St. Francis Abbey

80 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in St. Francis Abbey, from 0 m² to 3,547 m² (0.35 ha, 0.88 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 5 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, or as GeoJSON or KML.

• M2City Centre (City/Town/village Centre, central area)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick · 61 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• S5Education and Community Facilities (Mixed/general community services/facilities uses)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick · 0 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• G5Open Space and Recreation (Mixed/general 'green'/recreation/conservation, other)
  Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028, Limerick · 0 parcels The zoning objective in the plan
• R2Existing Residential (Existing 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.

• 12 Jan 2026Conditional

  construction of a new single storey extension to the western elevation of the existing Protected Structure, Boat Club

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 264

• 13 Dec 2025N/a

  a) the construction of a 3-5 storey building, to include 30 no. apartment units (9 co. studio units, 7 no. 1 bedroom units, 10 no. 2 bedroom units, and 4 no. 3 bedroom units), comprised of 2 no. blocks of development (1 no. 3-5 storey block addressing Mary Street and 1 no. 4-5 storey block addressing Sráid Séamus Ó'Cinneide), to be accessed by a single and central stair and lift core, and including ancillary spaces such as secure storage for 42 no. resident bicycle parking spaces, communal refuse storage area, and resident storage room. b) Site and external works to consist of the removal of existing palisade perimeter fencing, to be replaced with the proposed new building and associated landscaping and public realm improvements, the provision of a new secure resident communal open space on Sráid Séamus Ó'Cinneide, 2 no. car parking spaces for Pigeon Club use accessed from Sráid Séamus Ó'Cinneide, improvement of public realm areas to both Mary Street and Sráid Seamus Ó'Cinneide including the replacement of footpaths, and the provision of 18 no. new visitor bicycle parking spaces on Mary Street, provision of side access to the proposed new building via new pedestrian only lanes accessed from both Mary Street and Sráid Séamus Ó'Cinneide, new public lighting, connection to the existing foul and surface water network, and all other associated site development and landscaping works. c) proposed development to include archaeological excavation works in relation to existing in-situ walls (Sites & Monuments Record LI005-0017148). In accordance with Article 120(1)(b)(i) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, the Local Authority has carried out a screening for environmental impact assessment of the proposal. Having regard to the information specified under Schedule 7A of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, and based on an examination of the nature, size and location of the development, it is determined that there is no likelihood of significant effects on the environment arising from the 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 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, 258327

• 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

• 5 Jul 2025Conditional

  construct a first floor extension to the rear of the existing dwelling, the installation of roof lights and all associated site works

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 2560666

• 29 Jun 2024Conditional

  a single storey extension to the rear of dwelling; replacement of rear door with window, and changes to roof lights at the second floor from Planning Permission Ref. P13/078 and all associated site works

  Retention · Limerick County Council, 2460651

• 22 Oct 2020Conditional

  part off-license use in the existing retail unti

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 201070

• 25 Oct 2019Conditional

  demolition of existing structure to rear of building and construction of lean-to single storey storage/training to side of building which is a Protected Structure RPS No. 314

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 191055

• 14 Mar 2019Conditional

  change of use of former public house to gourmet burger, take away, signage, mechanical extraction and associated works

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 19238

• 18 Jan 2019Conditional

  the change of use of portion of ground floor from its original approved use as retail to use as a medical unit (speech therapist) together with associated new signage

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 1934

• 13 Sept 2018Conditional

  the change of use of portion of ground floor from its original approved use as retail to use as a gymnasium together with associated new signage

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 18894

• 31 Jul 2018N/a

  demolition of existing derelict end of terrace cottage, while providing support and weathering to adjoining property's gable wall, together with ancillary site works

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 18766

• 1 Dec 2017Conditional

  the change of use of former laundry retail shop to fish and chip take away, potato peeling room extension, mechanical extraction and associated works

  Permission · Limerick County Council, 171120

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

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: Lower River Shannon SAC 002165

