The Society shall be called Thomond Archaeological & Historical Society (nó Cumann Seandálaíochta ⁊ Staire Tuadh-Mhumhan), hereafter abbreviable as TAHS. The Society is a registered charity under the Charities Act 2009 with registration number 20030803.
The promotion of the study of the archaeology, history, antiquities and architecture of the North Munster region through lectures, outings, publication of the Society's journal, North Munster Antiquarian Journal (nó Irisleabhar Ársaíochta Tuadh-Mhumhan), henceforth abbreviable as NMAJ, and the preservation and conservation this heritage.
Membership is open to all who share the aims of the Society.
Members are those who have paid the subscription for the current year.
Members are those who have paid the subscription for the current
year. Membership shall be classified as follows:
Honorary members, who shall be persons who have made important contributions to the Society or its aims, shall be elected only at the Society's Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Committee / Trustees shall have the power, after due process, to terminate the membership of any member who at any time has brought the name of the Society into disrepute or who has jeopardised the aims of the Society.
A Committee composed of Officers, i.e. a President, Deputy President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Editor, Honorary Treasurer and Honorary Public Relations Officer (Honorary P.R.O.) and up to ten ordinary members, shall conduct the affairs of the Society, all of whom shall be elected annually at the AGM. One of the ordinary members of the Committee may be elected as Assistant Honorary Secretary.
In the event of a vacancy arising among the Officers, the Committee shall have the power to appoint a person as replacement until the next AGM.
Officers and Committee members will not incur any liability in the exercise of powers and functions conferred on them.
The President shall normally preside over the meetings of the Society, chair Committee meetings and provide an annual report to the membership at the Society's AGM. The President shall not seek immediate re-election after three consecutive years of service.
The Deputy President shall normally undertake duties of the President in his/her absence.
The Honorary Secretary shall convene and take minutes of all meetings of the Society and the Committee, keep a list of members, give notice of meetings, plan and organise the annual programme of events (lectures, outings, etc), conduct the general correspondence of the Society and any other such duties relevant to the position. The Committee shall have the power to elect an Honorary Assistant Secretary from within its membership depending on the Secretary's workloads in any given year.
The Honorary Treasurer shall:
The Honorary Editor shall be responsible for the publication of the North Munster Antiquarian Journal annually.
The Honorary P.R.O. shall publicise the activities and meetings of the Society and promote its aims through the media.
It shall be the duty of the Committee, of whom one third of its members plus one shall be a quorum, to transact the business of the Society, to arrange the times and venues for meetings and excursions, to authorise the payment of ordinary expenses of the Society, to report annually to the AGM and generally to consider and recommend from time to time whatever they may judge as tending to promote the objects, usefulness and welfare of the Society. It shall have the power to appoint sub-committees where deemed appropriate.
Meetings of the Committee are convened by the Honorary Secretary - either in person or via electronic devices - who shall keep the Minutes of the proceedings. The Committee shall meet at least eight times in a year. Meetings of the Committee shall be chaired by the President or the Deputy President or, if both are absent, by any member chosen by those present. Voting where required shall be by simple majority. In the event of a tied vote the Chair of the particular meeting shall have an additional casting vote.
The members at the AGM shall set the annual subscription. Subscriptions are due and payable on 1st January each year. Members whose subscriptions are in arrears for more than one year shall be removed from the Society's Roll. Individual members, honorary members, institutional members and the first named person in a family membership shall be entitled to receive a copy of the Journal of the Society.
The Journal shall not be supplied to members whose subscriptions are in arrears for more than one year.
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society shall be held for the following purposes:
Voting at the AGM is to be by simple majority with the exception of amendments to the Society's Rules, cf. final section. The quorum for an AGM is twenty members. Motions for the AGM must be sent in writing or by email to the Honorary Secretary at least seven days before the meeting.
The Rules of the Society may only be changed at the AGM and require an absolute majority of two-thirds of members present and voting. Any proposals to alter the Rules of the Society shall be formally lodged in writing with the Honorary Secretary not less than 21 days prior to the date of date of the AGM. The terms of the proposed change must be clearly stated in the notice, with the names of the proposer and seconder.
For the year of 2024 the following officers and committee members have been elected by members attending the AGM:-
| President | Dr Charlotte Murphy | |
| Dep. President | John Elliott | |
| Hon. Treasurer | Liam O'Brien | |
| Hon. Secretary | Caroline Graham | |
| Hon. Editor | Paul O'Brien | |
| Hon. PRO | Dr Derek Mulcahy |
Marian Cody, Patrick Coleman, Tom Hanly, Brian Hodkinson, Randal Hodkinson, Liam Irwin, Mary Kenehan, Des Long, Cian O'Carroll, Pat Savage.
We have received information on three history-related events which are likely to be of interest to you. Details below.
Date: Tuesday, 14 October 2025 5.30 p.m.
Venue: Room G08, Foundation Building, Mary Immaculate College
Topic: A City Under Siege: Merchant Letters On Limerick In 1690
Speaker: Professor John Shovlin (New York University)
The talk is based on a recently published book edited by Thomas Truxes and John Shovlin, The Amity Papers, 1690: The Siege Of Limerick & Franco-Irish Mercantile Networks (2025), which sheds new light on Limerick during the siege of 1690.
The following is from the publisher's description of the book:
"The Amity Papers, 1690 reproduces 74 documents seized from the Irish vessel, Amity, trading with France at the height of the Williamite War (1689–1691). Mostly letters written by merchants (with a smaller number penned by Jacobite soldiers), the ship's papers illustrate particularly the plight of civilians during the 1690 siege of Limerick, which ended just weeks before the Amity sailed. The writers and their correspondents – mostly living in France – were part of two mercantile networks, one Catholic and the other Quaker. The collaboration between the two enabled Franco-Irish trade to continue despite wartime challenges. The letters also illuminate the economic consequences of wartime conditions in Ireland: requisitioning, the forced circulation of rapidly depreciating brass money, and the risks of buying or selling goods in this context."
The talk is part of the Limerick History Research Seminars, organised by the Department of History at MIC, the School of History and Geography at UL, and the Limerick Centre for Early Modern Studies.
The talk is free and open to anyone who is interested.
The tides of the Shannon Estuary ebb and flow every day and night, exposing and covering vast areas of intertidal mudflats. Between 1992 and 2000, and again between 2006 and 2008, we have dashed out into the intertidal zone to discover hidden archaeology. In his lecture, Professor Aidan O'Sullivan will explore the archaeology and environments of the Shannon and Fergus estuaries. Specifically he will detail their saltmarshes and mudflats where intertidal archeological surveys have investigated Neolithic forests, Bronze Age huts and trackways, a thousand years of fishweirs dating from the 5th to the 15th centuries AD, as well as an array of post-mediaeval fishweirs and corcass reclaimations.
Professor Aidan O'Sullivan is Head of UCD's School of Archaeology. As part of the Discovery Programme 1992–2000, he directed the first
intertidal archaeological survey in Ireland on the Shannon and Fergus estuaries. The survey's work was later published as Foragers, Farmers & Fishers
In A Coastal Landscape: An Intertidal Archaeological Survey Of The Shannon Estuary (2001, RIA). His current research interests focus on early mediaeval Ireland, wetlands archaeology and environments globally and experimental archaeology and material culture.
Date: Wednesday 1 October 2025.
Venue: Woodlands House Hotel, Adare.
Clare Libraries annual History Week takes place from 4–10 October. Attached is the programme for those interested in attending.
All events are free of charge and booking is only required for two of the events: the Karen J. McDonnell workshop and the Genealogy Sessions with Dr. Jane Halloran Ryan. Bookings can be made at decadeofcentenaries@clarecoco.ie Sincerely, Dolores.
I am forwarding the recording of the lecture given by Richard MacMahon last Monday evening on The Courts Of Petty Session, The Law And Humour In The Writings Of John Jackson (1812–1857). This recording will be available to members for four weeks.
Can I remind you that the first lecture of our autumn series takes place tomorrow, Monday 22 September.
Dr Richard McMahon and Dr Paul O'Brien will be speaking on: The Courts of Petty Session, the Law and Humour in the Writings of John Jackson (1812–1857).
Dr Richard McMahon is a Lecturer in History at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and has published on the history of crime and on law and order in Ireland, Europe and North America. He is the author of Homicide In Pre-Famine And Famine Ireland (Liverpool University Press). He is also the co-editor of the book series, Studies In Irish Crime History, published by Cork University Press.
Dr Paul O'Brien is the Hon. Editor of the Society's Journal, North Munster Antiquarian Journal and is an assistant professor in pedagogy of history in the Faculty of Education, Mary Immaculate College. He also writes articles on local history for the Limerick Leader.
Venue: Room T1.16, Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road, Limerick.
Start Time: 8.00 pm.
The first lecture of our autumn series will take place next Monday, 22 September when Dr Richard McMahon and Dr Paul O'Brien will be speaking about
The Courts Of Petty Session, The Law And Humour In The Writings Of John Jackson (1812–1857).
