Faith has played an important role in shaping Limerick’s architectural, social and cultural landscapes. No other city in Ireland has as many churches and places of worship along its main street.
The Limerick City of Churches Series aims to showcase the city’s different churches, representing different religions; some are still actively used as a place for worship while others are not.
Limerick City is best experienced walking, and so this series can also be completed on foot. The suggested series sequence takes about 6km flat loop walk, but you can decide to start at any point in the series, it is not important to do it in sequence.
Jesuit Church of the Sacred Heart – Roman Catholic
The Jesuits first came to Limerick in 1560 when a member of that order, Fr Woulfe returned here, to his birthplace, as Papal Nuncio 'to the most illustrious princes and to the whole kingdom of Ireland'. The Jesuits opened a classics school, which had an oratory in Limerick after 1575. The order also had a chapel in Castle Lane, which dates from 1642. Near the junction of the Crescent and Newenham Street there is a stone from this chapel with the date 1634 inscribed on it.
The Jesuits Church or Sacred Heart Church located in the Crescent at the top of O’Connell Street, it was built in 1868 and the façade dates from 1900. The Jesuits closed the doors on this building in 2006 and the site was later sold to a private investor. In 2012 the church once again returned into the hands of a religious order.
Saint Michael’s Church – Church of Ireland
Detached Church of Ireland church, designed in c. 1836 and completed in 1844, in a late Georgian Gothic Revival design, comprising a single-cell church standing on a crypt. This church was designed by James Pain with George Richard Pain. It was built in a simpler form than the original design and without the spire. In 1877, Joseph Fogerty & Son carried out improvements to the church, which included the addition of an extra stage to the tower, a new forecourt and new chancel which incorporated the east window designed by James Pain which was removed from Saint Mary's Church of Ireland Cathedral and reduced in size.
The chancel was added at a cost of £2,000 by William and Robert Fogerty. The church re-opened on the 18th November 1877. The stained glass, which illustrates the Parables, were erected in 1878. Further work was carried out by in 1883 with the design of the mural monument in memory of Mrs. Purdon Wilkinson. The work was carried out by Charles W. Harrison, Dublin to the design of Joseph Fogerty & Son.
Source: www.buildingsofireland.ie
Saint Saviour’s Dominican
The founder of the Dominican priory of Limerick is said to have been Donagh Carbreagh O’Brien, then king of Thomond, though there is some doubt about this. He died in 1241 and is buried in St Saviour’s. His tomb was described as ‘magnificent,’ but after Limerick’s sieges nothing remained of this tomb. “It is said that the soldiers of King William broke in pieces the statue of Donagh Carbreagh.” When the Dominican historian de Burgo inspected the site, around 1754, he commented sadly: “Now, as I have seen, only a very few traces remain of this superb building, amidst which the soldiers of the garrison have their barracks.”
The burial of the founder in St Saviour’s started a long tradition of using the priory as a burial ground for the famous. The Geraldines particularly favoured it, as did the chiefs of the MacNamaras. Ten Munster bishops also lie buried there.
Clearly, the early Limerick Dominicans had the favour of state and civil authorities. King Edward I made them generous grants. The king’s belief that his own ancestors, and not Donagh Carbreagh O’Brien, had really been the founders of St Saviour’s in 1227, clearly inspired his generosity. This generosity inspired some jealousy on the part of the Corporation. Old St Saviour’s was built so close to the east side of the city wall that it inevitably suffered severely in the fairly frequent commotions of turbulent times. But royal grants for repair work rarely reached the Dominicans, whose buildings were almost on the front line. In 1377 Edward III had to issue a mandate to the corporation to pay them forty shillings yearly out of the grant. The is probably the devastation caused by their being so close to the city walls that led to the complete re-building of St Saviour’s in 1462.
To solve this Multi Cache:
1. Go to N 52° 39.534 W 008° 37.900 (Published coordinates physical cache is not here)
How many statues of saints can you see at the top of the church. Call this A.
2. Go to N 52° 39.480 W 008° 37.790
From the right side of the church: Count the number of cement spires and add 2. Call this B.
3. Go to N 52° 39.597 W 008° 37.640
From this location look at the church and count the number of doors of this church. Call this C.
4. Go to N 52° 39.611 W 008° 37.669
From this location that looks like a business now. What church was here before a business was put in place. You can see the green signage at the end of the alley. How many letter “S” is there from the church name. "sharp eyes needed if alley is closed" Call this D.
The final coordinates:
N 52°3(C+C+D).(C+D)(B-D)(A*2) W 008° 37.(A*2)(A+C)(B-D)
The cache is a magnetic nano that can only hold a logbook. BYOP.
Congratulations to Hicksfamily1918 for being FTF!