Recorded monuments

• LI005-017141 Kiln
  Description

  Excavations carried out at St. Francis Street by Florence Hurley in 1996 under licence No. 95E0218 were summarised as following; 'This site is one of a number that will be affected by the construction of the Northern Relief Road through this part of Englishtown. Trial-trenching in 1988 had indicated the presence of walls and human bone. The site has long been associated with the Franciscan friary [LI005-079----] founded in 1267. It lies just outside the eastern part of the town wall, and to the south lies Long Lane. The structures of the friary went gradually into ruin after its dissolution between 1540 and 1548. What remained was removed when the county courthouse was built on the site c. 1732. It was demolished in the middle of the last century. Twelve trenches were opened along the rake of the new road, and archaeological material was found in eight of these. This can be divided into five main phases. Pre-friary activity This consisted of a series of organic deposits, 1.5m deep. From these came a relatively large amount of animal bone and occasional sherds of local and imported medieval pottery. Near the base of these deposits was a cobbled surface. The friary The organic deposits were covered by a silty clay layer, 0.25m thick, laid down to seal the underlying material. The western end of the nave and part of a southern aisle were found. These were constructed predominantly of brown sandstone. A 13m section of the southern aisle wall was found, consisting of five blind arches, each c. 1.5m wide. This wall, together with the western and southern walls of the friary, had been badly truncated by the building of the courthouse walls on top of them. A fortunate survival was a virtually intact in situ column base for a compound pier on its plinth, which had survived by being buried within a later wall. A possible second plinth and a stone moulding were found 5m to the east. The width of the aisle is 4.5m and the width of the nave is 8.5m. Very little remained of the floor levels within the building owing to the severe truncation caused by the burials. No evidence was found for the location of the domestic range to the north of the site, despite the opening of several trenches there. Industrial activity A linear kiln was uncovered south of the church, associated with two phases of stake-holes and two stone-packed post-holes. The county courthouse The construction of this building removed or masked most of the earlier structures and used the church walls as a foundation. Numerous pieces of cut stone were recovered from these later walls.' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 19 December 2019

• LI005-017142 Excavation - miscellaneous
  Description

  Excavations carried out at St. Francis Street by Florence Hurley in 1996 under licence No. 95E0218 were summarised as following; 'This site is one of a number that will be affected by the construction of the Northern Relief Road through this part of Englishtown. Trial-trenching in 1988 had indicated the presence of walls and human bone. The site has long been associated with the Franciscan friary [LI005-079----] founded in 1267. It lies just outside the eastern part of the town wall, and to the south lies Long Lane. The structures of the friary went gradually into ruin after its dissolution between 1540 and 1548. What remained was removed when the county courthouse was built on the site c. 1732. It was demolished in the middle of the last century. Twelve trenches were opened along the rake of the new road, and archaeological material was found in eight of these. This can be divided into five main phases. Pre-friary activity This consisted of a series of organic deposits, 1.5m deep. From these came a relatively large amount of animal bone and occasional sherds of local and imported medieval pottery. Near the base of these deposits was a cobbled surface' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 19 December 2019

• LI005-017143 Burial ground
  Description

  Excavations carried out at St. Francis Street by Florence Hurley in 1996 under licence No. 95E0218 were summarised as following; 'This site is one of a number that will be affected by the construction of the Northern Relief Road through this part of Englishtown. Trial-trenching in 1988 had indicated the presence of walls and human bone. The site has long been associated with the Franciscan friary [LI005-079----] founded in 1267. It lies just outside the eastern part of the town wall, and to the south lies Long Lane. The structures of the friary went gradually into ruin after its dissolution between 1540 and 1548. What remained was removed when the county courthouse was built on the site c. 1732. It was demolished in the middle of the last century. Twelve trenches were opened along the rake of the new road, and archaeological material was found in eight of these. The friary The organic deposits were covered by a silty clay layer, 0.25m thick, laid down to seal the underlying material. The western end of the nave and part of a southern aisle were found. These were constructed predominantly of brown sandstone. A 13m section of the southern aisle wall was found, consisting of five blind arches, each c. 1.5m wide. This wall, together with the western and southern walls of the friary, had been badly truncated by the building of the courthouse walls on top of them. A fortunate survival was a virtually intact in situ column base for a compound pier on its plinth, which had survived by being buried within a later wall. A possible second plinth and a stone moulding were found 5m to the east. The width of the aisle is 4.5m and the width of the nave is 8.5m. Very little remained of the floor levels within the building owing to the severe truncation caused by the burials. No evidence was found for the location of the domestic range to the north of the site, despite the opening of several trenches there. In the northernmost area of the site part of a structure was found whose style of construction is quite similar of that of the church. It consisted of a 5m section of wall with a small chamber, 1.4m by 1.5m, attached to its northern side. This had been truncated by post-medieval activity to the west. If any of the domestic range survives, it may lie further to the east. The burials A total of 465 articulated human burials were uncovered, along with a considerable amount of disarticulated bone. Virtually all of these came from within the church. Some are likely to be medieval in date, but the bulk of them of them date from the late sixteenth to early eighteenth century. Phases of burials were separated from each other by deposits deliberately introduced to seal the preceding burials. Male, female and infant burials are present, with a noticeable concentration of the latter inside the northern wall of the nave. Most of those buried were wrapped in shrouds, as numerous shroud-pins were found. Traces of coffins were found in some of the later graves. Several burials lying outside the aisle were lying face down and/or were aligned north-south. Four stone-lined graves were uncovered. From one of these came part of a lead coffin with an incised cross on its lid. The lower half of the coffin had been truncated by one of the courthouse walls. A virtually intact timber coffin was also found. The county courthouse The construction of this building removed or masked most of the earlier structures and used the church walls as a foundation. Numerous pieces of cut stone were recovered from these later walls.' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 19 December 2019

