Place:County Limerick, Republic of Ireland

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NameCounty Limerick
Alt namesLuimneachsource: logainm.ie (Irish)
Contae Luimnighsource: logainm.ie (Irish)
Limericksource: logainm.ie and Getty Vocabulary Program (English)
Co. Limerick
TypeCounty
Coordinates52.5°N 8.75°W
Located inRepublic of Ireland     (1922 - )
Also located inIreland     ( - 1922)
Munster, Republic of Ireland    
Contained Places
Unknown
Bruss
Cemetery
Mount Saint Lawrence Cemetery
Civil parish
Killeedy
Monagay
St. Patrick's
Inhabited place
Abbeyfeale
Adare
Ardagh
Askeaton
Athea
Ballingarry
Ballyneety
Broadford ( 1922 - )
Bruff
Bruree
Caherdavin
Cappamore
Castelconnell
Castletroy
Croom
Dromcolliher
Foynes
Galbally
Garryspillane
Glin
Hospital
Kilfinnane
Knocklong
Limerick ( 800 - )
Newcastle West
Oola
Pallas Grean
Pallasgreen
Pallaskenry
Patrickswell
Rathkeale
Strand
Tuarnafola
Unknown
Abington
Aglishcormick
Anhid
Ardcanny
Ardpatrick
Athlacca
Athneasy
Ballinard
Ballingaddy
Ballingarry (Coshlea Barony)
Ballinlough
Ballybrood
Ballycahane
Ballylanders
Ballynaclogh
Ballynamona
Ballyscaddan
Caheravally
Caherconlish
Cahercorney
Caherelly
Cahernarry
Cappagh
Carrigparson
Castletown
Chapelrussell
Clonagh
Cloncagh
Cloncrew
Clonelty
Clonkeen
Clonshire
Colmanswell
Corcomohide
Crecora
Croagh
Darragh
Derrygalvin
Donaghmore
Doon
Doondonnell
Drehidtarsna
Dromin
Dromkeen
Dunmoylan
Dysert
Effin
Emlygrennan
Fedamore
Glenogra
Grange
Grean
Hackmys
Inch St. Lawrence
Iveruss
Kilbeheny
Kilbradran
Kilbreedy-major
Kilbreedy-minor
Kilcolman
Kilcornan
Kilcullane
Kildimo
Kilfergus
Kilfinny
Kilflyn
Kilfrush
Kilkeedy
Killagholehane
Killeely
Killeenagarriff
Killeenoghty
Killonahan
Kilmeedy
Kilmoylan
Kilmurry
Kilpeacon
Kilquane
Kilscannell
Kilteely
Knockainy
Knocknagaul
Lismakeery
Loghill
Ludden
Mahoonagh
Monasteranenagh
Morgans
Mungret
Nantinan
Newcastle
Particles
Rathjordan
Rathronan
Robertstown
Rochestown
Shanagolden
St. John's
St. Lawrence's
St. Mary's
St. Michael's
St. Munchin's
St. Nicholas'
St. Peter's & St. Paul's
Stradbally
Tankardstown
Templebredon
Tomdeely
Tullabracky
Tuogh
Tuoghcluggin
Uregare
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
source: Family History Library Catalog
Wp:County Limerick
the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

County Limerick is a western county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. It is named after the city of Limerick. Limerick City and County Council is the local council for the county. The county's population at the 2016 census was 194,899 of whom 94,192 lived in Limerick City, the county capital.[1][2]

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

It is thought that humans had established themselves 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 túatha.

From the 4th to the 11th century, the ancient kingdom of the Uí Fidgenti was approximately co-extensive with what is now County Limerick, with some of the easternmost part the domain of the Eóganacht Áine. The establishment of Limerick as a town and base by the Danes in the mid 900's, and their alliance with Irish families, including their alliance with Donnubán mac Cathail of the O'Donovans, resulted in significant conflicts with neighbouring clans, principally the O'Briens of Dál gCais, who raided into the Limerick area on a regular basis. The O'Briens retained their political power until late in the 1100s. The establishment of King John's Castle in Limerick, and the granting of formerly Ui Fidgenti lands to the FitzGeralds, both circa 1200, and the resultant competition for Ui Fidgenti lands by other Anglo-Norman families resulted in a transfer of power from the Ui Fidgenti's leading families (O'Donovan and Collins) to the new landholders. The ancestors of both Michael Collins and the famous O'Connells of Derrynane were also among the septs of the Uí Fidgenti.

As the Ui Fidgenti were the ruling clan in Limerick after 400 a.d., the Uí Fidgenti still made a substantial contribution to the population of the central and western regions of County Limerick. Their capital was Dún Eochair, the great earthworks of which still remain and can be found close to the modern town of Bruree, on the River Maigue. Bruree is a derivation of Brugh Righ, or Fort of the King. Catherine Coll, the mother of Éamon de Valera, was a native of Bruree and this is where he was taken by her brother to be raised.

St. Patrick brought Christianity to Limerick area in the 5th Century. Various annals record that St. Patrick quarrelled with the chief of the Ui Fidgenti (who, though hosting St. Patrick, had his horses stolen as he journeyed into their territory) but was embraced by the brother of the chief. The adoption of Christianity 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. It is believed that the chalice had been taken by raiding Danes during the 9th century, ending up in the territory of their Irish allies, the O'Donovans of the Ui Fidgenti.

Following the establishment of the Ui Fidgenti circa 377 a.d., there were few significant changes in political control until the arrival of the Vikings in the 9th century, which ultimately brought about the establishment of the city on an island on the River Shannon in 922. The death of Domnall Mór Ua Briain, King of Munster in 1194 resulted in the invading Normans taking control of Limerick, and in 1210, the County of Limerick was formally established as Ui Fidgenti lands were granted to what would become the Fitzgerald dynasty. 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. Distrust by England of the leading Fitzgerald families, and the execution of several of the Fitzgeralds of Kildare, precipitated a revolt against English Rule in 1569. Th resultant savage war in Munster, known as the Desmond Rebellions, laid waste to the province and ended with confiscation of the vast estates of the Geraldines and other Irish families that had participated in the ten years of war.

The county was to be further ravaged by war over the next century. After the Irish Rebellion of 1641, Limerick city was taken in a siege by Catholic general Garret Barry in 1642. The county 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. One of Cromwell's generals, Hardress Waller was granted lands at Castletown near Kilcornan in County Limerick. During the Williamite War in Ireland (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 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.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw a long period of persecution against the Catholic majority, many of whom lived in poverty. In spite of this oppression, however, the famous Maigue Poets strove to keep alive their ancient Gaelic Poetry in towns like Croom and Bruree. 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 (See Irish Free State offensive).

For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article County Limerick. especially the section "Geography and political subdivisions" and its subsection "Towns and villages"

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This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at County Limerick. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.