Limerick a county in the province of Munster, is bounded on the north by\nthe Shannon, on the east by Tipperary, on the south by Cork and on the west\nby Kerry. Its greatest length from near Abbeyfeale to the boundary at\nGaltmore is 50 miles, and its greatest breadth from a point on the Shannon\non the north to the Ballyhourna mountains on the south is 33 miles: average\nbreadth about 23 miles.\n\n
The Irish name is Luimneach, which means “bare spot” and was probably\nderived from a piece of land on which the city was originally built. The\nname was afterwards extended from the city to the whole county. The part of\nthe county west of the Maigue and the barony of Coshma east of the river,\nwas until the 12th century the territory of the O\u2019Donovans and called Hy\nTidgente or Hy Carbery. The Barony of the Small County was called Deis Beg.\nPart of the barony of Coshlea was the ancient Clin Mail. Bruree\n(Brugh-Righ, “Fort of the King”) was called after Olioll Olum, the 2nd King\nof Munster in the second century, who is supposed to be buried in a large\ncromlech which stands near Duntryleague church, between Galbally and\nKnocklong. Bruree was also for several centuries the principle seat of the\nO\u2019Donovans. The Barony of Coonagh was the ancient Hy Cuanach; Oweneybeg was\nUaithne; Connelo was Hy Connall Gavra; and Kenry was the ancient Caenraighe.\n\n
In a general way the borders of the county are hilly and mountainous, and\nthe centre forms a great plain, which contains some of the finest land in\nIreland. The district of the “Golden Vale” extending by Hospital,\nKilmallock and Bruree, into the county of Tipperary towards Cashel is famous\nfor its rich soil.\n\n
In the north east are the Slieve Felim mountains, the chief peaks of which are Cullaun (1,523), and Knockastanna (1,467). In the north east the\nBallyhoura Mountains extend along the boundary between this county and Cork.\nThe principle summits are Seefin (1,702), Blackrock (1,696), Carron (1,469),\nKnockea (1,311), Knockeennamroanta (1,319) and Barnagheeha (1,311), near\nBallyorgan. Overlooking the “Golden Vale” is Slievereagh (1,439). The\nwestern part of the galtees belong to Limerick, and forms a fine range, the\nhighest point being Galtymore (3,015) on the border. In the south west are\nthe Mullagharurk Mountains running into Cork, having in Limerick, Knockanade\n(1,070), Knockawarrig (1,007) and Mullaghanuish (1,189). Knockaunnpaha\n(1,132) is the chief summit on the west. Near Ballingarry, Knockfeerna\n(949) is an outstanding feature of the landscape with a great cairn on its\nsummit.\n\n
The Shannon, from O\u2019Brien\u2019s Bridge to Tarbert is 48 miles in length, and\nforms the boundary, except for about 6 miles near Limerick City where a\nportion of the county lies on the Clare side of the river. Below the city\nthe river gradually widens till it becomes a grand estuary as it enters the\nAtlantic. There is much picturesque scenery on its banks. Nearly all the\nother rivers in the county drain into the Shannon. The Mulkear (or Mulkern)\nwhich has many small tributaries, joins the Shannon mid way between Limerick\nand Castleconnell. The Crompaun river forms part of the boundary between\nLimerick and Clare. The Maigue flows from Milford west of Charleville, runs\npast Bruree, Croom and Adare and into the Shannon 9 miles below the city; it\nhas as tributaries, the Loobagh, the Morning Star, the Camoge, and the\nBarnakyle. The Deel rises near the source of the Maigue, and flowing past\nNewcastle passes through Rathkeale and Askeaton before joining the Shannon\nnear Askeaton. The Feale forms the boundary between Limerick and Kerry for\n7 miles. The Aherlow river flows by Galbally, enters Co. Tipperary, and\neventually joins the Suir, and the Funshion joins the Blackwater, after\nrunning for 5 miles along the boundary with Cork.\n\n
The only Lake of any importance in the county is Lough Gur near Bruff.\n\n
Islands in the Shannon – Foynes Island, which is nearly circular and 196\nfeet high, is about a mile in diameter. Aughinish is near Foynes, and King\u2019\ns Island at Limerick city is formed by two branches of the Shannon, and part\nof the city is built upon it.<\/p>\n\n
| Census Period<\/th> | Males<\/th> | Females<\/th> | Total<\/th><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1821<\/td> | 136,916<\/td> | 140,561<\/td> | 277,477<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1831<\/td> | 153,625<\/td> | 161,730<\/td> | 315,355<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1841<\/td> | 161,997 <\/td> | 168,032<\/td> | 330,029<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1851<\/td> | 127,287<\/td> | 134,745<\/td> | 262,132<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1861<\/td> | 105,712 <\/td> | 111,565<\/td> | 217,277<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1871<\/td> | 93,112 <\/td> | 98,824<\/td> | 191,136<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1881<\/td> | 88,311<\/td> | 92,321<\/td> | 180,632<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1891<\/td> | 78,607<\/td> | 80,305<\/td> | 158,912<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1901<\/td> | 72,456<\/td> | 73,642<\/td> | 146,098<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1911<\/td> | 72,229<\/td> | 70,840<\/td> | 143,069<\/td><\/tr>\n | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1926<\/td> | 70,985<\/td> | 68,949<\/td> | 140,343<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/center>\n\n \n\n\nHouses & Families 1926<\/h3>\nThe number of families in the county was 19,896, the average number in each\nfamily being 4.7. The number of inhabited houses was 20, 688 showing an\naverage of 4.9 persons to each house. The special inmates of public\ninstitutions are omitted from these calculations.\nThere were in the county, 13,765 Occupiers or Heads of families, who were in\noccupation of less than 5 rooms, being 69.1 % of the total for the county.\nOf these 682, or 3.4%, of the families in the county occupied more than one\nroom; 2,580 or 12.9% : 2 rooms; 4,369 or 21.9%: 3 rooms, and 6,134 or 30.8%,\noccupied 4 rooms.\n\n There were in the county 337 tenements in which the room had only one\noccupant; 825 cases where the room had 2-4 occupants, 266 cases in which\nthere were 5-7; and 35 cases where the occupants of one room exceeded 7 in\nnumber, including 4 cases where ten persons and 2 cases where 11 persons\noccupied one room.\n\n Marriages, Births and Deaths<\/h3>\nNumber registered in the county during the ten years ended March 11th, 1911 with th average annual rates compared with corresponding rates for all\nIreland.<\/p>\n
|