Scottish knights, glamerous grannies and an overworked Garda band – for one week in the summer of ‘78, there wasn’t much going on in Newcastle West that failed to draw a smile. The Ten Knights of Desmond summer festival has since vanished into local lore, but 35 years ago it was a barmy, entertaining celebration […]
Kilmallock Walled Town Day festival brings medieval history to life
As Limerick’s hurlers prepare to do battle with neighbours Clare in Sunday’s All-Ireland Hurling Senior Championship Semi-Final, the County Limerick town of Kilmallock recreated its own battle scene as part of Kilmallock’s Walled Town Day. Hundreds of people stepped back in time on Saturday August 17th.for the annual event and experienced a glimpse of life […]
The old placenames provide a link with our past
Wasn’t it Shakespeare who asked: “What’s in a name?” Despite Shakespeare’s obvious doubts, there can be a lot in a name, especially a place name. I don’t know if people in other countries are as interested in place names as are the people of Ireland. Perhaps some of them are. The most obvious reason why […]
“Me Fahdur And Me Muddur”
(Spoken in the Limerick dialect of the 1930s and 1940s) Me fahdur packed up and left us whin I was only eight years old, just whin I was gettin’ to know and really love him. For some reason or other, I don’t know what, a fella called Jeezez ‘called him away’. Jeezez was a fella […]
Now my feet are planted in a far off land
I have read many little stories from the beautiful writers of Limerick, sure enough, some are maybe my school mates whom I have little recollection of now since 60 odd years have been like a slow drawn blotter on the blackboard of my life, erasing,erasing with that terrible screech every now and again as the […]
The Widow’s Penny
A record of the Limerick – city and county men – who died in the Great War When I started to compile the record of Limerick Men who died in the Great War, I had fewer than ten names. This would turn out to be a gigantic task, but I felt it had to be […]
Living and Dying in Limerick
Frank Thompson, one of Limericks oldest established Funeral Undertakers, was born at 43 Roches Street on the 30th. of November 1919. He had an unusual birth because he was born with a broken leg which resulted from a beating his mother received from the Black and Tans when they broke into his house looking for […]
A history of ancient and modern places of worship in Ahane
St. Patrick brought the Christian faith to Ireland in the fifth Century A.D. According to tradition, he is said to have visited Castleconnell, and blessed the people of Clare from this side of the Shannon River. He is also said to have foretold of the coming of St.Senan to the area. Senan, the son of […]
The first and last King of Ireland
BRIAN BORU (c. 940-1014) Brian Boru was born around 940, the youngest of two sons of Cennedig, head of Dal Cais, one of the royal free tribes of Munster. Brian grew up during the worst days of tyranny when the Dalcassians had been driven in to the present county of Clare. Brian’s brother, Mahon, being […]