The Limerick streets beginning with R start with Raheen. 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 :
Raheen: Comes from the Irish Ráth meaning earthen ring fort and was located on the outskirts of Limerick city.
Rampers Road: (Now Cathedral Place) which was located near Newtownmahon, was probably named because it led to the old ramparts located near John’s Gate.
Rathbane: Rath comes from the Irish for fort.
Reeves’ Path: (now Upper Mallow Street). Before the present street was constructed there was in its place a twelve-foot wide passage connecting Mallow Street/Pery Square to Boherbuoy and this ran along the side of property owned by an Edward Reeves.
Reidy Court and Reidy Park named after James (Mossy) Reidy, who was Mayor of Limerick in 1944.
Repeal Alley: Located off John Street.
Revington Park: is called after Thomas Revington the original landowner in that area, whose family owned a large drapers shop in Limerick in the 19th Century.
Rhebogue: (aka Reboge)
Richmond Street: (now St. Joseph’s Street) and Richmond Place (now The Crescent) were named after Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, who was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1807.
River Lane: connected Meat Market Lane to the Abbey River.
Robert Street: is probably named after Robert Baker who owned a number of houses in the area.
Roche’s Street (part 2): is named after the Roche family, who were bankers and merchants. They assisted and were supporters Edmund Sexton Pery in his development of Newtown Pery. Philip Roche took out a lease for the term of 999 years on 25 March 1779 from Edmond Sexton Pery and quickly began his development of the Michael Street area. While his nephews were bankers in Limerick. William Roche erecting the Hanging Garden on Henry Street.
Roden Street and Roden Lane: (now Barrack Hill) were possibly named because they were adjacent to the now demolished Roden House, which was located at the rear of the present red brick Technical Institute in O’Connell Avenue. It is an unusual name and it is also possible that it could have some connection with Robert Jocely (1756-1820), 2nd Earl of Roden, who was Auditor General of the Irish Exchequer.
Rosary Road: (now part of Lower Park road). It is said that when funerals from Park travelled this stretch of road, they slowed down to recite the rosary.
Rosemary Place: Located off West Watergate.
Rosbrien:
Rose’s Avenue: named after Major R. De Ros Rose, who used to live in the adjacent Ardhu House, which now part of the former Limerick Ryan Hotel.
Rossa Avenue and Rossa Villas: named after Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa (1831-1915) a Fenian, over whose grave Patrick Pearse made his famous oration in 1915.
Roxborough Road , Roxboro Road (part 2), Roxboro Villas: Comes from the area called Roche’s Townland, which was owned by the Roche family beginning with Dominic Roche who was given the land by James II.
Russell’s Quay: (now Charlotte’s Quay) was probably named after the Russell family, who were a Limerick milling family and who contributed to the building of the quays in Limerick.
Rutland Street: named after Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland, who was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1784 and who visited Limerick in 1785. He died in office in 1786. In 1951, it was proposed by Clann na Poblachta to rename Rutland Street to Daly Street, the motion was not passed.
Ryan’s Lane: Located in the Glentworth Street, Henry Street area.