Dr Richard McMahon is a Lecturer in History at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and has published on the history of crime and on law and order in Ireland, Europe and North America. He is the author of Homicide In Pre-Famine & Famine Ireland (Liverpool University Press). He is also the co-editor of the book series, Studies In Irish Crime History published by Cork University Press.
Dr Paul O'Brien is the Hon. Editor of the Society's Journal, North Munster Antiquarian Journal and is an assistant professor in pedagogy of history in the Faculty of Education, Mary Immaculate College. He also writes articles on local history for the Limerick Leader newspaper.
Venue: Room T1.16, Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road, Limerick.
Start time: 8.00 pm.
I hope to meet many of you there.
I am also forwarding a message from Limerick Civic Trust regarding their upcoming Festival of History and Autumn Business Lunch.
Below are notifications of two upcoming events in Limerick, one from Matthew Potter, curator of Limerick museum, and the other from Margot Healy in the Limerick Civic Trust.
Limerick City and County Council has the pleasure of inviting you to the opening of:
Moving the Goalposts
This is an exhibition celebrating the pioneering Limerick Ladies Soccer Team of 1973–75 in
Limerick Museum, Henry Street, Limerick on Thursday 11th of September 2025 at 5.30 pm.
This exhibition, curated by John Elliott of Limerick Museum, will focus on the pioneering Limerick Ladies soccer team who,
under the stewardship of Frank ‘Junior’ Keane, won the League of Ireland Championship in 1973 and 1974 with an unbeaten record.
In 1975, they became the first team outside Dublin to win the prestigious L.F.A.I. Cup, defeating C.S.O. Dublin 3–0 at the Markets Field.
Several members of this squad would also represent the Republic of Ireland internationally.
This exhibition marks the 50th anniversary of their 1975 cup win.
Limerick Civic Trust are delighted to have a boat named after them, in honour of the work that they do with Athlunkard Boat Club. This Saturday at 6 pm in the Athlunkard Boat Club, at the boat naming ceremony, a boat named the Limerick Civic Trust will be launched.
We have received information on the following events which I'm sure will be of interest to some of you.
Sarah McCutcheon, Limerick City and Council Archaeologist and a member of the TAHS, has advised us that Limerick City and County Council is reviving its Built Heritage Lecture Series funded this year through the Heritage Council’s Heritage Stewardship Fund. The focus is on the Shannon Estuary. Starting on 17th September and extending through to October 23rd at 8pm. All lectures are free to the public & held in the Woodlands Hotel Adare, Co. Limerick.
See attached poster.
The Irish Country House: A New Vision
Presented by Robert O’Byrne.
Hosted by the Friends of the Hunt Museum, this special event honours the enduring legacy of John and Gertrude Hunt, whose remarkable collection laid the foundation for the museum. Since the publication of Maria Edgeworth’s Castle Rackrent in 1800, the familiar image of the Irish country house has been one of dishevelment and decay. However, in recent years an alternative vision has come to the fore: one of rescue, restoration and renewal. Historic houses across Ireland are being rediscovered and brought back to life as family homes. Join author and architectural historian Robert O’Byrne for an exploration of some of these properties and the stories of their decline and recovery.
About the Speaker
Robert O’Byrne is a writer and lecturer specialising in the fine and decorative arts. Currently a doctoral student at Trinity College Dublin,
he is the author of more than a dozen books. A former Vice-President of the Irish Georgian Society, he is a trustee of a number of charitable organisations
including the Apollo Foundation. For 14 years he wrote a monthly column for Apollo magazine and has also contributed to The Burlington Magazine and
the Irish Arts Review. Since 2012 he has written an award-winning blog, www.theirishaesthete.com, and last year he produced a collection of his own photographs,
The Irish Aesthete: Buildings of Ireland, Lost and Found. His most recent book is The Irish Country House: A New Vision, published by Rizzoli.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, 18 September
Time: 2:00 pm
Venue: Captains Room, The Hunt Museum
Tickets: €30
Enjoy canapés along with music from Arno Kilhoffer and Nora Casey following the lecture.
Book Here
Now that our summer programme of outings is over, can I just remind you that our autumn lecture series will commence on 22 September.
First up will be Dr Richard McMahon and Dr Paul O'Brien. The title of their lecture will be The Courts Of Petty Session,
The Law And Humour In The Writings Of John Jackson (1812–1857).
In the meantime, below is some information on up-coming history-related courses of which we have been notified and which may be of interest
to some members.
A local history course, designed for those with an interest in the subject, will be run in Portumna Community School during the autumn of 2025
and the spring of 2026. The course covers topics such as local history sources, reading the local landscape, Irish placenames, oral history and folklore,
the Grand Canal and Napoleonic fortifications along the Shannon, the architecture, decoration and history of the Big House, landed estates,
the Great Famine, the Land War, education, women in Irish history, War of Independence and lots more.
A day-long trip to some Dublin’s repositories as well as local field trips will also be undertaken.
The three-hour sessions will begin in late September and will be delivered by a team of experienced lecturers.
For further details and to book a place contact John Joe at 087 2963803 or email him at johnjoeconwell@gmail.com
A new initiative from UL. See this link for details.
From: IARC Info info@irisharc.org
We are the Irish Ancestry Research Centre, based in Limerick and we are a leading provider of services designed to help people understand their past and save it for future generations. In addition to offering a personalised genealogical research service, we also run the Certificate in History of Family & Genealogical Methods, an online course accredited by the University of Limerick. This is a one year part-time NFQ Level 6 course. Experience has shown that the Certificate is popular with members of local history associations.
We would be grateful if you could please let your members know of this course.
Details are available at this link.
Our final outing for 2025 takes place next Sunday, 24 August.
Committee member, Marian Cody, has organised a guided walking tour of Clonlara.
Meeting Time: 3.00 pm.
Meeting Place: The Catholic Church in Clonlara.
Parking Place: The Community Centre in Clonlara, V94 VXD4.
Looking forward to seeing many of you there.
Below is information on two Heritage Week events involving members of TAHS which will be of interest to many of you.
(1) From Sarah McCutcheon, Local Authority Archaeologist:
Limerick City & County Council is celebrating the City Walls on Sunday 17th August from 2 pm – 5 pm as part of Heritage Week.
Venue: Old Clare Street
Attendees will be given a tour of works to City Defences 2021 – 24 at 4 pm.
(2) From Pat O'Brien, The Celtic Book Shop:
The Church of Ireland Parishes of Kilseily and Killokennedy
Date: 21 August, 8 pm – 9 pm
Venue: St. Flannan's Cathedral, Killaloe, Co. Clare
Local historian Pat O'Brien will give listeners an in-depth insight into the Church of Ireland parishes
of Kilseily (Broadford) and Killokennedy (Kilbane). See poster here.
Our next outing will be a guided walking tour of the medieval streets and lanes of Limerick City led by archaeologist John Elliott of Limerick Museum. John, as you know, is also the Deputy President of TAHS.
This tour will highlight the surviving and lost medieval thoroughfares of Englishtown and Irishtown, and will feature many of the archaeological and historic sites along the old streetscapes. The tour will focus on the old High Street of the medieval city as well as the many narrow laneways leading from it. Duration 90 min.
Meeting Point: John's Square, Irishtown.
Meeting Time: 7 pm.
End Point: King John's Castle, Englishtown.
I am sure you will find this outing with John a very interesting one.
In addition to this, I am forwarding communications from the organisers of three external history-related events, some of which are associated with
Heritage Week (16 – 24 August). For further details, see here.
Limerick Museum has the pleasure of inviting you to the official opening of an Exhibition commemorating the makers of Limerick Lace in Limerick Museum, Old Franciscan Friary, Henry Street, Limerick City V94 C7W1 on Thursday 14 of August 2025 at 5.30 pm.
While other crafts venerate and value the maker, in the case of Limerick lace the lacemakers are largely forgotten.
Lacemakers were not part of a guild; did not imprint their names on their wares; were often from the poorer strata of society; and perhaps most importantly, were comprised of women and children, a grouping often marginalised in traditional histories. While a few prominent practitioners such as Florence Vere O’Brien and Maude Kearney have rightly been remembered, thousands of others remain nameless and forgotten.
This exhibition is dedicated to these forgotten lacemakers, the hidden hands of Limerick lace.
Dr Matthew Potter
Curator
Limerick Museum
Old Franciscan Friary
Henry Street
Limerick V94 C7W1
There are three Heritage Week events of possible interest at excavation sites and along the Estuary Pillboxes in the west county.
Here are the links to book for the events:
Tue 19 August: The Pillboxes Of The Shannon Estuary With Tom Cassidy
Wed 20 August: Archaeological Excavation On Foynes – Limerick Road 10:00 – 11:00 Am
Wed 20 August: Archaeological Excavation On Foynes – Limerick Road 12:00 – 13:00 pm
These events are supported by Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS), Limerick City & County Council (LCCC) and Transport for Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
For more information on the excavations along the Foynes to Limerick bypass, please follow AMS on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Elaine Lynch
Archaeologist
Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS)
Fahy's Road, Kilrush, Co. Clare, V15 C780
Young Academy Ireland (YAI) is delighted to open applications for its 2026 cohort. Applications open Friday 18 July and close Friday 26 September.
