County Limerick Contae Luimnigh
Location
Statistics
Province:	Munster
County Town:	Limerick
Code:	LK
Area:	2,686 km²
Population (2006)	183,863 (including Limerick City); 131,303 (without Limerick City)
Website: www.limerickcoco.ie

County Limerick (Contae Luimnigh in Irish) is a county in the province of Munster, located in the mid-west of Ireland with County Clare to the north, County Cork to the south, County Kerry to the west and County Tipperary to the east. The River Shannon flows through the city of Limerick and into the Atlantic Ocean at the north of the county. Below the city, the waterway is known as the Shannon Estuary. Because the estuary is shallow, the county's most important port is several kilometres west of Limerick city, at Foynes. Limerick County Crest Fair Use - Reproductive Quality Negates Copyright Issues File links The following pages link to this file: County Limerick ... map File links The following pages link to this file: County Limerick Categories: GFDL images ... During late Gaelic and early historic times Ireland was divided into provinces to replace the earlier system of the tuatha. ... Statistics Area: 24,607. ... A county town is the capital of a county in Ireland or the United Kingdom. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... A number plate for a car registered in 2001 in County Dublin Index marks on Number plates in the Republic of Ireland issued since 1987 have the format YY-CC-SSSSSS where the components are: YY — a 2-digit year (e. ... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Alternate uses: See Munster (disambiguation). ... County Clare (Contae an Chláir in Irish) is in the Irish province of Munster. ... Compass rose with north highlighted and at top North is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the primary direction: north is used (explicitly or implicitly) to define all other directions; the (visual) top edges of maps usually correspond to the... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Cork Code: C (CK proposed) Area: 7,457 km² Population (2002) 447,829 Website: www. ... A compass rose with South highlighted South is most commonly a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Tralee Code: KY Area: 4,746 km² Population (2002) 132,527 Website: www. ... A compass rose with west highlighted This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see West (disambiguation). ... County Tipperary (Tiobraid Árann in Irish) is a traditional county in the Republic of Ireland, in the province of Munster. ... The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST, internally called HT-7U) is a project being undertaken to construct an experimental superconducting tokamak magnetic fusion energy reactor in Hefei, the capital city of Anhui Province, in eastern China. ... The River Shannon (Irish: Sionainn), Irelands longest river, divides the West of Ireland (mostly the province of Connaught) from the east and south (Leinster and most of Munster). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Foynes (Faing in Irish) is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. ...

Newcastle West is the most important county town outside of Limerick city. Other towns mainly lie along the Limerick – Tralee roads (N69,N20) and Limerick – Cork road (N21). Newcastle West (An Caisleán Nua Thiar in Irish) is a town in County Limerick, Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... A National Secondary Route is a category of road in the Republic of Ireland. ... The N20 road is a National Primary Route in Ireland, connecting the cities of Limerick and Cork. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 51. ... The N21 road is a National Primary Route in Ireland, forming part of the overall route from Limerick to Tralee. ...

Governance

Limerick County Council is the administrative entity for the county, the City of Limerick is a distinct administrative region and entity. The county council has responsibility for certain local services such as sanitation, planning and development, libraries, collection of motor taxation, local roads and social housing. Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Limerick Code: LK Area: 2,686 km² Population (2002) 175,304 Website: www. ... In the British Isles, a county council is a council that governs a county. ...

History

It is thought that man had established himself in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC. The arrival of the Celts around 400 BC brought about the division of the county into petty kingdoms or tuath. Lough Gur reaches up to a maintained lawn at the visitor area at the lake. ... Megalithic tomb, Mane Braz, Brittany A megalith is a large stone which has been used to construct a structure or monument either alone or with other stones. ... A Celtic cross. ... In the distant past the term tuath signified a clan or tribal family. ...

Christianity came to Limerick in the 5th Century, and resulted in the establishment of important monasteries in Limerick, at Ardpatrick, Mungret and Kileedy. From this golden age in Ireland of learning and art (5th - 9th Centuries) comes one of Ireland's greatest artefacts, The Ardagh Chalice, a masterpiece of metalwork, which was found in a west Limerick fort in 1868. The Ardagh Chalice, which ranks with the Book of Kells as one of the finest known works of Celtic art, is thought to have been made in the 9th century AD. A large, two-handled silver cup, decorated with gold, gilt bronze, brass, lead pewter and enamel, assembled from 354...