• LI005-017145 Burial ground
  Description

  This is the record for the section of burial ground, [LI005-017143-) probably part of that belonging to the Franciscan Friary (LI005-079----), excavated by Linda G. Lynch (02E1665; 03E1364). The in situ remains of five individuals (four adults, one juvenile) were recorded, along with a quantity of disarticulated human remains. A single coffin with no discernible grave-cut was visible in the north-eastern corner of the excavation. A duplicate entry with LI005-017143-.

• LI005-017178 Excavation - miscellaneous
  Description

  Excavations undertaken at Court House Lane / river Lane / Glueyard Lane by Celie O Rahilly under licence No. 97E0227 was summarised as following; 'This site is located to the east of the medieval walled part of the Englishtown and may have been part of the precinct of St Francis’s Abbey. It is defined by the new Northern Relief Road, on the line of Court House Lane to the west, River Lane to the north and Glueyard Lane to the east. To the south is Flag Lane, with a dog-leg reaching out to Long Lane at the western end. The two lanes to the north and south, River Lane and Long Lane, are probably of medieval origin as they lead to the town wall where Bonfields or Abbey Gate and Gaol Lane Gate respectively were located. Glueyard Lane presumably dates from the 19th century (a glue factory is marked on the 1870 OS map), and Court House Lane may date from the 18th century, when the Court House was constructed on the site of St Francis’s Friary [LI005-079----]. The development consists of five blocks of one/two-storey houses, with a possible additional apartment block facing on to the new road at the corner of Long Lane and a single unit to the east of this. The line of Flag Lane will be continued to the new road. Four of the blocks will run east–west at right angles to the new road line, and the fifth will face westwards on to Glueyard Lane. Piled foundations are proposed. The purpose of the work was to test the area of the proposed development in order to assess its impact on any structural remains of the priory. The area of St Francis’s Abbey between Court House Lane and the westernmost house on Long Lane was excavated by F.M. Hurley as part of the archaeological work required for the Northern Relief Road (Excavations 1996, 69–70, 95E0218), and test-trenching in 1988 revealed walls and human skeletons. In the more recent excavation, structural remains consisting of three parallel walls extending east–west as well as c. 450 skeletons were excavated beneath the site of the Court House. The proportions and siting of these walls were interpreted by the excavator as being part of the west end of the friary church. The friary was located to the north of Long Lane outside the town wall [LI005-017010-], which ran approx. north–south down Sheep Street to Gaol Lane Gate. The extent of the friary precincts, however, is uncertain. South of the Gate, a stretch of c. 30m of town wall has been identified in recent test-trenching (Excavations 1996, 70–1, 96E0213) and it may be that this was used as a precinct wall. The pictorial representation on the Hardiman map (1590) supports this theory. Gwynn and Hadcock (Medieval religious houses, Ireland (Irish Academic Press, 1988), 254) state that ‘at the general suppression the precincts contained a church, dormitory, cloister, hall, kitchen, three chambers and a garden of an acre’.Core drilling was carried out by engineers, but the results did not show any structural remains. The first test-trenching (Oct. 96), was carried out in two parts: five cuts, 1–5, were made on 24/10/96 on the area east of the proposed Northern Relief Road and were located to correspond with the proposed Phase 1 housing blocks, and eight cuttings, D–I, were dug by F.M. Hurley within the area of his excavation, three of which (Cuts D, E and I) were relevant to the area of proposed development. Further testing, Cuts 6–10, was carried out on 29/7/97. Of these, Cuts 8–10 were located on the east side of Glueyard Lane. Here the deposits all appeared to be made-up ground and not of archaeological interest. The final cuttings, 11 and 12, were opened on 5/11/97. No friary-related structural remains were noted but there was evidence, from some of the trenches and from a hand-excavated area within the excavation, of a build-up of dark organic material at 2.6–1.5m OD, the level of natural clay. This material contained occasional finds and spreads of brushwood but no structures (wattle or otherwise), except in the hand-cut trench where the penultimate layer consisted of a cobbled surface, below which were upright stakes driven into the natural clay. Given the extra-mural location, it is possible that this organic material is town dump which accumulated in the area between the town wall and the Abbey River, resulting in its gradual reclamation prior to the foundation of the friary in 1267. It is also possible that the dark mixed soil identified in Cut 5 which overlay the organic may be related to the garden of the friary. In Cut 11, at the southern end of the tested area and closest to the extension eastwards of the church remains, human remains were identified at a depth of over 2m' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 December 2019

