Church

The National Monuments Service's description

St. Nicholas Church was situated at the N end of Nicholas Street on the W side of the street just S of the castle barracks. The Urban Survey of Limerick recorded the following details about St. Nicholas’ Church; ‘First mentioned in the inquisition of 1200-1 (MacCaffrey 1907, 27, 28) it is listed as the dean’s parish in Bishop Donatus O’Brien’s ordinance of 1204-6 (ibid., 116). It was included among the Limerick churches to which Geoffrey Galwey bequeathed a legacy in 1445 (Westropp 1898, 122-3). It was located near the Castle Barrack and is shown on the Hardiman map of c.1590 as having a side aisle to the north of the main building, a central tower with low pointed spire and a planted cemetery. It was destroyed in 1651 (Westropp 1904-5, 358-9)’(Bradley et. al. 1985, 329).
In 1827 the following details were recorded; 'St. Nicholas's Church was situated near the Castle-barrack, on the ground afterwards occupied by the old Post-office. It was probably demolished
during one of the sieges in the seventeenth century, as it is mentioned as being a particular scene of action in 1642. The parish, which contains 4,307 inhabitants, is a Rectory and Vicarage, united with St. Mary's, and forms part of the corps of the Deanery' (Fitzgerald 1826-7, 561).
Westropp gives the following details on St. Nicholas’ Church ‘In 1204 Wm. de Burgo names it "Sci. Nicholai, cum ear. ptin," " ex donacione litteris vero Regis Momonie," i.e. Donaldmore, ante 1194 (B.B.L., p. 109), also M.F.H., 1201. It is named in the wills of Martin Arthur, 1376, and Geffry Galwey, 1445. It was in good repair in 1615. Fabric - It is shown in the Hardiman map of c. 1590 (No. 57) as having a side aisle to the north of the main building ; a central tower with a low, pointed spire, and a planted cemetery. It was destroyed in the siege of 1651; the cemetery lies near the castle barrack’ (1904-5, 358-9)

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 3 October 2018

References

MacCaffrey, J. 1907 The black book of Limerick. Dublin.

Fitzgerald, P. 1826-7 The history, topography, and antiquities of the county and city of Limerick. 2 vols. Dublin.

Westropp, T.J. 1904-5 A survey of the ancient churches of Co. Limerick. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 25C, 327-479.

Bradley, J., Halpin, A., and King, H.A. 1989 Urban archaeological survey - county Limerick (3 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.