This four-year membership connects early-career researchers and innovators across Ireland in a collaborative, interdisciplinary network focused on societal impact and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, including under-represented groups, scholars at risk, and professionals who operate in academia, government, industry, and NGOs. Young Academy Ireland (YAI), established in 2023 under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy, is part of a global movement of national young academies.
We encourage you to share this opportunity widely within your networks.
Visit the YAI website to apply online, sign up for our webinar and find support including a Narrative CV Toolkit, application guidelines and FAQs. For further queries, please contact yai@ria.ie.
Our next outing on 10 August will be to Roscrea where our guide will bring us on a walking tour of this very interesting town.
We will also visit Roscrea Castle, Damer House and Gardens, and The Black Mills which houses the High Cross. As these three are OPW sites, there will be an entry fee of €4 per person (group rate). This fee will be collected on the day.
However, as we need to give numbers in advance, please email me by 3 August if you are going to join us in Roscrea.
Meeting Time - 2.30 pm
Meeting Point - Plaza in front of Tesco. See the map where the red dot is the meeting point. ('Me' refers to our guide.)
Parking - The outdoor car parks are marked in yellow on the map. Tesco also has an underground car park that's accessed by way of the little roundabout on the Lourdes Road.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Our next outing is to Newtown Hedge School Cottage, Clarina, next Wednesday, 23 July.
Newtown Cottage dates from 1790 and was at one stage a hedge school. The cottage was donated by the Potter family to the local community who have successfully restored it.
Dr Matthew Potter, Curator of Limerick Museum and long-standing member of TAHS, will introduce the history of the building and the locality.
Meeting place: Newtown Hedgeschool Cottage, Eircode V94 897T
If coming from Limerick city, take the N69 to Clarina where you turn right. The map here may be of assistance.
Meeting Time: 7.00 pm
Details of our outing to Roscrea on 10 August to follow.
The forecast suggests good weather for this evening's outing, A Literary, Culture & Heritage Walking Tour Of Englishtown & Irishtown.
This outing will be led by author and Thomond Society member, Joe Coleman, who is also a Fáilte Ireland-approved regional and national tour guide.
This tour will be both informative and entertaining as we discover some of the characters from the city's past and beyond and will have a duration of approximately two hours.
The starting point will be from outside the former Jack Monday's Coffee House, Thomondgate (at the end of Thomond Bridge) at 7 p.m.
For those of you who would like to park near where the walk ends, Joe suggests that the Patrick Street area would be a good location.
Looking forward to meeting many of you there.
Our next evening outing will take place on Wednesday next, 9 July. This outing will be led by author and Thomond Society member, Joe Coleman, who is also a Fáilte Ireland-approved regional and national tour guide. Joe will bring us on a Literary, Culture and Heritage Walking Tour of Englishtown and Irishtown. This tour will be both informative and entertaining as we discover some of the characters from the city's past and beyond and will have a duration of approximately two hours. The starting point will be from outside the former Jack Monday's Coffee House, Thomondgate (at the end of Thomond Bridge) at 7 p.m. Looking forward to meeting many of you there.
For those of you not away on holiday, there are two history-related events taking place this week.
We have been advised of a book launch which I think will be of interest to many members. The Limerick Boycott In Context, edited by Seán Gannon and Nathalie Wynn, will be launched by Mayor John Moran this Wednesday at 7.00 pm in Room G10 at Mary Immaculate College. Full details in the attached invitation.
We have a small number of places available on next Sunday's outing to Clonmacnoise, Shannonbridge, Shannon Harbour and Banagher. Details at the end of the message. If you are interested, I would appreciate if you could let me know as soon as possible.
Our PRO, Dr Derek Mulcahy, has notified us of an event that may be of interest to you. See below.
Thank you to those of you who have already booked for our full-day outing on 6 July. There are still a small number of places available, so can I remind anyone interested in joining us to book with me by Friday, 20 June. Details as follows:
Full-day outing to Clonmacnoise, Shannon Harbour, Shannonbridge and Banagher on 6 July.
We will visit four locations on the River Shannon:
Clonmacnoise – the monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by Saint Ciarán. The ruins include a cathedral, two round towers, three high crosses, nine churches and over 700 Early Christian graveslabs.
Shannonbridge – a strategic location on the River Shannon with fortifications dating from the Napoleonic era.
Shannon Harbour – located at the point where the Shannon, Brosna, and Grand Canal meet, and an important transport centre in the nineteenth century.
Banagher – Another strategic location with fortifications including Cromwell’s castle and a Martello tower.
Departure Time: 9 am
Meeting Point: Pery Square, Limerick
Estimated Time of Return: 8 pm
Cost: €85
What’s included:
The costing is based on a minimum of 30 people travelling. If you are interested in joining us on 6 July, I would be grateful if you could confirm by email by Friday, 20 June at the latest.
Contact: secretarythomondsociety@gmail.com
We have been notified of the following conference at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, 26–27 June 2025 which may be of interest.
If you met a ghost, how would you know they were a ghost? Would they be solid or transparent, talkative or quiet? What would they wear? Where would you expect to find them? What might you assume they wanted? Would you need an intermediary ‒ a cleric, a medium, a ghosthunter ‒ to find out?
The answers given by a person 100 or 400 years ago would likely have been quite different to yours. The ways in which the dead have been perceived by the living have changed significantly over time. This conference will explore accounts and representations of the returning dead in the Irish and British Isles in historical context.
Contributors will shed light on the beliefs different communities held about ghosts, the explanations given for their return, and how reports of ghost sightings can illuminate specific historical moments. The lively dead have always had a lot to say about religion, neighbourhood, gender, space and place, and emotion. This conference provides an opportunity to listen to them.
The conference takes place on 26 and 27 June at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
Please register your booking for the conference here.
Coffee and lunch will be provided. Places are limited.
ALSO! In association with the Ghosts in Britain and Ireland conference, you’re invited to explore spooky Limerick at the Hunt Museum, 25 June 2025 from 5.30 pm.
View some supernatural objects from the Hunt Museum and the Limerick Museum and hear short talks by Andrew Sneddon on ghosts, witches and games; Clodagh Tait on stones for cursing and blessing; and Matthew Potter on the uses of a mummified cat. Please register your attendance (places limited) here.
We acknowledge the support of Mary Immaculate College; Irish Historical Studies; The University of Melbourne, Ulster University; Limerick Museum; The Hunt Museum.
Organisers: Charlotte Rose Millar, University of Melbourne; Andrew Sneddon, Ulster University; and Clodagh Tait, Mary Immaculate College.
Other queries: Clodagh.Tait@mic.ul.ie.
Our PRO, Dr Derek Mulcahy, has notified us of an event that may be of interest to you. See below.
On Thu, 12 Jun 2025, 11:08 Derek.Mulcahy@mic.ul.ie wrote:
There will be a plenary session on the Mary Immaculate College Oral History Archive which is the final event of the
Oral History Conference
in the Absolute Hotel on Saturday 14th July from 4.pm to 5.30. It is free to attend, just register on this Eventbrite link.
Some TAHS members will be speaking at the event.
Dr Derek Mulcahy
Academic Learning Centre
Mary Immaculate College.
External message: University of Limerick/IARC Certificate in History of Family and Genealogical Methods
From: IARC Info info@irisharc.org
We are the Irish Ancestry Research Centre, based in Limerick and we are a leading provider of services designed to help people understand their past and save it for future generations. In addition to offering a personalised genealogical research service, we also run the Certificate in History of Family & Genealogical Methods, an online course accredited by the University of Limerick. This is a one year part-time NFQ Level 6 course, Experience has shown that the Certificate is popular with members of local history associations.
We would be grateful if you could please let your members know of this course.
Details are available at this link.
Regards,
Janine, IARC.
If interested, please reply directly to info@irisharc.org
External message: TG4 Documentary on The Blue Blouses
From: Ryan Coyle ryancbcoyle@gmail.com
My name is Ryan, and I'm currently producing a one-hour documentary for TG4 called "The Blue Blouses." This film will explore the overlooked history of the women who were part of the Blueshirts in Ireland.
I'm reaching out because I'm looking for anyone who might have information, historical items, photos, or personal stories about the Blue Blouses. I'm keen to talk to people who had a family member in the Blue Blouses back then and would be willing to share their experiences.
Given your background in Irish History, I was hoping you might be able to offer some guidance or connect me with any local historians, researchers, or families in your network who could help with this project.
Please feel free to message me directly if you have any leads or if you're open to a quick chat.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh,
Ryan Coyle, Bó Media, Cork.
Thank you to those members who have already expressed an interest in our upcoming full-day outing. Below are details:
Destination: Clonmacnoise, Shannon Harbour, Shannonbridge and Banagher
Date: 6 July
We will visit four locations on the River Shannon:
Clonmacnoise – the monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by Saint Ciarán. The ruins include a cathedral, two round towers, three high crosses, nine churches and over 700 Early Christian graveslabs.
Shannonbridge – a strategic location on the River Shannon with fortifications dating from the Napoleonic era.
Shannon Harbour – located at the point where the Shannon, Brosna, and Grand Canal meet, and an important transport centre in the nineteenth century.
