within the Englishtown and is erroneously identified as "St Nicholas Abbey" on the OS 1840 map and "St Nicholas's Abbey, (remains of)" on the 1870 edition. There was no St Nicholas Abbey in Limerick, but there was a medieval parish church [LI005-017114-] dedicated to St Nicholas further north where the "Widows Alms Houses" are now, immediately south of King John's Castle [LI005-017014-]. The church was demolished after the siege of 1692 and the Alms Houses built by the then Corporation. The substantial walls stretching east-west along this site are, in fact, the remains of two late medieval castellated town houses which fronted onto Nicholas St. Three cuttings were opened: the first in No. 3, the second in No. 6 and the third to the rear of No. 5. The first two were infilled cellars. It was hoped that the third would be undisturbed but this was, in fact, infilled with cut stone masonry rubble. It appears that it was also originally cellared. Judging by the quality of the stone - some architectural fragments were found and an arched doorway in the northernmost wall was noted by the Urban Survey - the rubble may be from the late medieval houses which were partly demolished prior to houses being built in the 1930s. Unfortunately, most of the dividing wall (between Nos. 4 and 5), which had survived the various rebuilds of this site, was demolished in 1992, under the Dangerous Buildings Act, as was part of the northernmost wall where the door is located. The southern wall which is the wall of the house to the south of the site was in very poor condition and was recently repaired. No archaeological deposits were identified within the cuttings. The surviving late medieval walls are to be retained within the new development' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 14 November 2019
And 119 more.
Architectural heritage
No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.
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).
Ground and risks
- Radon
- About 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home
- Landslides
- Susceptibility 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_949 (ZIP).
- Flooding
- The flood maps of the Office of Public Works: floodinfo.ie.
Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency; Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland; both 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.
Download this parcel: DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its neighbours and buildings, for a drawing program; GeoJSON, in WGS 84, for a map; KML, for Google Earth.
Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. 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.
- Area
- 51.5 ha
- 127 acres
- Land parcels
- 438
- registered freehold, median 170 m²
- Zoning
- R2
- Existing Residential
- Planning
- 20
- applications since 2010
Land parcels
Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann
438 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in King's Island, from 4 m² to 37,429 m² (3.74 ha, 9.25 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary; 2 neighbouring parcels touch it.
Download the townland: DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings; GeoJSON or KML.
Zoning
Development plans, national zoning
- R2Existing Residential (Existing residential)
Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick · 376 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - G5Open Space and Recreation (Mixed/general 'green'/recreation/conservation, other)
Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick · 41 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - M2City Centre (City/Town/village Centre, central area)
Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick · 9 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - S5Education and Community Facilities (Mixed/general community services/facilities uses)
Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick · 3 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - C2.1Enterprise and Employment (Industrial, enterprise, employment)
Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick · 1 parcels The zoning objective in the plan - R1New Residential (New/proposed residential)
Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick · 0 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.
Planning applications
Sites that touch the townland, newest first
23 Feb 2026Conditional
construction of 8 no. lighting columns for Star Rovers AstroTurf pitch and grass pitch and demolition and removal of 4 no. existing lighting columns
Permission · Limerick County Council, 2640
18 Dec 2025N/a
(i) Extension and renovation of the existing single-storey King's Island Youth & Community Centre building (232 sqm) comprising alteration and extensions including an additional storey at first floor level and new roof structure. The extended building floor area of 911 sqm (gross internal floor area) shall comprise at ground floor level: a community café and servery area, multi-purpose sports hall, office and meeting/training room accommodation and at first floor level further office and meeting/training room accommodation in addition to ancillary toilet, circulation, storage and plant spaces at both ground and first floor levels. The proposed new roof structure shall incorporate roof lights over the community café, multi-purpose sports hall and first floor level circulation spaces. (ii) Public realm works at Verdant Place comprising a mixture of soft and hard landscaped areas including 4no. car parking spaces and 1no. loading bay on Verdant Place. (iii) A new multi-use games area (250swm) to the north of the community centre building and adjoining the existing playground on St. Ita's Street. (iv) All associated site development works, services, piped infrastructure and ducting, changes in level, site landscaping and all associated development and excavation works above and below ground. Limerick City & County Council has carried out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening Report in accordance with the requirements of Article 120(1B)(b)(i) and has determined that there is no real likelihood of significant effects on the environment. Accordingly, it has been determined that EIA is not required in respect of this proposed development. Nonetheless, a person may, within 4 weeks beginning on the date of the publication of this notice, apply to An Coimisiún Pleanála, 64, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, D01 902. Limerick City and County Council in accordance with the requirements of Article 250(1) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) has carried out an Appropriate Assessment (AA) Screening Report and it has been determined that a full Appropriate Assessment is not required in respect of this proposed development
Permission · Limerick County Council, 258329
12 Dec 2025Conditional
the refurbishment of the existing school, 2531m2, the construction of a new single storey extension for special education needs, 189m2 and demolition of an existing plant room, 64m2. The works will include the creation of 2No. playspaces at first floor level, with a new escape staircase within the courtyard, new hard and soft landscaping to include the upgrade of public realm at the Island Road entrance, and all associated site works
Permission · Limerick County Council, 2561325
18 Jul 2025Conditional
The development, Limerick Navigation and Park Canal 5-year Maintenance Works along the Abbey River and Shannon River Navigation from Quay Lock to Ardnacrusha Tail Race junction and the Park Canal, in the townlands of Rebouge, Rebouge Island, Park, Monamuck, Irishtown, St. Francis Abbey, English Town, King’s Island, Corbally, Monabraher, Co. Limerick., will consist of essential maintenance works along the Shannon Navigation and Park Canal, as outlined in the Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) submitted with the planning application and in accordance with Waterways Ireland’s statutory remit comprising of the following: • Removal from the navigation, along the Abbey River and River Shannon to the Ardnacrusha Tail Race, overhanging branches and infringing trees (including dead trees) that have fallen over more than 60 degrees out into the navigation channel causing a hazard to passing vessels. • Maintenance of overgrown vegetation impacting and overgrowing the water portion of the Park Canal, aquatic weed management as required, and removal of debris and litter. • Maintenance of the south back drain associated with the Park Canal. • Removal of vegetation impacting Park Canal structures and undertaking necessary physical minor repairs to Quay/Limerick Lock Chamber and associated Footbridge, Troy’s/Park Lock Chamber and Park Bridge and associated canal or lock wing and quay walls. The proposed works will involve maintenance to, but not altering the materials or the character of Protected Structures No. 6063 Canal Footbridge at Lock Quay and No. 6064 Canal Quay and Lock Walls at Lock Quay. The vegetation works will involve working within close proximity to or within the curtilage of, but not undertaking any works to, RPS No. 3478 Stone and Brick buildings at Quay Lock, RPS No. 3319 Lock Quay Carriage Arch, RPS No. 6058 O’Dwyers Bridge and RPS No. 3314 Athlunkard Boat Club An Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) and Natura Impact Statement (NIS) accompany the planning application
