
St. John’s Church, Church of Ireland, stands on the site of an earlier church in the Irish town area of the city, which dated from the 1200s. It is located at one end of John’s Square, the first development of Newtownpery.
The walls around the graveyard were built in 1693, while the present church was erected in 1852. The graveyard is the burial place for many well-to-do Limerick families, including the Russell’s who ran large mills in Limerick in the mid-nineteenth century.
The church fell into disuse in the early 1970s as the Anglican population of Limerick city fell. It was given to the Limerick Corporation in 1975, who used it as a cultural space.
The interior was completely redesigned and for a period the church was used as a base for the Dagdha Dance Company and is now the hub for Dance Limerick.
Transcriptions and Photographs of the attached graveyard
John Ferrar’s description of the old St. John’s Church in his ‘History of Limerick’ 1787
The time when this church was built and endowed, is not exactly known. The living vicarage, in the gift of lord viscount Pery’s family, and worth about two hundred and fifty pounds per annum, which chiefly arises from the poundage money, on the houses in Irish-town. The length of the church from East to West, is sixty feet, the breadth sixty-three, and the circumference of the church and burial ground is five hundred and fifty feet.
In the year 1763, this church was thoroughly repaired; above five hundred pounds were expended in decorating it, and making several necessary and useful additions. Part of this sum as given by voluntary donations of the parishioners, and the remainder was raised by the sale of several new pews.
There was a handsome monument in this church, before it was repaired, with the following inscription.
“Thomas Power, quondam cives Limericenfis, et ejus uxor Joanna Rice, hoc monumentus haeredibus fuis conftruxaerunt, in quo ambo feseliuntur, o ret. pro eis pius lector. Quis-quis eris q ui tranfis, fta, perlege, plora, fum quoderis, fueramque quod es, pro me precorora; hoc finito. A.D. 1622.”
Thomas Power, citizen of Limerick and Joanna Rice his wife, erected this tomb for their family, in which both of them are interred.
“Reader, pause, improve your time, I, like you, have seen my prime, What I am, thou soon must be, Then prepare to follow me. Finished in the year 1622.”
This monument was surrounded with the twelve Apostles, and suitable emblems carved in stone; at the bottom was Mr Power’s family arms with this motto, “Spes mea in Deo est.” [My hope is in God]
The Western entrance to this church, which was for a long time closed up, is now opened to accommodate the number of inhabitants who reside in and near the new square [John Square]. The principal entrance was formerly from the man street at the Eastern gate, over which was Mr Murray’s arms, with is motto, “Susum contritus cor” [A broke heart above]. And the following inscription,
“Johannes Murry Aberdonensis, Erected this gate at his own expenses. J. Sinclair sculpsit, 1693. Memento Mori.”
Near St John’s gate, the following inscription is fixed in the churchyard wall.
“Johanne Ford Pretore, et hujus operis promotre, parochiam faneti Johannes, de fancte cruce poft recentis belli clades hos cemeterii muros fuis fumptibus extrui curarunt. A.D. 1693. Johanne Paterson, Vicario. Edvardo Uncles & Robert Kemp, Gardianis. John Berry, Sculfit.”
“John Ford, mayor and promoter of this work, in the parish of St John, after the havock of the late siege, repaired these walls.”
There was also a church at Mardyke, called St Michael’s, the burial ground of which is still in use; and a church called St Nicholas, where the post office stands, the parish of which is now annexed to St Mary’s.