• LI005-017181 Excavation - miscellaneous
  Description

  Excavations undertaken at Sir Harry’s Mall, King’s Island by Kevin Lohan, Margaret Gowen & Co. Ltd under licence No. 05E0292 was summarised as following; 'The site at Sir Harry’s Mall/Long Lane is roughly triangular in shape and c. 0.21ha in area. It is bounded by Long Lane to the north, the Abbey River to the east and to the south and west by the Limerick northern relief road. The development site also contains part of the Sir Harry’s Mall road. The site lies within St Mary’s Ward, in the south-eastern portion of King’s Island, a natural islet formed by the Shannon and Abbey Rivers. Between 1996 and 2005 four separate archaeological investigations were undertaken at the development site. The first of these was carried out in 1996–7 by Ken Hanly and was undertaken in connection with the construction of the Limerick Northern Relief Road (Excavations 1997, No. 351, 96E0334). The second was excavated by Celie O Rahilly in 1999 (Excavations 1999, No. 522, 99E0433). This test excavation was undertaken to assess the impact on the archaeological material present on the site by a possible development. The third investigation was carried out by Kate Taylor. This was again a test excavation and was undertaken to uncover possible archaeology that may be impacted on by a possible development. The final investigation carried out on the site was undertaken by the writer in 2005. In this investigation part of the central portion of the site was fully excavated. There were four main phases of archaeological activity present on the site. The earliest dates from the medieval period. The majority of the evidence for this phase comes not from the most recent excavation but from previous excavations carried out on the site. These and their relation to the evidence uncovered in this excavation are discussed below. The other phases uncovered on the site were from the 17th, 18th and the 19th/20th centuries. Of these phases the material from the 18th century was by far the most abundant in both structures and artefacts. The 18th-century activity cut into and removed much of the earlier deposits. The City Wall [LI005-017010-] Any remains of early medieval or Hiberno-Norse activity on the site were either left undisturbed below the level to which the site was excavated or have been removed by later activity. The principal feature present in the central portion of the site was the City Wall. The wall dates from the medieval period at base but has been substantially reworked during its lifespan as an active defensive feature. First constructed after the Anglo-Norman conquest of the town in the last years of the 12th century, it stayed in use until after the Williamite sieges in the late 17th century. The city was officially declared as unwalled in 1760. The walls were either already gone at this point or were shortly to be pulled down. The portion of the walls along the waterfronts were among the first to go, to increase port space as well as being desirable property. In Sir Harry’s Mall this is demonstrated by a terrace of Georgian housing being constructed over the line of the wall. The foundations of the wall are deep at the point at which it was tested, with the bottom of the wall sitting at 1.53m OD giving it a surviving height (or depth) of 2.25m. The majority of the wall in this area was faced with well-cut squared uncoursed ashlar limestone. This seems to represent 17th-century maintenance and improvement of the wall. Other portions of the wall are of rougher uncoursed rubble, probably representing original medieval construction. The Fish Gate The position of the Fish Gate was also apparent during the excavation. The City Wall was interrupted for a distance of 2.58m. The ends of the City Wall were squared, showing this was an original gap, not a later insertion. On the northern side of the gap there was also a possible spud stone. No medieval defensive features were found associated with this gate. The fact that the gate would have led out either straight to the Abbey River or to its bank may explain this. The defences of the gate were provided by the river rather than by a man-made structure, a gate proving sufficient without the need for towers or other defensive features. Medieval religious houses The other medieval structures on the site, namely the two medieval religious foundations, the Fratres Cruciferi Priory [LI005-017115-] and the Franciscan Abbey [LI005-079----], were partially excavated in previous campaigns and were not touched upon in this excavation. However, the presence of these institutions seems to have kept both the layout and use of this area relatively consistent up until the dissolution c. ad 1540. Post-medieval landholdings prior to 1700 With the granting of the holdings of both these houses to Edmund Sexton, the character of this area must have changed dramatically. By the time of the Civil Survey in 1654 the area was a commercial and residential district with a high percentage of military personnel lodged in and around Fish Lane. No trace of the small, largely wooden houses described in the Civil Survey were uncovered during the excavation. It is probable that the current excavation, centred as it was on the Fish Gate, was not quite in the correct position to find these houses and also that any traces that may have remained were either entirely removed or greatly disturbed by the 18th-century redevelopment of the site. No remains of the 17th-century residence were uncovered on any of the previous excavations of the site. This change of ownership and use is not reflected in the archaeological remains uncovered in the recent excavation undertaken of the site. The late 16th- and 17th-century material exposed in this excavation, centred on the Fish Gate and the City Wall, consisted mainly of stony ground-raising deposits. There is one possible 17th-century structure directly outside the Fish Gate, but it seems late to be a defensive structure. 17th-century defence and development The main evidence of 17th-century activity on the site is military and defensive in nature. It is historically recorded as well as evident on the ground that the City Wall of Limerick underwent a large degree of maintenance and upgrading during this period. Limerick was besieged during both conflicts which took place in Ireland at this time, necessitating this work. Directly outside the wall was a build-up of 17th-century deposits. These could be interpreted either as a form of defensive glacis to protect the base of the wall from cannon fire or as a routeway along the river to the Fish Gate. The bulk of the 17th-century artefacts were recovered from these deposits. These included copper coins, a musket ball and the quillion from an artilleryman’s knife. The redevelopment of the site in the 18th century The 18th-century redevelopment had a major impact on the archaeology of the site. This included the construction of a terrace of houses over the area formerly occupied by both the City Wall [LI005-017010-] and part of the Fratres Cruciferi Priory [LI005-017115-] and the insertion of a large-scale drainage and sewer system. The terrace of houses ran from Fish Lane south towards what is now the northern relief road and fronted on to Sir Harry’s Mall. The drainage system especially was vital to the development, due to the proximity of the Abbey River, which is still tidal at this point. Archaeologically this development removed a lot of the material which preceded it. Fish Lane was completely dug out and a large brick-arched drain was inserted. This was connected to smaller drains coming from the terrace of houses. The terrace of houses was built over the line of the City Wall and in places had completely removed it. All traces of dwellings which may have abutted the wall or been situated near it have been removed. The terrace did not extend past Fish Lane and so occupied the southern portion of the site. The terrace did, however, extend beyond the limit of the site to the