Permission · Limerick County Council, 2560704
7 Jul 2025Conditional
change of use of 4 vacant and derelict cottages to be linked to form 1 café/bar with outdoor terrace, associated conservation and refurbishment of, and minor alterations to, existing one and two storey structures, single storey rear extension and all ancillary site works
Permission · Limerick County Council, 2560670
1 Feb 2025N/a
extension to the car park serving the existing Primary Car Centre to provide for 3 additional staff car parking spaces together with all associated site works
Permission · Limerick County Council, 2560073
30 Mar 2024Conditional
the relocation of the rear boundary fence serving the existing dwelling house together with all associated site works
Retention · Limerick County Council, 2460274
22 Feb 2024Conditional
the development at Riverside Early Childhood Centre, St Ita’s Street, King's Island, Co. Limerick V94 N996 . The development will consist of Demolition of external store and yard to the front/east of the facility, removal of steel tech shed to the front/east of the facility, construction of 3x single storey extensions to the front/east of the facility, construction of 1x single storey store to the front/east of the facility, misc. alterations to front/east and side/north & south elevations, car parking, hard and soft landscaping and all associated site works. The application is subject to a Flood Risk Assessment and Appropriate Assessment Screening Report
Permission · Limerick County Council, 2460148
22 Dec 2020Conditional
change of use from commercial unit to 2 number studio apartments and 4 number 2 bedroom apartments and all associated site works
Permission · Limerick County Council, 201410
14 Jul 2020Conditional
construction of a single storey side extension to his dwelling house
Permission · Limerick County Council, 20643
10 Jan 2020Conditional
front porch, side extension and vehicular entrance
Retention · Limerick County Council, 2016
15 Aug 2019Conditional
widening the vehicular entrance gates to accommodate emergency vehicles and all ancillary site works. This is a Protected Structure
Permission · Limerick County Council, 19808
26 Jun 2019Conditional
provision of older persons residential accommodation consisting of 27 units on two adjacent sites specifically, 6no. 1-bed and 14no. 2-bed apartments in buildings varying in height from 1-3 storeys organised around a central garden and new pedestrian route together with works adjacent to the City Wall, a recorded archaeological monument and protected structure, and associated landscaping and works to existing boundary walls, 3no 1-bed and 4no 2-bed apartments in buildings varying in height from 1-2 storeys including modifications and re-paving of a section of Old Dominick Street, vehicle and pedestrian access road, footpaths and 10no car parking spaces, open space and soft landscaping to public and private amenity spaces, alterations and construction of new infrastructure, all associated site works
Permission, 27 homes · Limerick County Council, 198004
9 Nov 2018Conditional
the construction of a toilet block, a drying room and a covered outdoor area for existing crèche facility and all ancillary site works
Permission · Limerick County Council, 181093
28 Jun 2018Conditional
the construction of a new district play area and outdoor gym facility including all necessary site works and provision of drainage and lighting. The works will include preparation of the site including the formation of low landscaped mounds along part of the site perimeter and the installation of a protective perimeter fence to the play area, installation of a range of play and exercise equipment, safety surfacing, tree and shrub planting, site furniture and resin bound surfacing
Permission · Limerick County Council, 188006
25 Jun 2018Conditional
a single storey kitchen/dining extension to the rear, alter the internal layout, fit velux rooflights and carry out other associated site works. Retention Permission is also sought for the vehicular entrance, front porch and existing kitchen/dining extension
Permission · Limerick County Council, 18636
20 Apr 2018Conditional
construction of new front porch & associated site works
Permission · Limerick County Council, 18388
5 Dec 2017Conditional
extensions to dwelling house, vehicular entrance and raised boundary walls including all ancillary works
Retention · Limerick County Council, 171129
19 Oct 2017N/a
extensions to dwelling house, vehicular entrance and raised boundary walls including all ancillary works
Retention · Limerick County Council, 17967
20 Mar 2017Conditional
permission to retain existing sheds and all ancillary site works
Retention · Limerick County Council, 17240
Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.
Nature and heritage
Designated sites and recorded monuments
Designated sites
- Special Area of Conservation: Lower River Shannon SAC 002165
Recorded monuments
- LI005-017010 Town defences
Description
The medieval town defences of Limerick city were described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 266-87) as following; 'The documentary references detailed in the historical introduction, above, clearly show that Viking Limerick was defended by walls with towers and gates. The exact course of these walls, however, is unknown and it is not clear if they coincide at some points or not with the late medieval defences of the town whose course can be accurately traced from a number of maps, including the "Hardiman" map of c.1590 (Hardiman Ms. TCD Ms 1209/57, partly reproduced in nineteenth century re-drawing in fig. 56, for the remaining part see Lynch 1984, pl. I), the Pacata Hibernia map of c.1600 (see cover), John Speed’s map of 1610 (fig. 57), Thomas Phillips" view and map of c.1685 (NLI), and the "French" map of 1691 (reproduced in Lenihan 1866, opp. 258). The defences have been the subject of a detailed study by Leask (1941) while the excavations by Lynch (1984) Charlotte’s Quay have shed much new light on the nature and construction of the wall of Irishtown. In terms of documentary references it is clear that works were being carried out on the defences from the thirteenth right through until the seventeenth century. Murage grants are attested from 1237 (Sweetman 1875-86, i, no. 2405) and further grants were made in 1310-11, "to enclose the suburbs" (Tresham 1828, p. 18: no. 134), 1375 (ibid., p. 95: no. 176) and 1400 (ibid., p. 163: no. 118). Work continued on the walls in the fifteenth century and "Cogan’s Tower" on the east side of Irishtown was completed c.1430, information which is derived from a locally kept account, the Arthur Mss (Leask 1941, 103; see edition by MacLysaght in NMAJ 1950-3). From the surviving remains of the citadel, around St John’s Gate and both Phillips" and the French map, it is clear that there was substantial rebuilding of the walls in the seventeenth century also. The English Town The defences of the English Town have their origin in the Viking period but it is clear that these defences developed and changed their outline over time. The precinct of the Dominican Friary, for instance, was evidently outside the walls originally and was incorporated, perhaps in the late thirteenth century. Phillips" map and the Hardiman map of c.1590 show an infra-mural wall running down along Dominic Street and Bishop Street. This may well mark the site of the original Viking defences. There is also the possibility that there was a cross wall stretching from the Shannon on the west, along Newgate Lane to the town wall, on the east, bisecting the English Town. This is shown on Phillip’s map and the Newgate itself is depicted on the Hardiman map (c.1590) and on Speed’s map (1610). The origin and purpose this wall and gate is unclear. At first sight it is tempting to interpret it with the wall that ran along Dominic St and Bishop St as part of the Viking defences, but this would omit St Mary’s Cathedral from the Viking town. Alternately, if one suggests that this cross-wall was the northern limit of the Viking town, then the churches of St. Munchin and St. Nicholas, as well as the probable site of the Viking royal fortress (the castle), would be placed outside the town. Since neither of these explanations is satisfactory all that can be said about the Newgate and cross-wall is that its purpose remains a puzzle. Apart from the gates described below one other, Bow Lane Gate, is mentioned by Leask and he has located it on the north side of Augustine Place. Description The following description takes the castle [LI005-017014-] as its starting point and works its way clockwise around the English town. The position of the wall, towers and gates is marked on fig. 