The arrival of the Vikings in the 9th century brought about the establishment of the city on an island on the River Shannon in 922. The death of Donal Mór O'Brien, King of Munster in 1194 resulted in the invading Normans taking control of Limerick, and in 1210, the County of Limerick was formally established. Over time, the Normans became "more Irish than the Irish themselves" as the saying goes. The Tudors in England wanted to curb the power of these Gaelicised Norman Rulers and centralise all power in their hands, so they established colonies of English in the county. This caused the leading Limerick Normans, The Geraldines, to revolt against English Rule in 1569. This sparked a savage war in Munster known as the Desmond Rebellions, during which the province was laid to waste, and the confiscation of the vast estates of the Geraldines. The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... The River Shannon (Irish: Sionainn), Irelands longest river, divides the West of Ireland (mostly the province of Connaught) from the east and south (Leinster and most of Munster). ... The Normans (adapted from the name Northmen or Norsemen) were a mixture of the indigenous population of Neustria and Danish or Norwegian Vikings who began to occupy the northern area of France now known as Normandy in the latter half of the 9th century. ... More Irish than the Irish themselves was a phrase used in the Middle Ages to describe the phenomenon whereby foreigners who came to Ireland attached to invasion forces tended to be subsumed into Irish social and cultural society, adopted the Irish language, Irish culture, style of dress and a wholesale... The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor (Welsh Twdwr) is a series of five monarchs of Welsh origin who ruled England from 1485 until 1603. ... The Desmond Rebellions occurred in the 1560s, 1570s and 1580s in Munster in southern Ireland. ...

The county was to be further ravaged by war over the next century. Limerick was not fought over for most of the Irish Confederate Wars, of 1641-53, being safely behind the front lines of the Catholic Confederate Ireland. However it became a battleground during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649-53. The invasion of the forces of Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s included a twelve month siege of the city by Cromwell's New Model Army led by Henry Ireton. The city finally surrendered in October 1651. During the Jacobite-Williamite War (1689-1691) the city was to endure two further sieges, one in 1690 and another in 1691. It was during the 1690 siege that the infamous destruction of the Williamite guns at Ballyneety, near Pallasgreen was carried out by the heroic defender of Limerick, General Patrick Sarsfield The Catholic Irish, comprising the vast majority of the population, had eagerly supported the Jacobite cause, however, the second siege of Limerick resulted in a defeat to the Williamites. Sarsfield managed to force the Williamites to sign the Treaty of Limerick, the terms of which were satisfactory to the Irish. However the Treaty was subsequently dishonoured by the English and the city became known as the City of the Broken Treaty. See Also Sieges of Limerick. The Irish Confederate Wars were fought in Ireland between 1641 and 1653. ... Kilkenny Castle, where the Confederate General Assembly met. ... Oliver Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of the English Parliament in 1649. ... Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper, 1657. ... Henry Ireton Henry Ireton (1611 - November 26, 1651), English was a general in the army of Parliament during the English Civil War. ... For the context of this war see Jacobitism and Glorious Revolution. ... Nicker Hill, the home of the Ancient Irish Goddess of Love, and highest of the local group of volcanic hills that extends into Kilteely-Dromkeen. ... Patrick Sarsfield (d. ... The Treaty of Limerick ended the Williamite war in Ireland between the Jacobites and the supporters of William of Orange. ... The city of Limerick in south-western Ireland was besieged several times in the 17th century, first during the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s and’50s again in the Williamite war in Ireland. ...

The 18th and 19th centuries saw a long period of persecution against the Catholic majority, many of who lived in poverty. The Great Famine of the 1840s set in motion mass emigration and a huge decline in Irish as a spoken language in the county. This began to change around the beginning of the 20th century, as changes in law from the British Government enabled the farmers of the county to purchase lands they had previously only held as tenants, paying high rent to absentee landlords.