• LI005-079 Religious house - Franciscan friars
  Description

  Excavations carried out at St. Francis Street by Florence Hurley in 1996 under licence No. 95E0218 were summarised as following; 'This site is one of a number that will be affected by the construction of the Northern Relief Road through this part of Englishtown. Trial-trenching in 1988 had indicated the presence of walls and human bone. The site has long been associated with the Franciscan friary founded in 1267. It lies just outside the eastern part of the town wall, and to the south lies Long Lane. The structures of the friary went gradually into ruin after its dissolution between 1540 and 1548. What remained was removed when the county courthouse was built on the site c. 1732. It was demolished in the middle of the last century. Twelve trenches were opened along the rake of the new road, and archaeological material was found in eight of these. This can be divided into five main phases. Pre-friary activity This consisted of a series of organic deposits, 1.5m deep. From these came a relatively large amount of animal bone and occasional sherds of local and imported medieval pottery. Near the base of these deposits was a cobbled surface. The friary The organic deposits were covered by a silty clay layer, 0.25m thick, laid down to seal the underlying material. The western end of the nave and part of a southern aisle were found. These were constructed predominantly of brown sandstone. A 1 3m section of the southern aisle wall was found, consisting of five blind arches, each c. 1.5m wide. This wall, together with the western and southern walls of the friary, had been badly truncated by the building of the courthouse walls on top of them. A fortunate survival was a virtually intact in situ column base for a compound pier on its plinth, which had survived by being buried within a later wall. A possible second plinth and a stone moulding were found 5m to the east. The width of the aisle is 4.5m and the width of the nave is 8.5m. Very little remained of the floor levels within the building owing to the severe truncation caused by the burials. No evidence was found for the location of the domestic range to the north of the site, despite the opening of several trenches there. In the northernmost area of the site part of a structure was found whose style of construction is quite similar of that of the church. It consisted of a 5m section of wall with a small chamber, 1.4m by 1.5m, attached to its northern side. This had been truncated by post-medieval activity to the west. If any of the domestic range survives, it may lie further to the east. The burials [LI005-017143-] A total of 465 articulated human burials were uncovered, along with a considerable amount of disarticulated bone. Virtually all of these came from within the church. Some are likely to be medieval in date, but the bulk of them of them date from the late sixteenth to early eighteenth century. Phases of burials were separated from each other by deposits deliberately introduced to seal the preceding burials. Male, female and infant burials are present, with a noticeable concentration of the latter inside the northern wall of the nave. Most of those buried were wrapped in shrouds, as numerous shroud-pins were found. Traces of coffins were found in some of the later graves. Several burials lying outside the aisle were lying face down and/or were aligned north-south. Four stone-lined graves were uncovered. From one of these came part of a lead coffin with an incised cross on its lid. The lower half of the coffin had been truncated by one of the courthouse walls. A virtually intact timber coffin was also found. Industrial activity A linear kiln (LI005-017141-) was uncovered south of the church, associated with two phases of stake-holes and two stone-packed post-holes. The county courthouse The construction of this building removed or masked most of the earlier structures and used the church walls as a foundation. Numerous pieces of cut stone were recovered from these later walls' (www.excavations.ie). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 19 December 2019

Architectural heritage

• Saint Mary's Catholic Church, church/chapel, 1925–1935 · Regional interest