Banagher – Another strategic location with fortifications including Cromwell’s Castle and a Martello tower.
Departure Time: 9 am
Meeting Point: Pery Square, Limerick
Estimated Time of Return: 8 pm
Cost: €85
What’s included:
· Coach Travel
· Guides
· Morning tea/coffee
· Lunch (Soup, Sandwiches, tea/coffee)
· 2-course evening Meal
· Entry Fee to Clonmacnoise
The costing is based on a minimum of 30 people travelling. If you are interested in joining us on 6 July,
I would be grateful if you could confirm by email by Friday, 20 June at the latest.
Let me start with a couple of questions:
"Do you know which Limerick woman made clothes for the singing Von Trapp children long before Maria was on the scene?"
"How long did one Limerick woman mourn the murder of her husband before being elected as a TD?"
The answers to these questions and many others will be provided by the speaker on our next evening outing, Sharon Slater.
Sharon is an award winning historian and writer whose work focuses on the history of Limerick and its people. She has been running the Limerick's Life website for over 20 years and has published several books, including 100 Women of Limerick (2022).
Date: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Time: 7.00pm
Meeting Place: Merchants' Quay (in front of the Potato Market, County Courthouse and City Hall)
Speaker: Sharon Slater
Organiser: Caroline Graham
We will also be sending out details of a full-day outing to Clonmacnoise, Shannonbridge, Shannon Harbour in the next few days.
Our outing to Clancy Strand/Thomondgate. takes place tomorrow evening, 28 May.
Meeting Time: 7.00pm.
Meeting Place: The Limerick War of Independence Memorial on the corner of O'Callaghan Strand and the Ennis Road.
Organiser and leader: John Elliott, archaeologist and historian, Deputy President of the TAHS.
Looking forward to meeting many of you there.
I trust that you are enjoying the summer.
Here is the link to the recording of Dr Cathy Swift's lecture, Running The Irish Colony: Limerick Castle And Irish Politics In The Earlier Thirteenth Century.
The second of our summer outings will be to Clancy Strand & Thomondgate.
Date: Wednesday evening, 28 May.
Meeting Time: 7.00pm.
Meeting Place: The Limerick War of Independence Memorial on the corner of O'Callaghan Strand and the Ennis Road.
Organiser and leader: John Elliott, archaeologist and historian, Deputy President of the TAHS.
This is an exhibition in Limerick Museum until Saturday 31st May 2025.
This temporary exhibition explores how central the River Shannon was to Limerick’s foundation and growth, from the early Viking settlement through Medieval Englishtown and Irishtown, to the city as we know it today. Using photographs, ephemera and artefacts from the Limerick Museum collection, we examine how Limerick profited from its position at the mouth of the mighty Shannon and evolved with the river, enjoying its bounty. Curated by Sarah Kelly, John Elliott and Matthew Mulqueen. Free Admission.
The first of the outings on our Summer Programme takes place this Sunday, 18 May. Our Deputy President, John Elliott, has organised an outing to Glenstal Abbey in Murroe.
We are fortunate to have Colmán Ó Clabaigh OSB to guide us around Glenstal. Many of you will remember Colmán from previous TAHS events, including the paper he gave at our conference last September.
The theme of the tour will be Glenstal: Bronze Age, Barringtons & Benedictines. It will consist of a discussion of the site, a tour of the castle and the Abbey Church and conclude with a visit to the Icon Chapel.
Members of our group will also be most welcome to join the monks for Vespers at 6 pm should they wish to do so.
Meeting Place: The carpark at the school.
Eircode: V94 HC84
Directions from the main gate: Proceed up the long avenue. Please drive slowly as there may be other traffic including walkers, joggers on the avenue. The carpark is to the left approaching the castle archway.
Meeting time: 3.00 pm.
We look forward to seeing many of you there.
Tomorrow evening's lecture will be given by Dr Catherine Swift. Cathy will be known to many of you as a long-term member of the TAHS and our former secretary, as well as a lecturer in History at Mary Immaculate College. The title of Cathy's lecture will be Running The Irish Colony: Limerick Castle & Irish Politics In The Early 13th Century. The lecture will take place tomorrow evening, 28 April in T.1.16 in the Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College starting at 8.00 pm.
For any researchers in the group the following notification may be of interest:
The Royal Irish Academy Commemorations Bursary scheme for 2025/26 is now open. Supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, the scheme aims to encourage new local research and local history studies (local, national and regional) as a means of recognising the significant contribution of local historians in furthering fields of study relating to the commemoration of events associated with the early years of the state as well as other significant historical anniversaries, events and themes. The purpose of this grant is to provide support for the direct costs of research from €1,500 up to a maximum of €10,000.
For further details see here.
The scheme is open for applications until 15th May 2025. Any queries can be directed to grants@ria.ie
A recording of the recent lecture by Dr John Sheehan of UCC is linked: A Viking Silver Hoard from Hurler's Cross, Co. Clare.
Our next lecture will be given by Dr Cathy Swift of MIC on 28 April.
The title of Cathy's lecture will be: Running The Irish Colony: Limerick Castle & Irish Politics In The Earlier 13th Century.
In the meantime, I wish you all a very happy Easter.
Below is information on three external events which may be of interest to you:
1. A lecture tomorrow evening, 10 April at the library at Watch House Cross. The speaker will be Dr Sean Gannon and the title of the lecture is The Limerick RIC And Its Enemies: 1922 And Beyond.
2. An exhibition on the Limerick Soviet is also at Watch House Cross Library from 8 to 19 April.
3. Professor David Fleming of UL has advised us of an interesting conference to be held from 9 ‐ 11 May. The Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement (GSIHS) will meet in Killaloe for its annual conference on the theme of historic settlement in East Clare. Please see attached programme for more details.
Our next lecture will be given by Dr John Sheehan. The title of John's lecture will be A Viking Silver Hoard from Hurlers Cross, Co. Clare.
The lecture will take place tomorrow evening, 24 March in T.1.16 in the Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College, starting at 8.00 pm.
Dr Sheehan is a Senior Lecturer in the Archaeology Department in University
College Cork. His primary research area is Ireland’s Viking Age, but he also has
conducted research and excavations on Ireland’s early medieval church
archaeology. He is a co-editor of The Book of the Skelligs, which was nominated for
An Post’s Book of the Year Award in 2022 and the UK’s Current Archaeology’s
Project of the Year Award in 2023.
His particular specialism is Viking Age silver and for this reason he was involved,
with the National Museum, in investigations following the discovery of a silver hoard
at Hurler’s Cross in 2021.
Many of you will know Margaret Franklin from the TAHS, her work in Limerick Library and her numerous local history publications.
Margaret has now completed an index to Vols 1-22 of the Loch Gur Journal, i.e. the full number of volumes.
The index is approximately 26 pages long and will be staple-bound with a durable cover. Margaret is going to print a limited number in
physical format which will be for sale at €10 to cover printing costs.
Any members interested in acquiring a copy, can contact Margaret directly by email at goathouseboreen@gmail.com or by phone, 087 4152151.
Here is the link to the recording of our last lecture,
Strong Farmers in West Limerick in the Mid-Nineteenth Century by Dr Gerard Curtin at the end of this message. This will appeal to many of you who
were unable to attend on 3 March, but the rich detail in Gerard's lecture will no doubt encourage others who heard the lecture that evening to listen again.
We have also been advised by Dr Matthew Potter, Curator of Limerick Museum, of the following exhibition which may be of interest to some members.
Exhibition: St. Patrick’s Day in Limerick
Date: Thursday 13 March to Saturday 29 March 2025
Venue: Limerick Museum (Old Franciscan Friary)
Admission: Free
This pop-up exhibition explores the customs and traditions in Limerick celebrating St. Patrick, from the introduction of Christianity in the 5th century
through to the 21st century. Using photographs, ephemera and artefacts from the Limerick Museum collection, it demonstrates how the people of Limerick
commemorated Ireland’s patron saint through the ages. Curated by John Elliott and Sarah Kelly, St. Patrick’s Day in Limerick forms part of the wider
celebrations of St. Patrick across Limerick city and county.
Wishing you all a happy St. Patrick's Day,
Caroline.
Our next TAHS lecture takes place tomorrow evening in T.1.16 in the Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College. Dr Gerard Curtin will be speaking on the following topic: Strong Farmers In West Limerick In The Mid-19th Century.
The presenter is a civil servant and holds a doctorate in history from Mary Immaculate College, the West Limerick region being the focus of his research. He has published several books including West Limerick: Crime, Popular Protest And Society, 1820 – 45 which was based on his doctoral research. He has also written books on the Great Famine in Northwest Co Limerick and on minor place-names in West Limerick. Gerard had essays published in Limerick, History And Society (2009) and Limestone And River (2024) and he has contributed regular essays to the North Munster Antiquarian Journal.
Members of the TAHS are also invited to a lecture on Saint Patrick by Dr Cathy Swift on Thursday, 6 March at 12 pm.
The title of Cathy's lecture is Did Saint Patrick Come To Mary I? A Study Of Bethu Phátraic's Account Of Our National Saint In Limerick.