Limerick saw much fighting during the War of Independence of 1919 to 1921 particularly in the east of the county. The subsequent Irish Civil War saw bitter fighting between the newly established Irish Free State soldiers and IRA "Irregulars", especially in the city. However Limerick, and indeed all of Ireland has overcome the lows of the Civil War to become the prosperous place it is today. An Irish War of Independence memorial in Dublin The Anglo-Irish War (also known as the Irish War of Independence) was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Republican Army under the proclaimed legitimacy of the First Dáil, the extra-legal Irish parliament... Combatants Irish Republican Army (1922-1969) Irish Army of the Irish Free State Commanders Liam Lynch Michael Collins Richard Mulcahy Strength c. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties that were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and...

See also: History of Limerick

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ...

Geography

Typical East Limerick landscape, rich, green fields, part of the famous Golden Vale.

County Limerick is the green heartland of Munster and its Irish name Luimneach (the flat area) certainly makes sense when compared with the rest of the province. Especially in the east, the land consist mostly of a fertile limestone plain, which is ringed by mountains on its borders; The Slieve Felims, The Galtees (Na Gaibhlte) and the Ballyhouras. However it would be wrong to say that the county is a monotonous plain, for the county is dotted with hills and ridges. This eastern part of the county is the heartland of the Golden Vale, the rich, verdant fields famous for their dairy produce. Towards the west, the aptly named Mullaghareirk Mountains ("Mullach na Radhairc" in Irish, roughly meaning mountains of the view) push across the county offering dramatic views east over the county and west into County Kerry. Image File history File links Limericklandscape. ... Image File history File links Limericklandscape. ... Situated in the Southwest region of Ireland, on the borders of counties Limerick, Tipperary and Cork. ... Statistics Area: 24,607. ... The Galtee Mountains are a mountain range in Munster, located in Irelands Golden Vale across parts of counties Limerick, Tipperary and Cork. ... Situated in the Southwest region of Ireland, on the borders of counties Limerick, Tipperary and Cork. ... The Mullaghareirk Mountains are a range of montains that stretch about twenty miles in diameter between the towns of Abbeyfeale and Dromcolliher in County Limerick and include along its route the villages of Mountcollins and Rockchapel. ... Statistics Province: Munster County Town: Tralee Code: KY Area: 4,746 km² Population (2002) 132,527 Website: www. ...

Volcanic rock is to be found in numerous areas in the county, at Carrigogunnell, at Knockfierna, and principally at Pallasgreen/Kilteely in the east, which has been described as the most compact and for its size one of the most varied and complete carboniferous volcanic districts in either Britain and Ireland. Nicker Hill, the home of the Ancient Irish Goddess of Love, and highest of the local group of volcanic hills that extends into Kilteely-Dromkeen. ... The Old Church of Ireland Church at Dromkeen, near the site of the Dromkeen Ambush. ... The Carboniferous is a major division of the geologic timescale that extends from the end of the Devonian period, about 359. ...

County Limerick is drained principally by the Rivers Mulkear, Maigue, Deale and the Feale, which are all tributaries of the River Shannon. The Shannon Estuary forms the northern boundary of the county, giving Limerick a navigable outlet to the sea, the principal ports being Limerick and Foynes The River Shannon (Irish: Sionainn), Irelands longest river, divides the West of Ireland (mostly the province of Connaught) from the east and south (Leinster and most of Munster). ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Foynes (Faing in Irish) is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. ...

See also : Geography of Ireland

Ireland is sometimes known as the Emerald Isle because of its green scenery. ...

Transportation

Rail

Limerick has three operational railway lines passing through it,

• the Ballybrophy line leading to North Tipperary through Nenagh and Roscrea
• the Ennis line through County Clare (only that station is currently operation)
• the Limerick Junction line which is the busiest line, connecting Limerick to the Cork-Dublin line.

