County Limerick, Ireland Genealogy
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Guide to County Limerick ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.
History[edit | edit source]
County Limerick (Irish: Contae Luimnigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster. The administrative headquarters are in the city of Limerick. The name Limerick is derived from the Irish name Luimneach meaning ‘bare ground’. Its greatest length is 50 miles from the boundary at Galtmore to near Abbeyfeale and has an area of about 1030 square miles.
The Celts came to this area in 400 BC. Later in the fifth century, several Christian monasteries were established. The Vikings took control of Limerick City in the mid-ninth century followed by the Normans in the twelfth century. Limerick was formerly established in 1210. A large rebellion in the sixteenth century. To make the County more English, settlers came Limerick in 1598 as part of the Plantation of Munster, which wasn’t very successful. German settlers were brought to Limerick in 1709 from the Rhine Palatinate.
A local potato famine in 1820 followed by the great famine in 1845-47, had a terrible impact. In 1821, the population was 277,477. It increased to 330,029 in 1841, but began to decrease thereafter. In 1851, it was 262,132 and was only 143,000 in 1911. In 2006, the population was 184,055. Limerick is predominately Roman Catholic. In 1861, 96.4% of the population were Roman Catholic with 3.3% of the Church of Ireland, 0.10% Presbyterians and 0.2% Methodists. There were small variations over the years, but it remain fairly constant. In 1911, 97.08% were Roman Catholic with 2.44% Church of Ireland, 0.13% Presbyterians and 0.2% Methodists.
General County Research Information[edit | edit source]
- Further information about County Limerick is available at the GenUKI Limerick site.
Census[edit | edit source]
- 1901 - Ireland Census, 1901 at FamilySearch — index
- 1911 - Ireland Census, 1911 at FamilySearch — index
Church Records[edit | edit source]
- 1623-1866 - Ireland, Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage License Bonds Indexes, 1623-1866 at FamilySearch — index
- 1701-1845 - Ireland, Catholic Qualification & Convert Rolls, 1701-1845 at FamilySearch — index and images
Civil Jurisdictions and Parish Research Information[edit | edit source]
- List of County Limerick Civil Parishes
- List of County Limerick Catholic Parishes
Civil Registration[edit | edit source]
- 1845-1913 - Ireland Civil Registration, 1845-1913 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1845-1958 - Ireland Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958 at FamilySearch — index and images
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1880 - Ireland, Thom's Irish Almanac, 1880 at FamilySearch — index, images available on FindMyPast
- 1884 - Ireland, Thom's Irish Almanac & Official Directory 1884 at FamilySearch — index and images
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
- 1831 - 1856 - Ireland, Valuation Office Books, 1831-1856 at FamilySearch — index and images
Maps[edit | edit source]
- 1885 County Map: Courtesy of London Ancestor
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1914-1918 - Ireland, Memorial Record: World War I, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
- 1595-1858 - Ireland, Diocesan and Prerogative Wills & Administrations Indexes, 1595-1858 at FamilySearch — index