Bethu Phátraic is a bilingual (Irish and Latin) hagiography of St. Patrick written in 9th - 12th century.
See attached poster for details.
We were very pleased with the positive response we received to the recording of Dr Paul O'Brien's lecture. Thank you to all the members who have been in touch. The link to that recording will remain live until Friday, 28 February.
I am now sending you a link to the edited recording of last Monday's lecture by Dr Matthew Potter on The Mayors Of Limerick Since 1197.
This link will be live until 10 March. No doubt some of last Monday's audience will want to listen again.
Thank you to Tim O'Dwyer for all his work on recording and editing these lectures and to our PRO, Derek Mulcahy, for organising this pilot project.
Our next TAHS lecture will be given by Dr Gerard Curtin. The title of Gerard's lecture will be:
Strong Farmers In West Limerick In The Mid-19th Century.
The presenter is a civil servant and holds a doctorate in history from Mary Immaculate College, the West Limerick region being the focus of his research. He has published several books including West Limerick: Crime, Popular Protest And Society, 1820 – 45 which was based on his doctoral research. He has also written books on the Great Famine in Northwest Co Limerick and on minor place-names in West Limerick. Gerard had essays published in Limerick, History And Society (2009) and Limestone And River (2024) and he has contributed regular essays to the North Munster Antiquarian Journal.
Finally, some of you may be interested in the following event to be hosted by the Limerick Chapter of the Georgian Society:
This year's Knight of Glin Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Dr John Logan on Unbuilt Limerick: Ambition And Failure, 1760 – 2000. The lecture explores the unrealised architectural ideas and buildings that had been conceived for Limerick over three centuries.
Dr Logan examines the factors that prompted these ideas and those that led to their failure.
Date: 4 March 2025 8 pm
Venue: LPYMA (large hall), 97 O'Connell Street, Limerick
Booking: Eventbrite
Tickets: €10 (and complimentary entrance for the unwaged)
As many of you will know, for some time the TAHS committee has been investigating different ways of recording our lectures for the benefit of members. As a pilot, our PRO, Derek Mulcahy, arranged for a professional to record Paul O'Brien's lecture on 20 January. We are making this available on a restricted basis, i.e. to members of the TAHS only and for a two-week period. Below you will find a link to the edited version. This link will be live until 28 February. Please note that the recording may take some time to download depending on your wifi speed. The sound on Charlotte Murphy's introduction is very low. However, once the lecture starts, it is quite clear as Paul was wearing a mic. We hope that members who were unable to attend on the evening the lecture was delivered will enjoy this opportunity to catch up. Indeed, some of you who were present on 20 January may wish to listen to Paul's lecture again.
I'd also like to remind you that our next lecture will be given by Dr Matthew Potter FRHistS. The title of the lecture will be:
Mayors Of Limerick Since 1197.
Many of you will know Matthew as the curator of Limerick Museum, from previous lectures to the Society and for his many publications of historical interest.
Date: Monday next, 17 February 2025.
Venue: T1-16, the Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College.
Time: 8 pm.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Our next lecture will take place on Monday, 17 February.
Unfortunately Dr Zenobie Garrett who was scheduled to give the lecture will not be available.
However, we are very pleased that our long-standing member, Dr Matthew Potter FRHistS, has agreed to step in
with a lecture entitled Mayors Of Limerick Since 1197.
Many of you will know Matthew as the curator of Limerick Museum, from previous lectures to the Society and for
his many publications of historical interest.
Venue: T1-16, the Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College.
Time: 8 pm.
We look forward to seeing you there.
We have been notified by Br Colmán Ó Clabaigh OSB of a conference taking place at Glenstal on 15 February which may be of interest to some of you.
This one-day conference will explore aspects of Irish High Crosses.
Many of you will remember Br Colmán from his very interesting and entertaining lectures to the TAHS, including at our conference last September.
For more details, see this webpage.
I would also like to remind you that the 2025 Annual Lunch will be held on Sunday, 9th February at 1pm in the Castletroy Park Hotel.
The cost is €40 per person. Many thanks to those of you who have already booked.
Our guest speaker will be Dr Bernadette Whelan, Professor Emeritus, Dept.of History at UL, MRIA, who will be speaking to us about the sometimes forgotten spouses of the Presidents of Ireland. The title of Bernadette's lecture will be The Life Of The Irish First Lady And First Gentleman, 1919-2011.
To book, please email or phone Mary Kenehan by midday, Thursday 6th February.
Mary's email address: thomondsoc23@gmail.com
Mary's phone number: 086 8053452
(If leaving a voicemail, please state your name clearly and the number of persons you are booking for.)
I trust that the new year has got off to a good start for you and that you are looking forward to the Thomond Society programme for 2025. Below are details of our first two events.
The first lecture will be given by Mary Immaculate College lecturer, Dr Paul O'Brien, next Monday, 20 January. Many of you will know Paul as the Editor of the Society's Journal, the North Munster Antiquarian Journal, or from the many historical walks he has led around Limerick, or from his articles in the Limerick Leader.
The title of Paul's lecture will be From Skip to Attic to Academic Research: The R.D. O'Brien Collection, c. 1710 – 1920.
If you are curious about the contents of the boxes in the picture below, this is the lecture for you.
Venue: Room T.1.16, in the Tara Building at Mary Immaculate College, starting at 8pm. This is the same lecture theatre as last year.
Our annual lunch will be held in the Castletroy Park Hotel on Sunday, 9 February.
This year’s after lunch speaker is Dr Bernadette Whelan, Professor Emeritus in UL and member of the Royal Irish Academy.
The topic of Bernadette’s lecture will be Irish First Ladies and First Gentlemen.
Tickets cost €40. For further details and to book, please email Mary Kenehan at thomondsoc23@gmail.com.
With best wishes for 2025,
Caroline.
For those of you who were unable to attend the AGM of the Thomond Archaeological & Historical Society, I am very pleased to tell you that our new President is Dr Charlotte Murphy, and our new Deputy President, John Elliott. Both are long-standing members of the Society and many of you will know them from the lectures they have given and the outings they have led over many years.
I am attaching a greeting from Charlotte.
The programme for the year will be posted to all members in January. In the meantime, you might like to note that the first lecture of 2025 will be given by Dr Paul O'Brien on Monday, 20 January. The title of the lecture will be: From Skip to Attic to Academic Research: The R.D. O'Brien Papers, 1740 – 1920. The lecture will be held in the same lecture theatre we used in 2024, T.1.16 in the Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College, and will start at 8 pm.
Wishing each of you a very happy Christmas and looking forward to seeing you at lectures and outings in 2025.
Firstly a reminder of our AGM on Monday next:
Date of AGM: 9 December 2024
Start time: 20.00
Venue: Room G10 Foundation Building, Mary Immaculate College
The Foundation Building is just inside the gate as you enter from the South Circular Road. Below you will find a photo of the main entrance to the building.
Room G10 is on the ground floor.
Linked are the minutes of the December 2023 AGM and
the agenda for this year's AGM.
After the AGM, we will stay in the same room for tea/coffee, mince pies and chat.
If any of you are still looking for a good Christmas gift (perhaps for yourself), there will be a limited number of copies of Limestone And River:
Essays On Thomond History In Honour Of Liam Irwin available at the AGM at the pre-publication price of €45.
More information on the book.
As the year is drawing to a close, can we remind you that the annual subscription for 2025 is due on 1 January.
The subscription remains €30 (including a copy of the journal). Some of you may wish to pay at the AGM. Otherwise, the following options are available:
1. To make a direct payment to our account, please use the following details and ensure that your name will appear on our Bank Statement.
BOI A/C Name: THOMOND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
IBAN: IE24 BOFI 9043 0915 3730 96
BIC: BOFIIE2D
Branch Sort Code: 90-43-09
Bank A/C No.: 15373096
2. Cheques for €30 can also be sent to:
Hon. Treasurer,
Liam O’Brien,
34 Shannon Banks,
Limerick V94 XFH2.
New members are always welcome. If you know anyone interested in archaeology or history, please invite him or her along to a lecture.
The annual lunch will be held in the Castletroy Park Hotel on 9 February. Mary Kenehan will be organising it this year.
Mary's email is thomondsoc23@gmail.com
More details to follow.
Looking forward to meeting many of you on Monday evening.
We have just two more events on our 2024 Programme.
Our next lecture, and final one of the 2024 programme, will take place this coming Monday.
Dr Ida Milne and Dr Ian d'Alton will give a lecture entitled A Social History of Protestants in Independent Ireland.
Date: 18 November 2024.
Starts: 8 pm.
Venue: T1.16 Tara Building, Mary Immaculate College.
On 9 December we will hold our Annual General Meeting at which the Society's officers and committee members for 2025 will be elected.
We are always pleased to hear from members who are interested in volunteering their time and energy to the Society.
Nominations will be taken at the A.G.M.
Please note the venue for the A.G.M.
Start time: 8 pm.
Venue: Room G10 Foundation Building, Mary Immaculate College.
(This is the older building just inside the gate from the South Circular Road.)
After the A.G.M., we will stay in the same room for tea/coffee, mince pies and chat.