62. From the north west tower of King John’s Castle the wall ran northward to Thomond Gate. No fragment of this short section survives. Thomond and Bridge Gates Philip’s view shows a square tower while the Pacata Hibernia view and Speed’s map (1610) show rectangular towers at either end of the bridge. The Bridge Gate, indicated on the O.S. map as "Thomond Gate" appears to have stood on the west bank of the Shannon, while Thomond Gate itself stood on the east side (Leask 1941). The wall immediately north Castle St is missing but the section along the graveyard is intact and consists of medium sized blocks of very roughly dressed limestone roughly coursed. The wall probably also survives in the houses numbered 1-4 Verdant Place as their west walls display a definite, though slight, external batter. Five metres north of these buildings the wall is stepped back and the angle thus formed has dressed limestone quoins. About 15m north of this is a semi-circular mural tower. The wall between Castle St. and this tower is c.5.1m high externally and at least 1.05m thick; internally, however, the ground is almost level with the top of the wall. Tower 1 This has an external diameter of 6.3m (N-S). The walls are 3.8m high externally but internally the ground level is built up leaving only a wall 1m high and 55cm thick which is probably modern above ground. No internal or external features are visible. North of this tower there is a wall c.2.5m high above external ground level which retains the gardens of the Villiers Alms Houses. This wall seems to be modern but almost certainly follows the line of, and may well incorporate parts of, the original town wall. Some 45m north of the first tower is another mural tower forming the north-west angle of the town defences. Tower 2 This was probably semi-circular but the north end is missing. It has an external diameter of 6.5m. The walls are 4.8m high externally and 2.1m internally. A ledge (?wall-walk) 90cm wide occurs c.1m above ground level internally and may be original. A long arrow loop (now blocked) facing north-west is visible externally; others may be obscured by ivy. The wall running north-east from this tower towards Dominick St is modern. Island Gate This gate stood where Dominick St met the city wall. It was a rectangular structure with a small turret (Leask 1941, 98). It is shown on the maps of 1590 (TCD), 1690-91 (French) 1691 (French B.M.) as a square or rectangular tower. The 1590 map seems to show a projecting turret. The next section of wall which ran parallel to Island Road from Island Gate is missing. A fosse appears to be indicated on the 1590 map between Island Gate and Peter’s Cell. The present Island Road presumably runs just outside the line of this fosse. Tower 3 A mural tower is indicated on the north-east angle of the wall. It may have been the tower/gate which stood at the bend at the north end of Love Lane. The 1590 map almost seems to show the wall turning north for a short stretch to meet this gate but French maps of 1690-91 show it as a rectangular tower with projecting turret on the wall. Colles" map of 1769 shows it a short distance south east of Love Lane. A length of wall, c.7m high externally and 4m internally immediately south of this tower, survives in the gardens of St Mary’s Convent. It is 1.4m thick and has an external base batter 1.3m high. The masonry is of large dressed blocks of limestone, roughly coursed externally, while the internal face is missing but reveals a rubble core. Running south-west from the north end of the wall is another wall c.9.5m long and containing two unsplayed pointed arched doorways with dressed limestone jambs, one with bar hole and pointed rear arch: the other, which is blocked, has a pointed rear arch of brick. This wall clearly post-dates the break in the town wall against which it is built. The condition of the wall deteriorates towards its southern end, decreasing in height (to c.2.2m) and in thickness because the internal wall facing is missing. There is a splayed rectangular loop of uncertain date; between 21m and 25m from the north there are two rectangular windows splayed internally and externally with pointed rear arches. The jambs are of sandstone and are chamf
- LI005-017043 Church
Description
The Urban Survey of Limerick recorded the following details about St. Munchin's Church of Ireland Church; 'Situated in the north-west angle of the English Town. Although traditionally regarded as founded by Mainchin himself in the fifth century it is more likely to have been established in the tenth or eleventh centuries as a Christian church within the Hiberno-Scandinavian town. The tradition that it was used as a cathedral by the Limerick Ostmen is unfounded. The church is listed among Limerick in the inquisition of 1200-1 (MacCaffrey 1907, 26, 28) and is mentioned in the ordinance of Bishop Donatus O’Brien (1204-6) as one of the diocesan prebends (ibid., 116, 179n). On his death in 1445 Geoffrey Galwey left 6s. 8d. to St Munchin’s (Westropp 1898, 122-3). The Hardiman map shows the church as a building with aisle, side chapel and tower. The present building dates from 1827' (Bradley et. al. 1985, 328). In 1827 the following details were recorded; 'St. Munchins Church is said to have been founded in the seventh century, by St. Munchin, the first Bishop of Limerick. It was rebuilt by the Danes after their conversion to Christianity, and continued to be the cathedral of the city till after the erection of St. Mary's, when it was converted into a parish church. We have no guide, with respect to its subsequent history, until the commencement of the last century, when we find (in 1711,) the church received some additions and repairs, under the superintendence of Bishop Smyth. It was further improved by the exertions of his family, and in 1752, a gallery was erected at the West end, at the expense of the officers of Col. Aldercron's and Sir Peter Halket's regiments, (the 39th and 44th.) It having been found necessary to rebuild this church, the Rev. John Duddell, the present worthy incumbent, has made considerable exertions for that purpose. The Board of First Fruits have granted a sum of money towards the building, which has already considerably advanced—the remainder is to be made up by voluntary contributions, and we trust, that the citizens of Limerick will liberally assist in edifying their oldest church in a manner conformable to the modern taste for neatness and convenience in public buildings. The site of the church, at the northern extremity of the city, is extremely agreeable: the churchyard, which is 630 feet in circumference, over hangs the Shannon, having the old town wall for its northern boundary, along which is a pleasant elevated terrace-walk, commanding a view of Thomond bridge, the river, and the county of Clare. The old church was a plain building, eighty-six feet in length, by twenty-three in breadth, and destitute of any object of interest, except a fine monument on the south-side of the communion table, over the family vault of Bishop Smyth. St. Munchin's is one of the prebendaries in the gift of the Bishop. It is an entire Rectory, partly in the city, and partly in the county of the city, and united to the Rectories of Kellconygayn, and the Rectory and Vicarage of Killonehan, the whole benefice being valued in the King's books at £2. 13s. 4d. In the parish of St. Munchin there is a glebe house and garden. Killonehan contains 1157 acres, and has a glebe of five acres and a-half, on which are the ruins of an old church. The population of St. Munchin's parish is 3550' (Fitzgerald 1827, 556-8). Westropp gives the following details; 'Parish and Prebend. It is reputed to be the oldest church in Limerick ; and its foundation is attributed to St. Mainchin, son of Sedna, son of Cass (king, 400), who was cousin of Cairthin Finn, the first Christian king, and lived c. 480-500. It was used by the Christianised Ostmen as a cathedral. " Ecc. Sci. Manchini," 1201 ; numerous deeds relate to it. Fabric - It has been rebuilt on many occasions; the present church only dates from 1827. The Hardiman map shows the church as a building with aisle, side chapel, and tower. Monuments - Elinor, daughter of Thomas Young, 1649; Thomas Smith, 1711; Major James Buchanan, 1778. In 1680 Dyneley says that the church was of no interest, save for the monuments of W. Brenagh, 1594, and Jane Smyth, 1679. Description - Fitzgerald, vol. ii,, p. 556' (Westropp 1904-5, 357-8). Present building described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as following; 'Detached four-bay Board of the First Fruits Church of Ireland Church, built in 1827, with a square-plan tower to the west elevation, and entrance porch northeast corner. Built on the site of a previous church. Church grounds situated on an outcrop overlooking the Shannon River to the west, and Villiers Alms Houses to the north. Site enclosed by rubble limestone walls with square-plan piers and wrought-iron gates. Pointed-arch pedestrian access from Castle Street with wrought-iron gates leads to grounds via narrow lane. Numerous recumbent stone grave markers and table-tombs of eighteenth and nineteenth century origins. Fine funerary monuments and mausoleums also therein. Saint Munchin's forms a well-proportioned, though standard, Board of the First Fruits Church constructed by James Pain who was the architect to the Board for the Munster region. The Board was set up in 1813 and disbanded in 1834. A single-celled church was originally built on this site. The location of this fine church overlooking the River Shannon, contributes to the ensemble of historic buildings which includes Thomond Bridge, the toll house, and King John's Castle ' (www.buildingsofireland.ie; Reg. No. 21508007). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 3 October 2018