  Description

  Freestanding Hiberno-Romanesque style limestone Roman Catholic church, built between 1930-32, with seven-bay aisle and clerestorey side elevations prolonged by slightly recessed cancel elevation, and a three-stage tower to southwest corner, built in 1940. Sacristy and attendant structures to gabled chancel elevation. Built on a rectangular plan, with a double-height nave flanked by single-height aisles. Pitched slate nave roof with crested ridge tiles, and slate lean-to aisle roofs. Limestone chimneystack flush with chancel elevation. Concave profiled limestone brackets supporting profiled cast-iron gutters, with cartouches over scupper to cast-iron downpipes. Rainwater goods by the Saracen Foundry, Glasgow. Ogee cupola over square-plan tower lantern tapering to a cruciform finial, with patinated copper laid in herringbone pattern, and trefoil vent openings. Gabled entrance elevation and lean-to side aisles with smooth limestone ashlar piers joined over gable with Romanesque corbel motif, and rock-faced limestone ashlar facing to recessed elevation plane. Limestone coping to gable parapet rising from profiled limestone kneelers. Three-stage square-plan tower, with smooth limestone ashlar base, elongated intermediary stage, with smooth limestone ashlar sides projecting from rock-faced limestone elevation; smooth limestone ashlar belfry stage with triple arched openings rising from plinth course; smooth limestone ashlar cupola rising from machicolated parapet. Squared and coursed limestone side and rear elevations, with flush smooth limestone ashlar platbands articulating fenestration sill level and springing of round-arched openings. Round-arched lancet window openings throughout, grouped in pairs to clerestorey, and in three to aisle elevations, with smooth limestone ashlar reveals, and double coursed voussoirs, flush canted sills and weather glazing obscuring original leaded stained glazing. Rose window to gabled entrance elevation with limestone ashlar hood moulding, geometric tracery and leaded stained glass. Oculi to tower aisle and chancel elevation with leaded stained glass. Romanesque inspired round-arched door opening with stepped reveals articulated by engaged colonnettes with cushion capitals, from which stripped chevron archivolts spring, leading to timber framed gazed narthex with encaustic tiled flooring. Secondary round-arched door openings with drip moulds, stepped reveals with stopped-bull nose moulded inner reveal, and double-leaf timber doors having stop-chamfered panel details with wrought-iron hardware. Nave separated from aisles by arcades composed of polished marble columns with rendered capitals and flat squat impost blocks above which rendered archivolts join to form a lively rhythmic articulation, amplified by paired round-arched clerestorey windows and lateral round arches which spring from shafts on corbels on the spandrels. Full-height round arch separates chancel, with altar raised on marble-faced platform, with engaged arcaded marble and mosaic reredos beneath triple arched window composition with stained glass; with arcades to side and triforium arcades beneath clerestorey. Angled timber-panelled roof lining to nave with lean-to aisle roof structures supported by lateral timber arches rising from corbels to impost block of nave arcade and window piers; with closed decorated spandrels. Compartmented timber panelling to chancel ceiling. Baptismal font and altar terminating western aisle. Varied floor covering including: patterned tilework to nave and aisles and timber boards laid in herringbone pattern to pew areas; modern replacement tiles to nave side of alter; mosaic with classical patterns. Timber-framed confessional boxes with classical detailing set into three-centred arches with bull nose moulded reveals. Organ to choir over narthex. Site enclosed from Athlunkard Street, Island Road and Saint Mary’s Place by rubble limestone wall with later concrete coping supporting mild steel railings, c. 1990. Axial to front door are limestone piers with gabled coping and stop-stafts to corners forming central vehicular gate flanked by pedestrian gates. Access to early eighteenth-century former parochial house to northeast.

