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St John's Cathedral

St John’s Cathedral – Roman Catholic, built in 1856

Posted on October 23, 2004November 17, 2024 by Sharon Slater

St John's Cathedral

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, known locally as St John’s Cathedral was erected in 1856, replacing an older Roman Catholic chapel of the same name built in 1753.

Historical Significance

Limerick is home to several churches sharing the same names, serving both Roman Catholic and Protestant communities. This includes the two St. Munchin’s churches and the two St. Michael’s churches, which can sometimes confuse tourists and family history researchers.

The connection between St. John the Baptist and the area around St. John’s Cathedral is deeply rooted. According to historian Begley, the Knights Templar had a house dedicated to John the Baptist in this area during the 12th century. Read more at St John’s Cathedral

Architectural Highlights

St. John’s Cathedral, boasting the tallest church spire in Ireland, was designed by Philip Charles Hardwick, who was also working on Adare Manor at the time. Seventeen years after the cathedral’s opening, work began on the spire, designed by Hennessy’s of Limerick.

The bell in the steeple has an interesting history; it was transported from Dublin to Limerick by barge using the canal systems. For more information on the Limerick side of the canal, visit the Canal Walk page.


John Ferrar’s description of the old St. John’s Chapel in his ‘History of Limerick’ 1787

Near John’s gate was finished in the year 1753. The building is a handsome one in the form of a cross, and has a very good painting of the Crucifixion, done by Mr. Collopy, a native of Limerick.


Other Limerick Churches

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About Limerick’s Life

This website is a personal project of Sharon Slater, born from a passion for Limerick and its history. It has been maintained, updated and contributed to it independently and voluntarily. If you'd like to buy me a coffee to keep Limerick's history online, please know that all donations will go directly into the costs of hosting the website and the time and travel to research and write the articles found on the site.

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