The following article appeared in the Limerick Reporter 12 December 1856. It tells of a case of horse theft brought against Anne Rankin before the Limerick Police Court. P.G. Barron was Chairman of the court: STEALING A HORSE – Anne Rankin, a half-starved impoverished-looking creature, and who held a large piece of bread in her…
In a tale reminiscent of the golden age of railway travel, a memorable excursion took place on Sunday, August 11, 1850, as the Great Southern and Western Railway connected the cities of Limerick and Cork. The journey, despite the typically unpredictable Irish weather, was filled with excitement and eager anticipation. The journey was recorded in…
1862 was two years before civil registrations became compulsory for all in Ireland on 1 January 1864 (there were civil marriage records from 1 April 1845 for non-Catholic Christian and Jewish marriages but these did not include Roman Catholics marriages). All marriages at this time were recorded in the parish church in which the marriage…
Many Limerick residents relocated to Wisconsin in the years following the famine. The following is an account from a Limerick man in Wisconsin, in 1851. His letter was published in the Leinster Express on May 3, 1851. The paper described him as a “County Limerick gentleman, who sold off, and went to see his fortune…
This exceptionally rare photograph from around 1901 captures a pivotal moment as a photographer skilfully prepares to take a shot. While examining my collection of Limerick photographs, I noticed a familiar scene of the military crossing Mathew Bridge. It suddenly struck me that this scene was also captured in the Ludlow Collection’s “God Save The…
This never been seen before video clip of Eamon De Valera unveiling a plaque in honour of John and Ned Daly on Barrington Street in 1966. It was filmed by Eamon O’Connor and uploaded by Newcastle West Olden Times. The clip shows a view of Limerick from the Tower of St Mary’s Cathedral. It also…
The following description of Limerick by Thomas W. Silloway and Lee L. Powers was first published in 1883. The pair travelled through Ireland to create a tour guide called “The Cathedral Towns and Intervening Places of England, Ireland, and Scotland: A Description of cities cathedrals, lakes, mountains, ruins and watering-places.” for potential visitors to the…
The following extract was published first in the Ulster Times in 1836 and a year later in a bound volume of a tour around Ireland. It was written under the pen name J. K. The Limerick report was written in Killaloe, October 3, 1836 and read as follows: On the whole, we have been rather…
Princess Penelope was born Penelope Smyth, she gained her royal title through her marriage to Carlo Ferdinado di Borbonne, Prince of Capua. Their story reads like a fairy tale. Penelope was born in Waterford on July 19, 1815, while her beau was six years her junior. The pair met in the mid-1830s, but the circumstances…
The role of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland established in 1690 and was abolished in 1922. He was considered the representative of the King in Ireland. Officially, Lords Lieutenant were appointed for no set term but in practice they were usually replaced as each British Government ministry fell. A number of these men visited Limerick and…
For over a century, the births, deaths and marriages of the descendants of John Ferrar, the founder of the Limerick Chronicle, were recorded in its pages. Henry Strafford Ferrar was born in Belfast on July 10, 1850 the son of Mary Minchin and Michael Lloyd Ferrar, grandson of John Ferrar. Henry Stafford was educated at…
Despite the common belief that the Widows Alms Houses off Nicholas Street were erected in 1691, they were in fact built much later. The myth probably arose from the following inscription that was on the gable of the buildings “Corporation Widows Alms Houses A.D. 1691”. (Although a Corporation Alms House did exist from 1691, it…
The following article was posted in the Nation on 19 March 1887. It tells of the news agents of Limerick city’s attempt to stop Fake News from England spreading in the city. The news agents of Limerick city have set an example which it is to be fervently hoped will be generally followed by the…
Six major factors caused the Limerick Soviet to happen when it did. These were The Rise of Nationalism The Easter Rising The First World War Fall of the Russian Court Rise of Trade Unions The War of Independence. These factors did not happen independently of each other but were all part of a tangled web…
In 19th-century Ireland, the wheels of justice turned swiftly, often with harsh consequences for those who ran afoul of the law. The following report, originally published in the Limerick Chronicle on March 16, 1844, offers a stark insight into the judicial proceedings in the Petty Sessions and County Assizes of the time. From petty crimes…