• Athlunkard Rowing Club, clubhouse, 1920–1930 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached three-bay two-storey clubhouse, built between 1923-24, with two-storey three-sided canted bay window to west-facing side elevation. Hipped fibre cement tiled roof with clay ridge tiles with finials and octagonal vent or chimney flues. Plain timber bargeboards to dormer gables with timber finials. Smooth rendered walls at ground floor level rusticated quoins and moulded stucco stringcourse at first floor level above which the walls are faced in pebbledash render with smooth rendered corner piers. Square-headed window openings, now boarded-up at ground floor level, at first floor level forming half dormers with a tripartite arrangement of central opening flanked by diminutive sidelights, with painted sills, and possible metal-framed windows. Square-headed door opening with boarded-up sidelights having painted sills. Stucco canopy supported on brackets forming a round-arch to centre. Plaque over door with flanking swags. Located adjacent to the Abbey River. Enclosed from street by a squared and coursed limestone wall and plinth wall with wrought-iron railings, either side of tooled limestone ashlar piers and wrought-iron gates with figurative plaques depicting scenes of Limerick. Monument on site with painted figurative statue. Poured concrete slipway to river. Modern structure located to rear, c. 2000.

• Dún an Oileáin, house, 1925–1935 · Regional interest
  Description

  A pair of gable-fronted multiple-bay single-storey timber-framed buildings, built c. 1930, distinguished by highly decorative and unusual timber cagework and barging. Joined by later flat-roofed accretions. The building to the east has a pitched artificial slate roof with timber finial to gable. A raised pitched roof to remainder with pan tile roof, further enriched by decorative timber bargeboards and finials. Timber cagework walls throughout with parging between. Square-headed window openings with concrete sills, timber architraves with console brackets and uPVC windows. To front entrance gable is a timber inscription reading: Dun an Oileain. To side is a course of quatrefoil timber panels. Portico doorcase with broken base pediment, possibly original to the structure, with replacement timber door and original margin-paned sidelights. West building has a pitched felt roof decorative timber finials and bargeboards containing decorative gables. Double-leaf timber doors with oval panels. Diamond-shaped panels to sides flanked by pilasters. This arrangement is rendered with a paint finish to rear and sides. As this building is unfenestrated, it may have functioned as a workshop.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Radon

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

Landslides

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

Terrain model

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

Flooding

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

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

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

Name

St. Francis Abbey · Mainistir Phroinsias

Area

45,084 m² (4.51 ha, 11.14 acres)

Civil parish

St. Mary's, and its townlands

Barony

North Liberties

Electoral division

John's C, the unit of the census

Census 2022

503 people lived in 212 households in the John's C electoral division. 30% of households owned their home. 31% of homes were built since 2001. 5% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 0% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Englishtown

Placenames

St. Francis Abbey 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.