- LI005-017044 Graveyard
Description
Graveyard belonging to St. Munchin's Church (LI005-017043-) in Limerick City described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 328) as following; 'Situated in the north-west angle of the English Town. Although traditionally regarded as founded by Mainchin himself in the fifth century it is more likely to have been established in the tenth or eleventh centuries as a Christian church within the Hiberno-Scandinavian town. The Hardiman map shows the church as a building with aisle, side chapel and tower. The present building dates from 1827'. A graveyard (approx. dims. 76m N-S x 54m E-W) enclosed by a stone wall mainly lies to the S and W of St. Munchin's Church. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 25 July 2019
- LI005-017045 Tomb - unclassified
Description
17th century memorial in the graveyard (LI005-017044-) of St. Munchin's Church (LI005-017043-) described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 328-9) as following; ‘Elinor Young 1649. A large slab with a marginal inscription to the memory of Elinor, daughter of Thomas Young (1895-7, 104). Described in the late 19th century as following; 'Contains the following tomb and inscription' : "HERE ELINOR YOUNGE HER BODY / LIES OF WHO TIS TRULY SAID SHE AITHER A VIRGIN LIVED / AND ERE DECEAST A MAIDEN. / THE DAUGHTER OF THOMAS AND MARY YOUNGE 26TH FEB. 1649." This inscription is cut round the margin of a very large slab (Anon 1898, 104)'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 18 November 2019
- LI005-017047 Religious house - Dominican friars
Description
Dominican Priory of St. Saviour described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 331-3) as following: 'Founded by Donnchad Cairbreach O’Briain, king of Thomond in 1227 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 226). The buildings were badly destroyed in an attack on the town in 1369 and were so ruinous that in 1377 the king made an annual grant of 40s towards their repair (ibid.). The 1590 map depicts a lofty belfry ,without battlements, four ranges of buildings in repair and the side arcades or windows of the ruined church. Today only the north wall and a short section of the east wall of the church survives in the grounds of St Mary’s Convent. The masonry is roughly coursed rubble limestone and the wall is 55-60m long (the west end is unclear), up to high and 1.2m thick. The north splay of the east window, with chamfered and rebated jambs of sandstone, can be seen in the east wall and a similar splay can be seen in a short section of wall, north of the north wall, which may have been a window in a sacristy or chapel on the north of the chancel. To the west of this externally there are three segmentally-arched recesses or, perhaps, blocked doorways. Above these there is a groove in the wall, 10m long, 25cms high and 15cms deep (for supporting joists of a floor/ roof). Above the middle recess there is a small segmentally-arched window, which may be inserted, splaying externally with pointed rear arch. 13m from the east end is the gable line of the east range of the cloister, c. 7.25m wide and probably c.10m high originally. It seems to interrupt, and is later than, a drainage course running along the north wall at a height of 8m above which there is a row of drainage chutes. East of this gable is the straight roof line, with three corbels below it, of a building 6m wide built against the north wall of the church and the east wall of the east range. Within the gable of the east range externally is the top of a blocked, round headed door or recess at a very low level with sandstone jambs and limestone arch. Above it, within the gable is a pointed window with dressed and chamfered limestone jambs (arch not dressed) splaying externally with flat lintelled rear arch which seems to be modern. West of the gable, above the roof line of the south ambulatory of the cloister, are five windows at intervals of 3-4m. The first from the east is a pointed lancet with limestone jambs which seems to be modern but re-using dressed stones. The second, fourth and fifth windows are splayed pointed lancets with chamfered and rebated sandstone jambs and pointed rear arches in limestone with sloping sills. The third window is a twin-light, pointed window with quatrefoil above, having similar chamfered and rebated sandstone jambs and rear arch. Below the ambulatory roof-line there are two segmentally arched doorways, 15m apart. The first from the east is blocked internally and has sandstone jambs on one side internally but the other side is constructed of limestone. The other door is largely modern but some of the original limestone jambs and voussoirs remain. In between these two doors internally there is a large blocked segmentally arched recess. Some 26m west of the gable of the east range are traces of the gable of the west range. In the wall below externally there is a segmental (?relieving) arch and a small blocked rectangular Opening. west of this gable the wall is largely rebuilt although traces of another larger rectangular blocked opening is visible externally. Monuments Gathered in the garden are a number of dressed stones including one which appears to be part of a chimney mantle with the initials WMC, heraldic shields and tracery. There is also a stone with the letters SFA and another stone with a fragmentary Latin letttered inscription. Excavation In 1975 work was carried out by Shee-Twohig (1995) in advance of proposed road construction. Three medieval slab-built graves were found and there were indications that a transept existed on the south side of the church. The finds included quantities of English and French pottery and inlaid tiles (Excavations 1975-6, 14; Fanning and Eames 1988, 76). Excavations carried out by Aegis Archaeology under licence No. 00E0661 identified the location of a burial ground (LI005-017121-) associated with St Saviour's Dominican Priory. The results of these excavations were summarised as following; 'Eleven trenches were dug by machine and by hand in an area just south of the medieval Dominican priory, in advance of a proposed development. Five yielded archaeological material. Trenches 1 and 2 exposed the lower courses of the limestone town wall, while human remains were exposed in Trenches 2, 10 and 11. Only those in Trenches 2 and 11 were articulated, in situ and orientated in the usual east–west direction. At the northern end of Trench 10, the foundations of a wall were discovered, which were interpreted as the southern wall of the medieval church of the priory. This wall lay c. 8m from the extant northern wall of the church. The remainder of the trenches showed that the site had been disturbed in the past and the archaeological layers had been removed extensively' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 25 November 2019
- LI005-017051 Barracks
Description
Leask (1941, 98-9) recorded that during the reing of Charles II (1660-85) a barracks was 'erected on the ground now occupied by St. Mary's Convent and the schools: the space within the great gap. The French map does not show it, while the map of 1786 in Ferrar's History indicates several regular blocks of buildings call "Barracks, later Brewery" '. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 18 November 2019
- LI005-017104 Castle - unclassified
Description
Stritche's Castle described in the Urban Survey of Limerick (Bradley et. al. 1989, 262) as following; 'Described in 1657 as "the stone Castle or house of Alderman James Stritch, and a cross stone-house, now made into a cythadell or garrison" in St Munchin’s Parish' (Westropp 1906-7, 80). According to O'Flaherty (2010, 27), 'the stone castle or house ... on site of later bishop's palace ... Alderman James Stritch's stone castle or house 1654 (CS); 1681 (Dineley MS, 126)'. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 20 December 2019
- LI005-017120 Architectural fragment
Description