Hoping to meet you at these events.
Tonight's lecture on Holy Wells will be given by Amamda Clarke.
Amanda is a former teacher, occasional Associate Researcher at Leicester University and sometime tutor with the Royal Shakespeare Company,
Amanda has an MA in Museum and Gallery Education.
Since blowing into Ireland twenty three years ago, she has had time to develop her enthusiasm for walking, photography, folklore - and holy wells!
Her book Holy Wells of County Cork was published in 2023.
I hope to see many of you there.
Below are details of two other events happening locally this week which may be of interest to you.
A Book of Kells "tour" will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church this Thursday 24th October. It may be of interest to members.
On Saturday 26th October, in Abington the third Le Fanu Festival. The day will be a mixture of talks and music. Learn about the fascinating lives of the Le Fanu women, and how women are portrayed in Sheridan Le Fanu’s novels. The theme for the 2024 festival is The Le Fanu Women: Music, the Arts and Politics.
We have a change to our programme for Monday evening, 21 October next. The scheduled lecture has been postponed.
Instead, Amanda Clarke who was originally scheduled to speak in March will join us. Amanda will be speaking on the following topic: Holy Wells in County Limerick.
As usual, the lecture will take place in T.116 in the Tara Building at Mary Immaculate College and will start at 8 pm.
Some of you may also be interested in the following lecture which is being organised by our friends in the Shannon Archaeological and Historical Society.
It is taking place this evening.
Speaker: Michael Gibbons
Topic: Doonowen – A unique turlough bound fortress on the Gregory Estate at Coole, discussed in its local and national context
Date/Time: Wednesday 16 October 2024 8pm
Venue: Oakwood Hotel, Shannon
Zoom option: Please join the zoom meeting at 7.55 pm and wait to be admitted
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84395999588?pwd=q4InX9xq1NjAk2aAc4ez48RvB1Bp0b.1
Meeting ID: 843 9599 9588
Passcode: 268084
Some of you may be interested in attending the launch of Taprooms, Taverns and Alehouses: Limerick City Pubs c.1850 – 2024 at Mary Immaculate College, Room T.1.18 on Thursday, 11 October at 7 pm. The book is co-authored by our committee member, Dr Paul O'Brien and by William Banks. All proceeds from the book will go to Down Syndrome Limerick. See poster attached.
Here is the programme on an upcoming international conference in Waterford which may be of interest to some of you.
The theme is Waterford and the Wider World 1500–1800.
I am attaching information on an outing taking place next Saturday to Clonmacnoise.
It had been scheduled to take place earlier in the summer but circumstances forced its cancellation then.
It is being organised by John Joe Conwell on 087 2963803 who will provide more details to anyone interested in joining.
One of our long-standing members, Dr Charlotte Murphy, has advised us of a lecture she is giving on 10 October at 8.00 pm in Monaleen Church.
The lecture celebrates 150 years of Monaleen Church, and its history in the surrounding area of Kilmurry.
This will be of particular interest to anyone living in the Monaleen area but is open to anyone with an interest in local history.
I am forwarding a message about a public engagement event tomorrow, 15 August which may be of interest,
especially to those interested in the development of King’s Island.
I am very pleased to send you details of the Thomond Archaeological & Historical Society conference which will be held over the weekend of 13-15 September 2024. The theme of the conference is Limerick: Eleven Centuries Of Transformation. As you will see from the attached programme, the conference brings together experts on the medieval, early modern and modern history of Limerick. We will start on Friday evening, 13 September in St. Mary's Cathedral, an ideal place to launch a local history conference. On Saturday, 14 September we move to the Absolute Hotel for papers by Brian Hodkinson, John Elliott, Dr Declan Downey, Dr David Fleming, Professor Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, Dr Maura Cronin and Dr Colmán Ó Clabaigh OSB. The weekend concludes on Sunday, 15 September with a walking tour of historical Limerick city to be led by John Elliott.
The cost for attendance at the conference is €50.
The cost of the conference dinner is €37.50. Attendance at the dinner is optional but booking is essential for those dining.
The simplest way to book is through Eventbrite.
I will also have a very small number of tickets which can be booked directly with me.
If choosing this option please confirm whether you wish to book (1) for the conference only;
or (2) for both the conference and conference dinner.
We hope that you will join us at this conference to celebrate Limerick's rich heritage.
I am delighted to bring you the good news that Society has negotiated with Four Courts Press to publish a volume of essays on Limerick City & County in honour of our esteemed member Liam Irwin, Retired Head of History, Mary Immaculate College, who has been a leading member of the Society for many years. The idea to create this volume originated in the membership of the Society. The contributions have come from his colleagues, admirers and friends. It is edited by Catherine Swift, Brian Hodkinson and Tom Donovan.
The hardback volume will be published and launched in October/ November and the retail price will be €55.
Its contents may be viewed on this web page.
The Society can offer the book at a reduced rate of €45. If you wish to reserve a copy at the reduced rate please get back to me at this email address.
The launch date and venue will be notified at a later date.
Contributors include: Charlotte Murphy (TAHS); Catherine Swift (MIC); Luke McInerney (Ind); Lenore Fischer (Ind); Maura Cronin (MIC);
Ursula Callaghan (Ind); John Logan (UL); Tom Donovan (TAHS); Rose Cleary (UCC); Brian O Dálaigh (Ind); Bernadette Whelan (UL);
Úna Nic Éinrí (MIC); David Fleming (UL); Tadhg Moloney (Ind); Gerard Curtin (Ind); Gearóid O Tuathaigh (NUIG); Brian Hodkinson (TAHS);
Matthew Potter (TAHS).
It was a pleasure to meet some of you on the Thomond Society outings we have had so far this summer.
The good news is that we still have two more outings on our programme this month.
Firstly, we have an evening outing on Wednesday, 21 August:
A Literary, Culture and Heritage Walking Tour of Englishtown and Irishtown.
The outing will be led by author and Thomond Society member, Joe Coleman. Joe is also a Fáilte Ireland-approved national tour guide.
Meeting place: Jack Monday's Coffee House, Thomondgate at the end of Thomond Bridge.
Meeting time: 7 pm.
Duration of approximately 90 minutes.
Later that week, we have an afternoon outing on Sunday, 25 August to Abbeyfeale.
Organised by our past president and long-standing committee member, Liam Irwin, this walking tour of the historic town of Abbeyfeale will be led by local guides.
Meeting place: Fr Casey statue in the Square, Abbeyfeale.
Meeting time: 3 pm.
Do join us if you can.
Please find attached a poster for tomorrow evening's tour,
Medieval Monasteries of Englishtown.
Meeting point is Barrington's Hospital, George's Quay, King's Island, Limerick at 7 pm.
The tour will visit the sites of St Mary's House, the Franciscan Friary, St Peter's Cell and the Dominican Priory. Duration 90 min.
I have received a notice from the Irish Ancestry Research Centre and append it for interested members.
Dear President:
We are the Irish Ancestry Research Centre and we are a leading provider of services designed to help people understand their past and save it for future generations.
In addition to offering a personalised genealogical research service, we also run the Certificate in History of Family & Genealogical Methods course
(accredited by the University of Limerick) and the Diploma in Genealogy (accredited by University College Cork.) Both courses are available on-line.
Past experience has shown that the Certificate and Diploma are favoured by members of historical societies and those who work in archives.
Information on both courses is available on our website, irisharc.org.
We would be grateful if you could circulate details on the courses to your membership.
Thanking you,
IARC.
Coach leaves from outside No.2 Pery Square at 9 a.m. sharp. Cost is €35 per person - this includes coach, morning coffee and gratuities. N.B. Please bring a picnic lunch. As we will leave Mitchelstown in the early evening for the return home, we are not organising an evening meal on this occasion. Booking is essential. Contact the undersigned at this email address or mobile 086 8053452.
The outing will focus on the rich history and architectural heritage of Mitchelstown. We begin at nearby Brigown graveyard where ruins of the early Christian monastery established by St Fanahan survive. We will view the saint's intriguing statue in the town, sculpted by Newcastle West artist Clíodhna Cussen and trace the growth of the new Norman settlement under the White Knights and the later creation of the planned town by the earls of Kingston. From the surviving formal entrance gates, we will learn about their splendid castle and its sad destruction. The nearby King Square, with its 31 intact eighteenth century alms houses, originally erected for 'decayed Protestant gentlemen and women'. The chapel and garden, facing along the broad avenue to the south where the vista is closed by the elegant St. George's church, now the Arts Centre, will be followed by a walking tour of the New Square with its market house designed by Limerick architect, James Pain, the tower and spire of the 1834 Catholic Church, John Mandeville memorial and the birthplace of William Trevor.
All this and much more will be explored by our guide for the day, local historian, author and expert Bill Power.
Looking forward to a lovely day out.
I am linking information on a field trip which is being
organised by Portumna-based historian John Joe Conwell on 15 June. Some of you will remember John Joe from a very
entertaining lecture he gave to the Society earlier this year, Aspects of the Big House.
Below are some forthcoming events planned by the Friends of the Hunt Museum.
