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 1911 census for each street 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 :
Palmerstown: Located in the John Street area
The Parade: was a military parade ground between Limerick Castle and Nicholas Street.
Park Road, Old Park Road: Located on the outskirts of the city this on both sides of the canal, connected by the Park Road Bridge. Photograph of Park Road and Old Park Road
Parnell Street: (formerly Nelson Street) is named after Charles Stewart Parnell (1846-1891) who has been described as one of the greatest leaders Ireland ever had. He was the first President of the National Land League and as a member of Parliament made the British people conscious of Ireland’s claim to self-government. He was made a Freeman of Limerick in 1880.
Patrick Street: named after Patrick Arthur a member of the famous Limerick family. Photograph of Patrick Street
Pearse Avenue: named after Patrick Pearse (1879-1916), one of the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation and who was executed in Kilmainham Jail.
Peggy Tuohy’s Boreen: in Rebough, named after the lady who lived at the end of the road.
Pennywell: takes its name from the famous well located in the Parish of St. Patrick. This well was located at the southwestern corner of what is now the Musgrave premises on Park Road.
Pery Street Terrace, Pery Square: named after Edmund Sexton Pery, who was born in Limerick in 1719 and died in London in 1806. He became a member of Parliament for Limerick in 1761 and was Speaker in the Irish House of Commons from 1771 to 1785. He was raised to the Peerage in 1785 with the title of Lord Pery. He owned a large amount of property in South Priors Land and encouraged citizens and others to take leases of his lands for development purposes and thus the new city called Newtown Pery evolved. Photograph of Pery Square
Peters Cell / Peters Street: Located in Englishtown.
Phayer’s Lane: named after William Phayer, a coachbuilder who owned all the houses in this lane.
Post Office Lane: named because of its proximity to the General Post Office, located off Lower Glentworth Street.
Pigotts Lane: Located in Hartstonge Street, Catherine Street area.
Pike’s Bow: named after James Martin Pike, a prosperous corn merchant, who had his store and residence inside this Bow. Located off Upper William Street.
Pike’s Row: Located off Playhouse Lane.
Pineview Gardens: receives its name from the fine view of the wooded Clare Hills, which form a notable feature of the landscape to the north of the site.
Playhouse Lane (part 2): (now Little Gerald Griffin Street), named after the Theatre or Playhouse that used to exist at its junction with Lower Gerald Griffin Street. Photograph of Playhouse Lane
Potato Market: Constructed in 1843, as the name suggests, a potato market.
Prospect Row: A lane off Edward Street
Pump Lane: (now Bishop Street) was so named because of the water pump on a plot of ground adjacent to the lane. This pump supplied water to part of the English Town and was located where the front garden of No. 3, St. Peter Street now exists.
Pump Lane: Located in the Cecil Street Area.
Punch’s Lane (part 2), Punch’s Row : named after the Punch family-owned property in the area.