The following are a collection of events that are connected to the history of Limerick or people from Limerick during the month of March.
1 March – Denis Carey was born in Kilfinane, Limerick he placed 6th in the Hammer Throw at the 1912 Olympics. He died on this day 1 Mar 1947
2 March – On this day 2 Mar 1889, the Irish Republican Thomas Clarke (1858-1916) received the Freedom of Limerick from his uncle-in-law and Mayor John Daly
3 March – Patrick James ‘Paddy’ Nolan was born in Limerick on this day 3 March 1862. In 1889, he moved to Canada where he was a founding member and the first secretary of the Calgary Board of Trade, auditor of the city (1893–95) & editor of the Calgary Herald (1900–3).
4 March – Samuel Sochat died on this day 4 March 1917. He is buried in the Jewish cemetery, Castletroy.
5 March – On this day, 5 March 1890, former Mayor of Limerick Thomas Kane passed away. Kane was responsible for the erection of the statue to Daniel O’Connell in the Crescent.
6 March – On this day 6 March 1990, an electrical fire broke out in the newly refurbished Theatre Royal, Cecil Street.
It was completely renovated and reopened a year later.
7 March – 100 years ago on this day, 7 Mar 1921, Mayor of Limerick George Clancy and former Mayor of Limerick Michael O’Callaghan were murdered in their homes. Clancy Strand and O’Callaghan Strand are named after them. Another man killed that night was Joseph O’Donoghue.
8 March – Anna Manahan, the Waterford Tony-winning actor died on this day 8 March 2009. In 2003, she recieved an honorary doctorate from the University of Limerick
9 March – On this day 9 March 1906, a lady undertaker Jane O’Toole advertised her business in the Limerick Leader
10 March – The Limerick-born Fianna Fáil politician and rugby union player Donogh O’Malley died on this day 10 Mar 1968 aged only 47. He served as T.D. for Limerick East from 1954 to 1968 and as Minister for Education from 1966 to 1968, Minister for Health from 1965 to 1966.
11 March – On this day 11 March 1223, Hubert de Burgo became the custodian of the diocese of Limerick, he was elected as Bishop shortly afterwards.
12 March – The musician Eric Clapton performed in the Savoy Theatre, Limerick on this day 12 Mar 1979.
13 March – On this day, 13 Mar 1965, Ernesto “Che” Guevara visited Limerick and socialised with locals as his flight was held up in Shannon airport.
14 March – Mathematician Andrew Searle Hart was born in Limerick on this day 14 March 1811. Hart’s Theorem states: Taking any 3 of the 8 circles which touch three others, a circle can be described to touch these three and to touch a fourth circle of the eight touching circles.
15 March – Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair was born on this day 15 March 1857. In June 1894 she became the first woman to receive the Freedom of Limerick. She was important in the revival in Limerick Lace
16 March – On this day, 16 March 1961, Kate O’Callaghan, widow of the Murdered Mayor Michael O’Callaghan passed away in St John’s Hospital. She was a founding member of the Limerick branch of Cumann na mBan She is buried in Mount Saint Lawrence
17 March – Limerick-born Charles Dawson died on this day 17 March 1917 in Dublin. He was High Sheriff of Limerick (1876-7) before moving to Dublin and becoming the Lord Mayor of Dublin (1882-1883). MP for Carlow (1880-1885). In 1884, he was made a Freeman of Limerick.
18 March – On this day 18 Mar 1978, the rock band U2 performed for the first time using that name at a pop competition in the Stella Ballroom, Limerick. They won the competition.
19 March – On this day, 19 Mar, 1878, Michael James O’Rourke was born in Limerick. Due to his actions during WWI he received the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
- General Tom Thumb (part of P.T. Barnum’s act) performed in the Atheaneum on this day 19 March 1858.
20 March – The Limerick race horse breeder John Russell Gubbins died on this day 20 March 1906 in Bruree House, Limerick.
He was the owner of the Two Thousand Guineas and Derby winner, Galtee More.
21 March – John Perry Goodbody, the owner of Bannatynes Flour Mill (later Ranks) on the Dock Road and independent member of Seanad Éireann from 1922 to 1928, died on this day 21 March 1952
22 March – Bernard Adams from Middlesex. He was consecrated Bishop of Limerick in 1604. He died on this day 22 March 1626. He was friends with the poet Anne Southwell, who dedicated a poem in his name. He is buried in St Mary’s Cathedral
23 March – Michael Joseph Savage was born on this day 23 Mar 1872 in Australia. His mother was Johanna Savage (née Hayes) from Limerick City. He became the 23rd Prime Minister of New Zealand heading the First Labour Government from 6 December 1935 until his death in 1940.
24 March – On this day 24 Mar 1948, President of Ireland, Sean T. O’Ceallaigh (1882-1966), received the Freedom of Limerick from Mayor Patrick O’Connell
25 March – On this day 1921, Edmond Crawford member of the East Limerick Brigade died at Kilmallock Hospital He was injured a few days earlier by British Forces.
- On this day 25 March 1910, Edward Fitzgibbon advertised his skills as a decorator in the Limerick Leader Just in time for Spring cleaning.
26 March – Rev Patrick O’Neill became the Roman Catholic Bishop of Limerick in 1946, a post he held until his death on this day 26 March 1958.
27 March – William Russell Lane-Joynt was born in Limerick on this day, 27 March 1855. He won a silver medal for shooting at the 1908 Olympics, in London, as a member of the Men’s Running Target, Single Shot Great Britain team.
28 March – The original Savoy Cinema on Bedford Row closed on this day 28 March 1988 and was demolished the following year.
29 March – On this day, 29 Mar 1855 at Sebastopol, the Crimea, Private William Coffey (a native of Knocklong) threw a live shell, which had fallen into a trench, over the parapet and saving many lives. For this action, he received the Victoria Cross, medal for gallantry.
30 March – On this day 30 March 1921, Sean Finn was killed in action during a three-hour engagement the Ballyhahill/Athea area near Foynes in Co Limerick when his flying column was attacked late at night by three lorry-loads of Black and Tans.
- Advertisements in the Limerick Chronicle on this day 22 years ago, 30 March 1999
31 March -The author Charlotte Bronte died on this day 31 Mar 1855. Only eight months earlier she had visited Limerick and boarded a boat on the docks to spend her honeymoon in Kilkee.
