Listed below are the most likely reasons behind each street name in the city, though some of the street names have changed through time and some of the original reasoning for certain names have been lost entirely. Many of these street names did not appear in Gerry Joyce’s ‘Limerick City Street Names‘.
Where possible, a link to the street on the 1911 census has been added.
Streets beginning with:
A : B : C : D : E : F : G : H : I : J : K : L : M : N : O : P : Q : R : S : T : U : V : W : X : Y : Z :
Narrow Lane: Located in the Gerald Griffin Street area.
Naughton’s Lane: named after Jeremiah Naughton who owned most of the houses in the lane.
Nelson Street (part 2): (now Parnell Street), named after Admiral Nelson. St. Lelia Street was also formerly known as Nelson Street.
Newenham Lane, Newenham Street: was probably named after Robert O’Callaghan Newenham, a member of a prominent Limerick family, who in 1804 was leased lands in that area by Edmund Sexton Pery. The houses which stand here today were build c.1875. Photograph of Newenham Street
Newgate Lane: takes its name from the reputed adjacent location of New Gate, one of the gates of the old City. Photograph of Newgate Lane
New Road: in Pennywell. This was a new road which was constructed shortly after the demolition of the city walls and connected John Street to the village of Pennywell.
New Road : Thomondgate
New Street (part2) (formerly Hore’s Street). When the road (now O’Connell Avenue) connecting the centre of Newtown Pery to the Ballinacurra Turnpike Road intersected with this turnpike at Punch’s Cross, a “new street” was constructed connecting this point to the South Circular Road; hence the present name.
New Walk: Located in the old Abbey area of the city.
Newtown Mahon: named after Nicholas Mahon, an extensive property owner in that area.
Nicholas Street: (now Cathedral Place), located St. John’s Cathedral, probably took its name from Nicholas Mahon who was a property owner and developer in that area.
Nicholas Street (part 2): (aka Maine Street) located in Englishtown was named after the long vanished medieval Parish Church of St. Nicholas, which was located near this street. Photograph of Nicholas Street
Newtown Mahon: located between Upper William Street and Mulgrave Street also took its name from Nicholas Mahon.
Nolan’s Cottages: named after William M. Nolan, who was Mayor of Limerick in 1895 and 1896, and who subsequently served as Town Clerk for thirty-seven years.
North Strand : (now O’Callaghan’s Strand & Clancy’s Strand)
Nunnery Street: (now Convent Street) was named because it connected Nicholas Street to St. Mary’s Convent.