Castleconnell,
County Limerick, Ireland
Excerpts from "Lewis's Topographical Dictionary, 1837"
"CASTLE-CONNEL
or STRADBALLY, a
post-town and parish, partly in the barony of
Owney and
Arra,
county of Tipperary, and partly in that of
Clanwilliam,
county of Limerick,
but chiefly in the county of the city of Limerick, and province of Munster, 5
3/4 miles (N.E.) from Limerick, and 88 miles (S.W. by W.) from
Dublin; containing 5616 inhabitants, of which number,1313 are in the town. This
place, which was anciently called Carrig-Cnuil, derives it name from an ancient
fortress, originally the seat of the O'Brien's, Kings of Thomond, and in which a
grandson of Brian Boroihme is said to have been treacherously murdered by the
reigning prince. At the period of the English invasion this was a fortress of
some eminence.
In 1199 King John granted five knights' fees to William De Burgh
1, a baron of the family of Fitz-Aldelm, in which was included this
parish, with a condition that he should erect a castle therein. This and the
adjoining parishes were the first places in Limerick of which the English
obtained possession. In 1578 Queen Elizabeth wrote letters of condolence to
William de Burge for the loss of his eldest son, who was slain in a skirmish
with the Earl of Desmond, and the same year created him Baron of Castle-Connel,
and gave him a yearly pension of 100 marks. In the war of 1641 Lord
Castle-Connel forfeited his estate and title, which was restored on the
accession of Jas. II. ; the title became extinct in 1693, but the estate
continues in the De Burgh family. In 1651 a strong garrison was placed in the
castle by Gen. Ireton, while on his march to blockade Limerick. It was strongly
garrisoned by the troops of Jas. II. in 1690, but on the 12th August, in that
year, was surrendered at discretion by Captain Barnwell to Brigadier Steuart. On
the retreat of the English army, it was again garrisoned by James's troops,
which in the following year defended it for two days against the Prince of Hesse
Darmstadt, and after its surrender it was blown up by order of Gen. De Ginkell.
The town, which is pleasantly situated on the eastern bank of the Shannon, which separates Limerick from Clare, lies a mile and a half west of the Dublin road, and in 1831 contained 178 houses, many of which are handsome villas and cottages of modern erection. It is resorted to during the summer, for the benefit of its spa, the waters of which resemble those of Spa in Germany. The soil around it is of a calcareous nature, and the sediment of the water has been successfully applied for the cure of ulcers, while the water has proved very efficacious in scorbutic affections, bilious complaints, obstruction in the liver, jaundice, and worms; they are a strong chalybeate, having a mixture of absorbent earth and marine salt. Treatises have been written on their nature, and many persons are stated to have been cured by them, after ineffectually trying the continental spas. The waters rise from between limestone and basalt, filtering through a thin layer of blue unctuous earth, and yielding a constant supply. The spring is enclosed in a mean building, and the surplus water flows into the Shannon. There are two good hotels and a number of commodious lodging-houses in the town; a coach runs daily to Limerick, and there is a daily post. A constabulary police force has been stationed here, and the petty sessions are held every alternate Monday. There is a patent for fairs on Easter-Monday, June 1st, July 16th, and October 4th, of which only the first is now held.
The parish comprises 5850
statute acres, as plotted under the tithe act, about three-fourths of which
are arable and pasture land, and the remainder is common pasture and reclaimable
bog on the bank of the Shannon; it contains also a large undefined portion of
the bog of Allen. The lands are primary under tillage; the soil is fertile, and
the system of agriculture rapidly improving by the introduction of green crops;
limestone is abundant. the bulk of the inhabitants are agriculturists, or
dependant on the visitors to the spa; but many obtain employment in cutting turf
and conveying it to Limerick, particularly for its large distillery; River
Lawns, a mile below the town, is an extensive bleach-green and mill; and at
Annacotty, near Mount Shannon, one of the first paper-mills established in
Ireland was erected by Mr. Joseph Sexton. The parish is connected with the
county of Clare by an ancient structure called O'Brien's Bridge, originally
built by one of the royal line of Thomond, and in later times often strongly
contested by the various parties who strove to obtain possession either of the
important fortress of Castle-Connel, or the wealthy city of Limerick. It was
partially destroyed by the Earl of Ormonde, in 1556, but was soon afterwards
restored. The Shannon is not Navigable here until within about a mile of the
bridge, where the canal from the Clare side joins the river, there being many
shoals, rocks, and cascades in its channel. It abounds with trout and salmon, of
which latter there is a valuable fishery at the waterfall called the Leap. The
falls here are numerous, there being a decent of 50 feet in less than three
miles, and add greatly to the beauty of the scenery, which is embellished with
the mansions and parks of the neighbouring gentry, and the ruins of three
ancient castles, that of Castle-Connel being in the parish, and those of
Newcastle and Castle-Troy being distinctly visible from its higher parts, while
the Keeper mountains form a noble background on the north-east. The climate is
good, the air is remarkable pure, and the great improvements have recently been
made by reclaiming bog, &c., particularly by the proprietors of the Limerick
distillery.
Excerpts from "Lewis's Topographical Dictionary, 1837"
Limerick City
Limerick City is located, on the mouth of the Shannon River estuary, in the
north-east of the County of Limerick.
History:
Its charter is 800 years old, making it older than London. The city's origin
date back to when the Vikings sailed up the Shannon Estuary in 922 AD and
founded a settlement on an island. With the arrival of the Normans in 1194, St.
Mary's Cathedral and the great castle of King John were built. The Geraldines'
rebellion against the English in 1571 was the first of many such wars and sieges
centred around Limerick City, including the year long siege against Oliver
Cromwell in 1651 and the 1690 and 1691 sieges. The 1690 siege resulted in
General Patrick Sarsfield leading the Jacobite Cause, which was supported by the
Catholic Irish. The end of this siege led to the signing of the treaty of
Limerick in 1691, the terms which were dishonoured by the English Parliament.
The city's walls were taken down in the 18th century and the city developed
westward into an area known as Newtown Pery, famed for it's elegant houses and
wide streets.
Limerick City began to prosper in the 1950s and 60s with the industrial development arising from Shannon Airport, the geographical location of which made it the first suitable landing site for long-distance air travel from and to America. Shannon Free Airport Development Company was established in 1959 to ensure the region maintained it viability in air transport activity. The effect of this agency were quickly felt throughout the Shannon Region, particularly in Limerick City. The success of the city today attests to the agency's initiatives.
The land area of Limerick City is 7.9 sq. miles with a population of about
52,000.
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