In addition, a line exists to Foynes but the last revenue service was in 2000. Ballybrophy (Baile Uí Bhróithe in Irish) is a village in Laois, Ireland, with a population recorded in the 2002 census of 145. ... Flag of Nenagh Nenagh (An tAonach in Irish) is the largest town in North Tipperary, Ireland, with a population in 2002 of 6,454. ... Roscrea (Ros Cré in Irish) is a small town in County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, located near the midlands of Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... County Clare (Contae an Chláir in Irish) is in the Irish province of Munster. ... Limerick Junction, actually situated in County Tipperary and formerly named Tipperary Junction, is a railway station in Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 51. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... Foynes (Faing in Irish) is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Bus

The county's regional/national bus hub is located beside Limerick City train station. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street station in 1865. ...

Air

No commercial airports are situated in County Limerick and the region's needs are serviced from Shannon Airport in County Clare, although some in the south of the county may also use Kerry Airport. The current Shannon Airport logo Shannon Airport (IATA: SNN, ICAO: EINN), or Aerfort na Sionna in Irish, is Irelands main transatlantic airport. ... County Clare (Contae an Chláir in Irish) is in the Irish province of Munster. ... Kerry Airport (IATA: KIR, ICAO: EIKY), often called Farranfore Airport, is an airport in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland. ...

Sport

Limerick is widely regarded to be the Irish home of Rugby which is very popular in the county, but is mostly focused around Limerick city, which boasts many of Ireland's most celebrated All-Ireland League teams; Garryowen, Shannon, Old Crescent, Young Munster are among the most prominent. Limerick's Thomond Park is the home of the Munster Rugby team, who enjoy enthusiastic and often fanatical support throughout the county. General phase play in rugby union. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Thomond Park is a stadium in Limerick, Ireland. ...

In the county, however, it is undoubtedly the GAA which has the upper hand. Hurling in particular is strong in east Limerick. The County Hurling Team, who play in the county colours of green and white, have won the coveted All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship seven times, although, despite good performances, their most recent success was in 1973. GAA redirects here. ... The counties of Ireland, coloured by dominant sport. ... The Gaelic Athletic Association The Liam McCarthy Cup, the greatest hurling prize of all The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Guinness Hurling Championship) is the premier knockout competition in the game of hurling played in Ireland. ...

The other GAA sport of Gaelic football is more popular in west Limerick. However, the county has not been so successful in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, last winning the Sam Maguire Trophy in 1896. However after many years of being the minnows of football, the Limerick footballers have seen a reversal of fortunes in recent years, and have been enjoying some good results of late. GAA redirects here. ... GAA teams Offaly and Louth in action Gaelic football (Irish: peil ghaelach), commonly referred to as football, Gaelic or gah, is a form of football played mainly in Ireland. ... The Gaelic Athletic Association The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Bank of Ireland Football Championship) is the premier knockout competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. ... Samuel (Sam) Maguire (1879 - February 6, 1927) was born in the town land of Mallabraca near the town of Dunmanway in West Cork, Ireland, into a well-respected Church of Ireland family. ...

The city also boasts one of Ireland's two 50m swimming pools, at The University of Limerick Sports Arena, as well as one of Ireland's top basketball teams, the Limerick Lions, whose home is also at the world class facilities on the University Campus. Swimming is a technique that humans, and other animals, use to move through water using only movements of the body. ... The University of Limerick (UL) was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ...

See Also: Sport in Ireland

The Irish Sports Council regulates sporting bodies organised on an all-island or Republic only basis Sport on the island of Ireland is popular and widespread. ...

Tourist attractions in County Limerick

• The park in croagh
• Adare
• Clare Glens
• Curraghchase Forest Park
• Foynes Flying Boat Museum
• Glenstal Abbey
• Lough Gur

See Limerick for tourist attractions in Limerick city. This article or section needs additional references or sources. ... Brightly coloured houses and shops line Adares main street. ... The Clare Glens are a wooded area along the banks of the Clare river, in County Tipperary, Ireland. ... Foynes (Faing in Irish) is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. ... Glenstal Abbey is a Benedictine monastery located in Murroe, County Limerick. ... Lough Gur reaches up to a maintained lawn at the visitor area at the lake. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ...