Collection of stone fragments in grounds of Mercy Convent. Described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 333) as following; 'Gathered in the garden are a number of dressed stones including one which appears to be part of a chimney mantle with the initials WMC, heraldic shields and tracery. There is also a stone with the letters SFA and another stone with a fragmentary Latin letttered inscription'. Most probably came from cloister of Dominican Priory (LI005-015047-) but 'some pieces of elaborate foliated carvings probably come from a tomb or sedelia' (Twohig 1995, 110 & Illus. 8b). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 25 November 2019
- LI005-017121 Burial ground
Description
Excavations carried out by Aegis Archaeology under licence No. 00E0661 identified the location of a burial ground associated with St Saviour's Dominican Priory (LI005-017047-). The results of these excavations were summarised as following; 'Eleven trenches were dug by machine and by hand in an area just south of the medieval Dominican priory, in advance of a proposed development. Five yielded archaeological material. Trenches 1 and 2 exposed the lower courses of the limestone town wall, while human remains were exposed in Trenches 2, 10 and 11. Only those in Trenches 2 and 11 were articulated, in situ and orientated in the usual east–west direction. At the northern end of Trench 10, the foundations of a wall were discovered, which were interpreted as the southern wall of the medieval church of the priory. This wall lay c. 8m from the extant northern wall of the church. The remainder of the trenches showed that the site had been disturbed in the past and the archaeological layers had been removed extensively' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 25 November 2019
- LI005-017127 Well
Description
Excavations carried out at No. 9 Church Street by Brian Hodkinson in 2001 under licence No. 01E1183 were summarised as following; 'During paving works for Limerick Corporation a well was uncovered under the front wall of 9 Church Street. The well was drystone-built, with a diameter of c. 0.9m and a depth to water of 3m measured from the upper ring of stones. This upper ring is c. 0.8m below finished paving level. There seems to have been some reduction in level around the well prior to its being capped, because all deposits over it seemed to be disturbed. The well does not appear on any maps and is believed to be older than 1840. The only finds were some fragments of red brick in the capping material and these were not retained' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 19 December 2019
- LI005-017166 House - medieval
Description
The medieval Bishop's palace which O'Flaherty locates (2010, Fig 3, 53) in 'Church St (north) W., on site of later Villiers almshouses. The Bishop's house c. 1590 (Hardiman) ... restored by 1621 ... moved to new premises by 1663.' The location of this new Bishop's palace moved to in 16653 has not been identified.
- LI005-017171 Armorial plaque (present location)
Description
This is the Mungret Gate Stone bearing an inscription with the date 1643 and the Limerick City Arms, 'Denis Leonard of Limerick Civic Trust has recently recovered the stone and it is currently in the yard to the rear of the Trust's headquarters in the Bishop's Palace' (Hodkinson 2007). Compiled by: Denis Power Date of upload: 16 April 2012
- LI005-017174 Excavation - miscellaneous
Description
Excavations undertaken at Island Road by Brian Hodkinson under licence No. 95E064 was summarised as following; 'A three-week excavation was carried out in March on behalf of Limerick Corporation to identify the line of the city wall [LI005-017010-] prior to construction of the proposed Northern Relief Road. The site lies at the northern end of the medieval city [LI005-017----] and cartographic evidence shows the line of the city wall crossing the site. When trial-trenched by Celie O Rahilly earlier in the year, a small stone tower at the southern end of the site had been identified, as well as a linear mortar feature running northwards across the site, which was interpreted as representing the line of the wall. Excavation showed that Ms O Rahilly's interpretation was correct. Over most of the site the wall had been robbed out to foundation level and all that remained was the base of the foundation trench. Two machine-dug trenches at right angles to the wall line showed that the subsoil dipped sharply on the outside of the wall into a ditch at least 10m in width, with its base over 5m below the surviving ground level immediately outside the wall. The finds from the ditch were all post-medieval in date, so it is assumed that an earlier medieval ditch had been recut, probably in connection with one of the three 17th-century sieges. At the time that the wall was robbed out, in the latter part of the 18th century or later, the ground level within the wall line had been lowered slightly to remove the upper part of the original foundation trench. At the southern end of the site was a surviving short length of the wall, including the tower. This continued the known line of the wall from the south c. 9m into the site, at which point the wall was robbed out. This section of wall was on a completely different line to that on the northern part of the site, and an 8m-long robber trench was identified linking the two. The wall thus turned through two right angles on the site. The reason for this is not absolutely clear but may be linked to the function of the tower. While the northern section was on the natural height, the southern section seems to have been deliberately placed downslope, possibly to avail of proximity to the ditch. The tower, which measures 4.5m north-south by 2m east-west, is badly sited for defensive purposes, being c. 2.5m short of the turn in the wall and not at the corner. Both the north and south walls of the tower incorporate arches, both of which were blocked, so it would seem that the tower was originally designed for water to pass under it. Given the dimensions and design, it appears to have functioned as a latrine tower. The majority of the finds were post-medieval in date, which is unsurprising given the extent of modern disturbance on the site. There were, however, a few sherds of medieval pottery and several fragments and one complete example of medieval floor-tile. The latter are presumed to come from the Dominican friary [LI005-017047-] which lay on the property immediately to the south(www.excavations.ie)'. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 December 2019
- LI005-017179 Excavation - miscellaneous
Description
Excavations undertaken at Church Street / Old Dominick Street by Celie O Rahilly under licence No. 97E0327 was summarised as following; 'This work was carried out as part of the site investigation work required by engineers for proposed local authority housing, in order to assess the archaeological potential and, for structural reasons, the underlying deposits. The site is located at the northern end of the Englishtown, to the north of the Castle [LI005-017014-] and Thomond Bridge [LI005-017002-] and east of St Munchin’s Church [LI005-017043-]. It is within the medieval town wall [LI005-017010-], which ran parallel with the Island Road to the east, where a portion still stands within the grounds of the convent, and parallel to the Shannon River to the west of the site (Verdant Place). This site lies between Church Street to the west, Old Dominick Street to the north-east, and the new Northern Relief Road to the south-east. In 1988 testing of the whole area was carried out in advance of construction of the Northern Relief Road. In 1989/90 B.J. Hodkinson carried out excavations on that part of the site which was on the line of the proposed road (Excavations 1990, 42, E471). There are no known structures of archaeological or historical interest located on this site. In his report Hodkinson concludes that, although there is evidence in the form of the early ditch and ‘few scattered post- and stake-holes’ for occupation in the pre-Norman period, the property boundaries date from the Norman period and any related structures would presumably have been located to the west, on Church Street, with the gardens to the rear, i.e. within the tested area. The Civil Survey described a property (St Munchin’s Parish, p. 74) which would be in this location. The 1840 OS map shows the area as open ground, and by 1870 it shows what appear to be small dwellings fronting on to both Old Dominick Street and Church Street. Three cuttings were opened, in all of which a layer of dark brown silty clay was identified. In Cutting 1 this occurred outside a cellar wall at a depth of 0.5m and was 0.7m thick. In Cutting 2 it occurred at a depth of 0.7m and was 0.9m thick. In Cutting 3 it occurred at a depth of 0.9m and was 0.5m thick. This may be an archaeological deposit although no finds were recovered from it. A wall located in Cutting 1 is likely to have been part of the housing shown on the 1870 OS plan. In Cutting 2, at the south-western end of the cut at a depth of 1.6m, there was a 1.3m-thick layer of black organic material, containing bone, twigs and some shell. This pit or ditch feature may also be of archaeological interest, although again there were no finds from it' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 December 2019