Further details of their annual lunch and an outing to Birr Castle are available from
Ciara Dwyer at: ciara@huntmuseum.com
Enjoy the wonderful weather,
Mary.
Hi Mary,
Our upcoming Friends events are as follows:
• May 29th: Annual luncheon at the Dunraven Arms Hotel, Adare.
• June 12th: Outing to Birr Castle and Gloster House.
• June 25th: Lunchtime lecture with Mary Cahill "Shannongrove & Other Gorgets – Understanding Late Bronze Age Goldwork In Ireland".
Mary Cahill FSA was formerly Keeper of Irish Antiquities at the National Museum of Ireland. She specialises in prehistoric gold, history of collections and antiquarianism. She has published widely on these subjects including in the North Munster Antiquarian Journal.
The luncheon is for Friends' members and their guests, as is the outing to Birr. However, all are welcome to the lecture and entry is free.
Thank you for agreeing to circulate our events. I will pass on what you sent me to our Friends in the next day or so.
Kind Regards,
Ciara Dwyer,
Membership & Marketing Assistant.
John Elliott and Dr Zara Power of Limerick Museum have been in touch to let us know about a special event that will be of interest to many of you. Zara is organising a Limerick silver handling session on 31 May to launch the 'Shannonside History Festival'. It starts at 10.30 and admission is free. However, registration is essential. For more details, see John's email below and the attached poster.
Caroline,
Dr Zara Power at Limerick Museum is organising a Limerick silver handling session on Friday 31st May from 10.30am to launch the 'Shannonside History Festival'
Dr Power will be joined by experts Jim Noonan, Sarah Gough, John Breen, Michael Lynch and Ed Walsh in a unique opportunity to examine and handle some of exceedingly rare items of Limerick silver in the collection of the Limerick Museum.
The workshop is free to attend but booking is essential as there is limited numbers for the event.
Here is the link for booking.
Kind Regards,
John.
Below is a message from the organisers of a Book Fair which may be of interest to you. The message has been forwarded to us by Pat O'Brien of Celtic Books:
I am writing to invite you to the upcoming Limerick Book Fair on May 6th, from 10 am to 4 pm, at LPYMA Hall, 97 O’Connell Street, Limerick. Admission is free.
Join book dealers from across the country, including Charlie Byrnes, Joe Collins, Jim Cooney, Kieran O'Brien, Joe Doyle, John O'Brien and Tall Stories Books.
Discover a diverse selection of new and rare books on local history, architecture, literature, and more. Make it a memorable occasion with books to suit all
interests, from collectors to those seeking a good read or a bargain.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Jon Heddon,
Book Fairs Ireland.
This is a reminder that the last lecture before the summer will be held on Monday, 29 April at 8.00 pm in T.1.16, in the TARA Building, Mary Immaculate College. The lecture will be given by Dr Derek Mulcahy, MIC academic and committee member of the Thomond Society. Derek is also the bandmaster of Saint Mary's Fife & Drum Band. The title of Derek's lecture will be Athlunkard Street 200. Derek's publications include 'The Leader of the Band' (2021) and 'By the Left, Quick March' (2023). He is also co-editor of 'A Job of Journeywork: Selected Published Writings, Letters and Speeches of Jim Kemmy' (2023). This lecture is part of a series of events celebrating the establishment of Athlunkard Street in April 1824. For more information on these events, see this page
The following link gives details of what should be a very interesting public lecture
on the topic:
Irish-Language Culture In Thomond In The Eighteenth & Early Nineteenth Centuries
If you need further details, please contact Dr Alistair Malcolm at alistair.malcolm@ul.ie
Our guest speaker for Monday night is unable to attend for personal reasons, so we have a change to the advertised lecture.
Instead, Dr Matthew Potter will talk to us on 'Mount Saint Lawrence Cemetery'.
Usual venue Room T.1.16 TARA Building, Mary Immaculate College at 8 pm.
Volumes 60 and 61 of the TAHS journal, North Munster Antiquarian Journal / Irisleabhar Ársaíochta Tuadh-Mhumhan, have now been published. The editor has been working hard to catch up on delays caused during Covid. Two further volumes will be published and distributed during 2024, bringing the publication schedule up to date.
For those of you with materials you would like to be considered for publication in a future edition of the
journal, please contact the editor, Dr Paul O'Brien at
We are currently planning a TAHS conference for 13 - 15 September, the theme of which will be Eleven Centuries of Limerick's History.
The annual membership card is issued to all members. The card provides details of the Society's Programme for the year. For up to date information on events during the year members have a number of other options:
The annual subscription is still €30 which includes a copy of the journal.
Subscriptions are due on 1 January each year. Thank you to those members who have already paid.
For members who do not pay by standing order, payment of €30 can be sent to the Hon. Treasurer,
Liam O'Brien, 34 Shannon Banks, Limerick V94 XFH2.
New members are always welcome. If you know anyone interested in archaeology or history, please invite him or her along to a lecture. We look forward to meeting you all at TAHS events during the year.
I am pleased to send you an update on the Thomond Archaeological & Historical Society lectures for 2024 and two gentle reminders to members interested in the annual lunch and/or the Northumbria trip.
Our next lecture will be on 19 February when John Joe Conwell will speak on 'Aspects of the Big House'. The lecture will be held in our usual room, Room T.1.16 of the Tara Block at Mary Immaculate College. I am currently making arrangements for the last couple of lectures for later in the year. As soon as these have been confirmed, I will be in a position to have the membership cards printed. Thank you all for your patience. In the meantime, I am attaching the Spring 2024 Programme of Lectures which I hope you will find interesting.
The annual lunch will be held at 1 pm on Sunday, 18th February at the Castletroy Park Hotel. Tickets cost €40. Dr Declan Downey of UCD will be the guest speaker. His presentation, 'Inspirations for the Present from North Munster's Past', promises to be a stimulating talk. Please book directly with Elsie O'Connell on or before Thursday 15th February. Elsie's contact details are: email elsieoconnell39@gmail.com or mobile 087 4650046.
Details of the first TAHS overseas outing since Covid were emailed to members by our President, Mary Kenehan, earlier this month. Bookings must be made directly with the travel agency GTI at 01 8434734. Bookings will not be accepted after the closing date, Wednesday 14th February. Deposit is €350 per person.
Finally, as you will know, I have recently taken over the role of honorary secretary of the Society.
I'm looking forward to working on your behalf and to meeting as many of you as possible at our various events.
Please see the attached document for details of our overseas trip to Northumbria in May.
Northumbria has a very rich history dating back to prehistoric times and is well worth a visit.
In this instance the bookings for the trip are being handled directly by the travel agent.
Please note: TAHS will not be taking bookings for this trip.
Happy New Year to all members !
Some forthcoming events for your diary:
Monday 22 January Canon O'Malley presents more 'Postcards of County Limerick' from his extraordinary collection.
Sunday 18 February Annual Lunch, Castletroy Park Hotel at 1pm.
Please Book directly with Elsie O'Connell via email: elsieoconnell39@gmail.com or mobile 087 4650046 on or before Thursday 15th February.
Tickets cost €40.
Guest Speaker: Dr Declan Downey of the UCD School of History will speak on "Inspirations for the Present from North Munster's Past".
Dr Cathy Swift stood down as Hon. Secretary in December. We thank Cathy for her six years of dedication as Hon Secretary.
Cathy continues on the Committee so we are not losing her knowledge and expertise.
Caroline Graham was elected at the recent AGM as the Hon. Secretary. We wish Caroline the very best in the role.
Caroline may be contacted at: secretarythomondsociety@gmail.com
Best wishes for 2024.
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The North Munster Antiquarian Journal or Irisleabhar Ársaíochta Tuadh-Mhumhan (1936–present: ISSN 0332-0820) is published annually by the Society and is issued free of charge to all members. It contains academic articles on subjects of interest to the Society membership.
It is a successor to, and continuation of, the Journal of the Limerick Field Club (1897–1908) and the Journal of the North Munster Archaeological Society (1909–1919). Until 1968 each volume of the journal (including its predecessors) was issued in separate parts, varying in number each year; no copy was produced in 1954 while a single volume covered the years 1962–63, 1973–4, and 1998–9. A fuller explanation of this is published in NMAJ, vol. xxi (1989), p.ix. While history and archaeology are the predominant subjects covered in the journals there are also articles on place names, historical geography, folklore and folklife, numismatics, architecture and other kindred studies. The focus of most, though by no means all, of the published material is on the North Munster region of Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary.
Copies of articles published in the Journal of the Limerick Field Club (1897–1908) and volumes 1–53 (1909–2013) of the Journal of the North Munster Archaeological Society or North Munster Antiquarian Journal are available on-line here through the kind offices of the Limerick City Library. More recent issues will be added over time.
An index of authors and articles for Volumes 1–30 (1936–1988) is available online here.
An index of authors and articles for Volumes 1–49 (1936–2009) is available online here.
Requests for copies of back numbers of the journal should be sent to the editor.
Articles, papers and notes for publication, books and journals for review and any other matter relating to the Journal should be sent to the Hon. Editor.