Towns and villages

• Croagh (croch)
• Limerick (An Luimneach)
• Abbeyfeale (Mainistir na Féile)
• Adare (Áth Dara)
• Askeaton (Eas Géitine)
• Athea (Áth an tSléibhe)
• Athlacca (An tÁth Leacach)
• Ballingarry (Baile An Ghearraí)
• Broadford (Baile An Athaí)
• Bruff (An Brú)
• Cappamore, (An Cheapach Mhór)
• Castleconnell (Caisleán Uí Chonaill)
• Croom (Cromadh)
• Dromcolliher (Drom Collachair)
• Foynes (Faing)
• Garryspillane (Garraí Uí Spealáin)
• Hospital (An tOspidéal)
• Kilmallock (Cill Mocheallóg)
• Kilteely-Dromkeen (Cill Tíle - Drom Caoin)
• Milford(Ath A'Mhuilinn)
• Mountcollins (Chnoc Uí Chóileáin)
• Newcastlewest (An Caisleán Nua Thiar)
• Oola (Na Uibhle)
• Patrickswell (Tobar Phádraig)
• Pallasgreen (Pailís Ghréine)
• Rathkeale (Ráth Caola)
• Tuarnafola

Croagh is a picturesque village in County Limerick, Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ... Abbeyfeale (Mainistir na Féile in Irish) is a historical market town in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland near the boundary with County Kerry. ... Brightly coloured houses and shops line Adares main street. ... Askeaton Castle viewed from the town square Askeaton (Eas Geitine in Irish) is a town located in County Limerick, Ireland on the N69 road about two miles upstream from the River Shannons Estuary. ... Athea (Irish: Áth an tSléibhe) is a small town in west County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, located near Newcastle West in the midwest of Ireland. ... Athlacca (Áth Leacach in Irish) is a village located in County Limerick, in the south west of Ireland. ... Ballingarry (Irish: Baile an Gharraí or Town of the Gardens) is a village in County Limerick in the province of Munster, Republic of Ireland. ... Broadford is the second-largest town on the Isle of Skye. ... Bruff (Irish: An Brú) is a small town in east County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, located on the old Limerick–Cork road (Ireland. ... Cappamore (Irish: An Cheapach Mhór) is a town in north-east County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, located near the Slieve Felim Mountains in the midwest of Ireland. ... Castleconnell Railway Station Castleconnell (Caisleán Uí Chonaill in Irish) is a scenic village on the banks of the River Shannon, about 11 km (7 miles) from Limerick city and within a few minutes walk to counties Clare and Tipperary. ... Croom (Irish: Cromadh) is a town in County Limerick, Ireland. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Foynes (Faing in Irish) is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. ... Garryspillane (Garraí Uí Spealáin in Irish), sometimes spelled Garryspellane, is a village in east County Limerick, Ireland, located near Knocklong on the R513 road. ... Hospital (An tOspidéal in Irish) is a town in east County Limerick, Ireland. ... Kilmallock (Cill Mocheallóg in Irish) is a town in south County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Cork. ... The Old Church of Ireland Church at Dromkeen, near the site of the Dromkeen Ambush. ... Milford is on the Cork/Limerick border. ... Mountcollins (Chnoc Uí Choíleáin) in Irish is a small picturesque village 7 miles from Abbeyfeale in the extreme south of County Limerick, barely 10 metres from the County Kerry border. ... Newcastle West (An Caisleán Nua in Irish) is a town in County Limerick, Ireland. ... Oola (Irish: Uibhla, from the egg shaped hills/Drumlins) is a town in County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, near Limerick in the midwest of Ireland. ... Patrickswell (Tobar Phádraig in Irish) is a small town in County Limerick, Ireland. ... Nicker Hill, the home of the Ancient Irish Goddess of Love, and highest of the local group of volcanic hills that extends into Kilteely-Dromkeen. ... Rathkeale (Ráth Caola in Irish) is a town in County Limerick, Ireland. ... Tournafulla is a village in County Limerick, Irelandsituated between the towns abbeyfeale and newcastle west in west limerick See also: List of towns in the Republic of Ireland Categories: | ...

External links

• Limerick's Official Tourist Website
• Limerick County Council
• Map of Limerick
• Limerick GAA Website