- LI005-018 Bastioned fort
Description
This fort was located at the northern end of King’s Island outside the walled city of Limerick and dates from the period of the Cromwellian war in Ireland (1649-53). In June 1651, the Cromwellian army, under the command of Henry Ireton, came before Limerick and immediately began to invest the city with siege works (see LI005-017183-). Ireton initially set up camp to the north of the city where he erected a large fort (LI005-114----). On 19 June he attempted to storm King’s Island by an assault on Thomond Bridge. This was repulsed and four days later he attempted a pre-dawn amphibious attack on the island. A small detachment arrived on the island ahead of the main body and attacked the fort but these were pushed back and a number were killed or drowned as they tried to escape. The remainder of the assault force abandoned the attack and returned to the Clare side of the Shannon. Despite a sustained bombardment Limerick managed to hold out over the following months but eventually surrendered at the end of October 1651. Without doubt the fort on King’s Island continued to be garrisoned throughout this siege. The fort is represented on William Webb’s map of the siege as a regular square fortification with corner bastions surrounded by a fosse forming an overall star-shaped plan: a single roofed building is shown within the interior. The fort is identified in the map index simply as ‘Ye fort in ye island’ (O’Flaherty 2010, map 10, no. 65). It is evident that it was abandoned and allowed to fall into decay but was refortified again during War of the Two Kings, 1688-91. The Jacobite officer, John Stevens, records in his journal that when he arrived at Limerick after the defeat of the Boyne in July 1690 ‘there were only the ruins of a small fort in the island, the rest being partly a common walk for the citizens and let out for grazing’ (Murray 1912, 147). William arrived with his army before Limerick on 9 August 1690 and immediately commenced a siege. At this time the Jacobites were busy strengthening the defences and Stevens remarks in his entry for 12 August that ‘The unarmed men were continually kept at work, the chief part whereof was in the King's Island, where was raised a square fort with four bulwarks, on one of them a small platform for three or four guns to play over the branch of the river that makes the island, where it was thought the enemy designed to raise a battery, having made some odd shots from thence.’ And again, on 16 August he noted that ‘All our unarmed men were continually kept at work, some fortifying the Kings Island’ (ibid., 169-70) which included ‘an entrenchment or covered way was made about the King's Island to secure it from all attempts, and in the middle of it a Fort Royal with four bastions and a line of communication to the English town.’ (ibid., 196). The fort is shown in the schematic panorama included by Story in his ‘History’ where it identified as ‘A new Irish fort’ (1693, facing 38; attached). The entrenchments are visible along the northern side of the island but the fort is shown as free-standing without any link to the city. The siege did not go well for William and, after suffering heavy casualties, he eventually abandoned it at the end of August. Stevens’ description of the fort is paralleled by that given by the Williamite, Colonel Michael Richards, who noted in his diary during the second siege in 1691, that it was ‘well frized and palisadoed, environed with a handsome counterscarp. Several projects were conceived to attack it, it being first proposed to make a very good battery at the water's edge to cover our passage; but this ground is very low and swampy, which, I apprehend, will put an end to this new design; besides, the fort is so large that all our cannon planted on one battery on this side cannot hinder the enemies from sustaining the said fort with their whole force on the other side, having advantageous ground for it, and a double line of communication to the town’ (Gilbert 1892, 288-9). And again, his account is further supported by the Williamite chronicler, George Story, who noted ‘great improvements in the King's Island’ which had ‘a most excellent fort with a double line of communication from thence to the town, mann'd for the most part by the best of their dragoons dismounted’ (Story 1693, 213, 277). As depicted on both Story’s (ibid., facing 224) and Goubet’s maps (O’Flaherty 2010, map 13) it is evident that, besides upgrading the existing fort’s earthworks, the most significant undertaking was the addition of a substantial counterscarp and glacis. When Limerick surrendered on 3 October the fortifications were handed over to the Williamites. The fort is depicted on the map of the city drawn by William Eyres c. 1752 and identified in the map index as the ‘Fort in the King’s Island; from which the Irish had a communication with the town.’ (O’Flaherty 2010, map 16). The map shows that the counterscarp and glacis had been gradually reclaimed as fields, and a small number of dwellings are depicted near the south-west corner bastion. The fort was further degraded over the ensuing decades and by the time of the OS survey of 1840-1 had been reduced to a four-pointed star with curved sides where it was named ‘(Site of) Cromwell’s Fort’. It continued to be represented as such on subsequent surveys and revisions until it was entirely removed when St Mary’s Park housing estate was built on the site by Limerick corporation in the 1930s. LI005-018----_01 Panorama of the siege of Limerick, 1690, from G. Story, An impartial history of the wars in Ireland with a continuation thereof (1693), facing 38. LI005-018----_02 Plan of the siege of Limerick, 1691, from G. Story, An impartial history of the wars in Ireland with a continuation thereof (1693), facing 224. LI005-018----_03 Extract from the plan of the siege of Limerick, 1691, from G. Story, An impartial history of the wars in Ireland with a continuation thereof (1693), facing 224. Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 6 March 2018
- LI005-109 Burial
Description
The following details about the discovery of a burial were given by Cahill & Sikora (2011, 492-3); 'In August 1972 human remains were discovered behind a residence, Dalcassian House, King's Island townland, in Limerick City, when a large pit was dug to accommodate a mount for a telescope. The bone occurred in the centre of the base of the pit, at a depth of c. 0.85—1m below ground level, and consisted of the lower portion of a body. This discovery prompted the finders to explore further by digging deeper at the centre of the pit. The bones were removed to Mary Street Garda Station and were examined by a pathologist at Barringtons Hospital. The site was reported to the National Museum by Mr Pat Liddane, the landowner, and was investigated by Patrick Wallace. The area was excavated and revealed the upper portion of the body uncovered by Mr Liddane. The body lay fully extended, in a supine position, aligned west/east. The upper limbs appear to have been haphazardly placed towards one side of the body, while the level of the deposition declined very slightly from head and shoulders towards the pelvis and lower limbs. The body lay in thick daub, which was of damp texture. No grave-goods were found around the body, and there was no evidence of any grave or coffin structure. The rib, arm and cranial bones appear to have sustained burns on their left-hand side. According to the pathologist, the remains were those of a young adult female. A number of sherds of glazed and unglazed pottery, china and a piece of a glass bottle were found above the body and provided a terminus ante quem for the deposition date of the body. None of the pottery in the collection pre-dates the thirteenth century'. Compiled by: Denis Power Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 31 July 2019
Architectural heritage
- The Toll House, toll house, 1840–1845 · Regional interest
Description
End-of-terrace three-bay two-storey limestone former toll house, built c. 1840, in the Gothic Revival style. Hipped roof, c. 1990, behind crenellated parapet wall with strip eaves window to rear span. uPVC rainwater goods. All elevations with hammered limestone plinth course above which the walls are faced with tooled and squared limestone ashlar with weather struck cement pointing, c. 1990. Crenellated parapet rising from stringcourse with machicolated square-plan turret to southwest and northwest corners. Square-plan tower to southeast corner with crenellated parapet rising from parapet stringcourse with machicolated balconette. Square-headed lancet window openings with tooled chamfered limestone ashlar surrounds, flush sills, with replacement timber sash windows, c. 1990. Blind gun-loops to front elevation and southwest corner. Pointed-arch door opening with tooled limestone ashlar surrounds with replacement timber doorframe incorporating replacement plank timber door and fanlight, c. 1990. Carved limestone plaque depicting city emblem of two towers.