Over the last few years I have created a number of fully referenced databases of Limerick people and places which I hope will stimulate research into the city and county. These include a Who Was Who In Early Modern Limerick and a sister database for the early modern period. Estate Maps of County Limerick is extracted from Maps And Rentals which is a database taken from maps and rental books, mostly of the 18th–20th centuries. The most recent addition is a series of files of over 2,000 soldiers who served in the East India Company’s armies during 1831–1860.
The place name section includes an index to the Desmond Survey which is based on the UCC Celt online edition and also an index to the Black Book of Limerick.
Many of the very extensive archive of local historical sources digitised by Limerick Local Studies Department are being made available on the new website here. Have a good browse on the People, Places, Museums and Education linked pages.
– Brian J. Hodkinson.
Below is a listing of research resources for both notable and anonymous people from the Thomond region. Most of the resources listed are held in the Local Studies archives of Limerick City & County Council.
A PDF format database of all known maps and many estate rentals for the county and city of Limerick largely extracted from Maps And Rentals. All tenants' names have been transcribed, making it a valuable resource for genealogical research. It is an ongoing project which will be added to.
A fully referenced index to people in medieval Limerick. It is believed to contain well over 95% of people whose names were recorded through the medieval period. It is hoped that the database will encourage further research on medieval Limerick.
A fully referenced index to people in 16th and 17th century Limerick. It is the continuation of the medieval Who Was Who. It is an ongoing work and will expand over time.
A list abstracted from Return Of Persons To Whom Licenses Have Been Granted To Keep Arms By Magistrates At Quarter Session in Ireland, 1832. It is a listing of arms registered after 1st August 1832 and the report was returned February 1836 to the House of Commons. The names of magistrates and their residences is omitted from the list. The full work was digitised by Southampton University and is available on archive.org.
A list of Limerick related persons listed in the Elizabethan Fiants as compiled by B.J. Hodkinson.
Published by James MacCaffrey in 1907 is a collection of medieval Latin documents relating to St Mary's Cathedral, Limerick. The original index of the book was extremely poor. This is a new index of people mentioned in the text. For an annotated index of place names click on Black Book Places (134 Kb)
This lists all people in the survey. No attempt has been made to regularise spellings of people and places. If searching try known variants of the names.
This is a manuscript summary of Corporation leases compiled by the City’s Law Agent, Robert Potter in 1843, and contains leases from the 17th century onwards. There is an index of names at the end of the document. This searchable file was published in the North Munster Antiquarian Journal, Volume 39, 1998–99.
This is a record in Latin of appointments to church benefices in the Limerick diocese from 1421–1519. This searchable download is a simple index of the places named in the text. For the full Latin text see: Obligationes Pro Annatis Diocesis Limiricensis, 1421–1519 in, Archivium Hibernicum (Irish Historical Records) Vol. 10, 1943 pp. 104–62. English translations of most of the Annates can be found spread out within Begley’s, Diocese of Limerick, Ancient and Medieval, 1906, Dublin.
This is a fully referenced list of the constables of King John's Castle. While researching an article on Brevet Major William Butts RA, court-martialled in Limerick in 1829, the acting curator accumulated some information about his family which may be of use to family history researchers.
The information in this file was uncovered while researching the background of Brevet Major William Butts of the Royal Artillery who was court-martialled in Limerick in 1829 and dismissed the service.
A list of men from Limerick & Clare abstracted from A Superior Body of Men [M.S. James, Bloomington 2014] by Brian Hodkinson July 15–17th 2016.
In the 18th and 19th centuries the East India Company employed thousands of Limerick men in its armies in India. India was divided into three presidencies, Bombay, Madras and Bengal, each of which had its own army. The following lists are compiled from files in the India Office Records of the British Library. The soldier service records were made available to the compiler at the Church of the Latter Day Saints’ Family History Centre in Dooradoyle.
A list is compiled from the embarkation lists L/MIL/9/85–102 in the India Office Records at the British Library. These have been filmed by the Church of the Latter Day Saints, as LDS1835456–58, 1835691 and 1866880 which were made available to the compiler at the Church’s Family History Centre in Dooradoyle, Limerick.
A list abstracted from the Families in British India Society website in September/October 2015 and supplemented with records made available at the Church of the Latter Day Saints Dooradoyle Family History Centre. My thanks to the Church.
A list abstracted from India Office Records L/MIL/11/101 to /108.
Taken from L/MIL/10/122 to L/MIL/10/129 in the India Office Records at the British Library.
Supplementary information relating to EIC soldiers in the presidency and embarkation lists, gleaned from a variety of sources.
A list from the East India Company’s armies, 1820–61; taken from British Library, India Office Records L/MIL/10/301 and L/MIL/10/302
A list abstracted from Major V.C.P. Hodson’s, List of the Officers of the Bengal Army, 1758–1834
A list compiled of East India Company Soldiers awarded the prize money awarded for the siege of Ghuznee in Afghanistan 1839, taken from India Office Record L/MIL/5/259.
Below is a listing of research resources on places within the Thomond region. Most of the resources listed are held in the Local Studies archives of Limerick City & County Council.
An alphabetical listing of the townlands of Co. Limerick, together with their civil parish and barony, cross referenced to Ordnance Survey sheet and the Limerick place name book Logainmneacha na hEireann Imleabhar: I. Contae Luimnigh, by Art Ó Maolfábhail.
An alphabetical index of the civil parishes of County Limerick, together with the baronies in which they lie.
A comprehensive index of all Limerick place names in the 1580s Desmond Survey. The index uses the numbering in the online version of the Survey produced by University College Cork, which is available here. The personal names in the Survey are incorporated into the Who Was Who In Early Modern Limerick
A list of the place names shown on the parish and barony maps of the Down Survey of 1655-58.
A listing of minor place names gleaned from maps, deeds, etc in the museum's collection and from the Limerick City Archives. It will be an ongoing work.
Situated in the heart of the city of Limerick, the Hunt Museum houses the lifetime collections of self-taught archaeologist, curator and collector, John Hunt.
Raised in Hertfordshire with maternal Irish roots, he and his German wife, Gertrude, moved to Lough Gur in Limerick in 1940 as excavations there began under
the auspices of Seán P. Ó Ríordáin of UCC. He worked alongside the UCC team and became an expert on artifacts found in fields by local people. While in Limerick
and later in Dublin, John and Gertrude bought and sold many objets d'art to finance the growth of their own collection. By the 1970s, the Hunts were
retiring from active trading and offered their collection to the Irish nation. Though the Irish state declined their offer, prominent figures in Limerick established
the Hunt Museum Trust with a view to keeping the collection in Limerick. Eventually under the leadership of Dr Tony Ryan, a permanent home was established for
the Hunts' collection in Limerick city and this is where it remains to this day.
The Hunt Museum today houses a world-class collection of over 2,500 objects covering 5,000 years of human creativity.
If you ever have an hour when passing through Limerick, do go and visit the magnificent Hunt Museum.
The Limerick Museum was founded in 1907 and originally housed at the old Carnegie Library building at Pery Square.
Since then it was moved to other locations before its recent resiting to the former Franciscan Friary at Henry Street.
The museum is overseen by Limerick City & County Council.
Limerick Museum is dedicated to bringing the history of Limerick to life.
It houses collections of objects from the city's past that were either discovered on exavations or donated by members of the public.
There are frequent exhibitions which explore in detail one or other aspect of the city's heritage.
Admission is free, though donations from patrons are accepted.
People of all ages interested in Limerick's political, social, industrial and cultural history will delight in visiting the fascinating Limerick Museum.
The People's Museum of Limerick is a project of Limerick Civic Trust, a charitable organisation dedicated to conserve items of local heritage,
enhance the urban environment and educate the local public on the importance of heritage protection. The museum operates out of the recently restored
Georgian House & Garden at Pery Square.
As well as the above, this lovingly decorated building plays host to many public lectures, book launches and the occasional musical recital.
If you are interested in Georgian buildings or how their occupants lived in those days then take a walk over to Pery Square to see the People's Museum of Limerick may be beneficial.
Old Irish Ways is a museum dedicated to showing what Irish rural life was like in the first half of the 20th century. It hold a vast collection of machinery, tools and all manner of other artifacts and products used both at work and at home by rural people then. The collection is the creation of Denis O'Connor of Cahirguillamore, Bruff who has housed the museum in a former shed building behind his home. The building is subdivided neatly into appropriate sections to display village shop layout and goods then available, a forge, shoemaker's workshop, farm garage (with two restored Ferguson tractors), home dairy, farmyard tool store, horse tackle shed, garage, fuel pumps, home interior areas, post office and much more. It is a truly unique collection that will evoke intense nostalgia in those of us old enough to remember such items, yet still provide curiosity to the young. Do not miss seeing this collection if you are anywhere nearby like Lough Gur, Bruree or Bruff.
Clare Museum collects, preserves, interprets and displays the material culture relating to the history of County Clare. The museum operates both conventionally as a place to visit and explore the exhibits and also online, providing an educational resource and a socially inclusive cultural service for local and visitors. If you are curious about the physical and human heritage of Co Clare come to see the Clare Museum and learn more about this richly historied county.