- Bishop's Palace, 1750 · Regional interest
Description
End-of-terrace five-bay three-storey limestone former bishop's palace, built c. 1740, extensively restored c. 1990, and distinguished by a centrally-placed Venetian entrance to a symmetrical façade. Hipped replacement slate roof with clay ridge tiles and replacement red brick chimneystacks to north and south walls. Aluminium rainwater goods. Squared and snecked limestone front elevation walls. Rubble limestone side and rear elevation. Cement pointing throughout. Limestone ashlar cornice to front elevation returning to side elevation terminating at the junction with the chimneystacks. Eaves course continues around rear elevation carrying rainwater goods. Square-headed window openings, limestone voussiors, reveals, and limestone ashlar sills, with six-over-six and three-over-six timber sash windows with exposed sash boxes, all c. 1990, with ogee horns. Flat arches of third floor windows incorporated in limestone ashlar eaves cornice. Square-headed, segmental-headed and round-arch brick-arched window openings to rear elevation with limestone reveals, limestone ashlar sills and replacement six-over-six, three-over-six and fanlighted three-over-six timber sash windows to rear elevation, all c. 1990. Blind brick-faced oculus to rear elevation. Limestone ashlar Venetian doorcase with plain pilasters joined by simple entablature in turn joined by archivolt over fanlight, which rises above. Incorporating central raised and fielded panelled timber door leaf flanked by four-over-four timber sash sidelights. Approached by three limestone steps with mild steel railings and slate-faced universal access to one side. Door opening at first floor level of south-facing side elevation having salvaged limestone ashlar pilasters and fluted frieze lintel, which opens onto a mild steel balcony, added c. 1990. Commemorative plaque and street sign to façade and side elevation. Opens directly onto an public open space. Limited rear site enclosed from Castle Street by a reconstructed rubble limestone faced wall incorporating a round-arch gate opening with nineteenth-century wrought-iron gates. A wall on the rear site currently under construction incorporates medieval and post 1700 carved stonework from the city.
- Almshouse, 1750–1780 · Regional interest
Description
Terraced three-bay two-storey exposed rubble limestone former almshouse, built c. 1760, with a three-centred carriage arch opening to the north, and flat-roofed accretion to the rear, c. 1980. Pitched artificial slate roof with cast-iron rainwater goods. Two rendered chimneystacks with plain clay pots. Roof lights to front span, c. 1990. Squared rubble limestone walls to front and rear elevation, with re-used carved stone from an earlier building evident. Camber-arched window openings, hand-made red brick flat arches, block-and-start reveals, limestone sills and replacement six-over-six timber sash windows. Square-headed door opening with red brick flat arch, block-and-start reveals, replacement panelled timber door leaf, and frosted glass overlight. Red brick arch to carriage arch, squared-off with red brick infill, plank timber gates with integrated pedestrian entrance. Facing onto Church Street and a small yard to the rear is enclosed by a rubble limestone wall.This house forms part of a relatively uniform modestly scaled terrace of three similarly scaled houses continuing the streetscape north of the former Bishop's Palace, though breaking forward the building line.
- Almshouse, 1750–1780 · Regional interest
Description
Terraced two-bay two-storey exposed rubble limestone former almshouse, built c. 1760, with a flat-roofed accretion to the rear, c. 1980. Pitched artificial slate roof with cast-iron rainwater goods. Two rendered chimneystacks with plain clay pots. Roof lights to rear span, c. 1990. Squared rubble limestone walls to front and rear elevation. Camber-arched window openings, hand-made red brick flat arches, block-and-start reveals, limestone sills, exposed timber sash boxes and replacement one-over-one timber sash windows, with applied glazing bars. Square-headed door opening with red brick flat arch, block-and-start reveals, raised and fielded panelled timber door leaf, possibly nineteenth-century, and frosted glass overlight with leaded coloured glass, c. 1990. Facing onto Church Street and a small yard to the rear is enclosed by a rubble limestone wall.
- Almshouse, 1750–1780 · Regional interest
Description
End-of-terrace two-bay two-storey exposed rubble limestone former almshouse, built c. 1760, with an accretion to the rear, c. 2000. Pitched artificial slate roof with cast-iron rainwater goods. Rendered chimneystack with plain clay pots. Roof light to rear span. Squared rubble limestone walls to front, side and rear elevation, with red brick block-and-start quoins to rear corner and localised infill to side elevation. Camber-arched window openings, hand-made red brick flat arches, block-and-start reveals, limestone sills, exposed timber sash boxes and replacement six-over-six timber sash windows. One round-arch window opening to side elevation with red brick arch, squared off by a timber lintel, two-over-two timber sash window, c. 1990. Square-headed door opening with red brick flat arch, block-and-start reveals, replacement raised and fielded panelled timber door leaf, and frosted glass overlight. Facing onto Church Street and a small yard to the rear is enclosed by a rubble limestone wall to side and rear, raised to side elevation with concrete block wall forming external wall of extension. Adjacent to grounds of the Saint Munchin’s Church of Ireland church.
- Saint Munchin's Church, church/chapel, 1825–1830 · Regional interest
Description
Detached four-bay Board of the First Fruits Church of Ireland Church, built in 1827, with a square-plan tower to the west elevation, and entrance porch northeast corner. Built on the site of a previous church. Pitched artificial slate roof to church, and pitched slate roof to porch. Limestone eaves course supports uPVC gutters. Generally squared and snecked limestone ashlar faced walls of church and tower, with limestone ashlar to angle corner buttresses. Limestone fractables to east elevation and porch, the latter with flush limestone chimneystack to apex. Tower surmounted by limestone ashlar crenellated parapet rising from recess arch panelled frieze, with crocketed pinnacles rising from buttressing. Pointed-arch window openings, with limestone drip moulding, chamfered limestone reveals and sills, and Perpendicular Gothic style timber tracery, largely clear glass with some stained glass surviving. Large pointed-arch window opening to east-facing chancel elevation with limestone drip mould and limestone Perpendicular Gothic cusped tracery. Pointed-arch lancet openings to tower, either boarded-up or retaining timber louvred panelling. Openings obscured by steel mesh security grilles. Pointed-arch door opening to south elevation of tower with squared limestone drip mould, cusped limestone spandrel panels, stepped chamfered reveals, and double-leaf plank timber doors with elaborate wrought-iron hinges, and plank timber tympanum. Door opens onto encaustic tile entrance platform. Pseudo-four-centred door opening to porch with limestone drip mould, chamfered reveals and limestone steps, and replacement plank timber door leaf. Church grounds situated on an outcrop overlooking the Shannon River to the west, and Villiers Alms Houses to the north. Site enclosed by rubble limestone walls with square-plan piers and wrought-iron gates. Pointed-arch pedestrian access from Castle Street with wrought-iron gates leads to grounds via narrow lane. Numerous recumbent stone grave markers and table-tombs of eighteenth and nineteenth century origins. Fine funerary monuments and mausoleums also therein.
- Saint Munchin's Church, mausoleum, 1850–1855 · Regional interest
Description
Freestanding limestone mausoleum, erected c. 1850, in a stripped classical idiom, with two carved limestone commemorative plaques. Tooled limestone ashlar faced elevations with parapet entablature. Ogee-headed opening, with chamfered reveals, closed by a limestone slab. Inscription plaque over opening reads:' Here reposes the remains of Joseph Jones Esqr of Clinoe with those of his beloved wife Constance Peppard Jones both of whom entered into the joy of their Lord he on the 10th Feb. 1853 in his 80th year she on the 28th of Feb. 1851 in her 86th year also their only daughter Elizabeth Anne wife of Geo. Jackson Esqr. of Ballybrit Castle Kings Co. She fell asleep in Jesus the 8th Jan.y 1859 in her 51 year. The venerable Arthur Hewetson Jones M.A. Archdeacon of Limerick died 20th September 1862 also his wife Frances Maud who died 8 Sep. 1863.' Plaque to south side reads: 'Erected by John Joseph Jones Esq.re of Mount Salem.'
- Villiers Alms Houses, almshouse, 1820–1830 · Regional interest
Description
Detached multiple-bay dormer two-storey block of limestone almshouses, built between 1826-27, forming three interconnecting wings, arranged on a U-plan, comprising nine residences which open onto a courtyard. The end bays formerly housed a male and a female national school. Raised gabled centrepiece with a crenellated parapet surmounted by limestone Tudor inspired finial, and accommodating a clock face. Hipped slate roof and clay ridge tiles. Glazed pitched roofs to half-dormers, c. 1995. Limestone chimneystacks with multiple diamond-shaped pots rising from bases. Concealed gutters and downpipes to courtyard elevation, cast-iron rainwater goods to rear. Hammer dressed squared and snecked limestone walls with tooled limestone ashlar details. Square-headed window openings, with limestone ashlar drip moulds to ground floor openings, all having chamfered reveals, flush sills, with replacement uPVC casement windows. Pointed-arch lancet windows to centrepiece with chamfered reveals, flush sills, and fixed metal window frames. Square-headed door openings with limestone ashlar drip moulds, stopped-chamfer reveals, limestone platform, and replacement plank timber doors. Plaque to gable of centrepiece reads: 'These alms houses and schools endowed by Mrs. Hannahh Villiers were erected by her trustees the Revd John Duddell and the Rev John Pinkerton A.D.1826'. Located within grounds with garden and modern boundary railing to west. Substantial remnant of city walls to north, high stone wall to east. Single-storey gate lodge and gateway with stout limestone piers to south. Lean-to hammer finished limestone offices to north and east. Located adjacent to Saint Munchin's Church of Ireland churchyard.
- Saint Mary's Convent, graveyard/cemetery, 1840–2005 · Regional interest
Description
Nuns' graveyard, in use since the mid nineteenth century, located on the site of Saint Dominick's Abbey, of which one wall remains above ground. Grotto formed of unshaped limestone and pebbles with statue of Virgin Mary above. Reredos formed of carved capitals. Re-used ashlar arched opening. Undetailed stone wall to Barrack Street with gate opening of concrete edge. Wrought-iron railings on limestone plinth wall to west side only. Blocked deep opening on approach to graveyard. Shrine to east side.
- Saint Mary's Convent, school, 1880–1900 · Regional interest
Description
Attached seven-bay two-storey limestone school, built c. 1870, with polychrome brick dressing. Pitched slate roof with cast-iron rainwater goods, the gutters of which rest on a polychrome brick eaves course. Three red brick chimneystacks, one to the north gabled wall with yellow brick stringcourses. Coursed squared rubble limestone walls with red brick corner pilasters with yellow brick detailing. Red and yellow brick stringcourses at first floor sill level to the gabled side elevation. Segmental-headed window openings to front side and rear elevation, with red brick arches, block-and-start reveals, and limestone sills surrounding replacement uPVC windows. Windows form tripartite composition to gabled side elevation. Mild steel security grilles to all windows on Bishop Street elevation. Segmental-headed door opening with red brick arch having yellow brick keystone, red brick reveal with stepped yellow brick inner reveal, replacement panelled timber double-leaf doors with replacement uPVC glazed overlight. Modern school attached to south with building site adjacent to north.
- Saint Munchin's Church, mausoleum, 1850–1860 · Regional interest
Description
Raised limestone square-plan pyramidal mausoleum, erected c. 1855, located within the grounds of Saint Munchin's Church of Ireland churchyard. Composed of tapering smooth ashlar limestone, laid in overlapping courses, with cement pointing. Rock-faced limestone pedestal with name plaque reading 'Bannatyne' in high relief on east elevation.
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).
Ground and risks
Radon, landslides, flooding
- Radon
- About 1 in 10 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home
- Landslides
- Susceptibility low, low (inferred), on the 1:50,000 map; parts are water.
- Terrain model
- LiDAR of the Office of Public Works, flown in 2011, at 2 m: tile OPW_949 (ZIP).
- Flooding
- The flood maps of the Office of Public Works: floodinfo.ie.
Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency; Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland; both 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.
Homes sold
Property Price Register
No address of the register names King's Island with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Limerick.
The townland
- Name
- King's Island · Oileán an Rí
- Area
- 515,242 m² (51.52 ha, 127.32 acres)
- Civil parish
- St. Munchin's, and its townlands
- Barony
- North Liberties
- Electoral division
- John's A, the unit of the census
- Census 2022
- John's A electoral division: 747 people in 299 households; 44% of households own their home; 6% of homes were built since 2001; 8% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 0% were holiday homes.
- Neighbouring townlands
- Englishtown
- Placenames
- King's Island 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.