Browse by Decade
Explore Limerick’s twentieth-century history decade by decade, from the opening years of the 1900s to the closing years of the 1990s.
Each section brings together articles, photographs, people, places and major events from Limerick city and county during that period.
Select a decade below to begin exploring the archive.
1900s
Discover Limerick during the first decade of the twentieth century, a period shaped by political debate, social inequality, industrial change, public ceremony and the continuing struggle over land and national identity.
Explore the 1900s1910s
Explore a decade of Home Rule, labour unrest, the First World War, the Easter Rising, conscription, revolution and the transformation of public life across Limerick city and county.
Explore the 1910s1920s
Follow Limerick through the War of Independence, the Civil War, the foundation of the Irish Free State and the difficult political, social and economic adjustments that followed.
Explore the 1920s1930s
Read about Limerick during years of unemployment, emigration, political change, religious influence, public works, sporting achievement and the growing uncertainty that preceded another European war.
Explore the 1930s1940s
Discover how the Emergency, wartime shortages, rationing, neutrality, military preparation and post-war recovery affected everyday life throughout Limerick.
Explore the 1940s1950s
Explore a decade marked by emigration, economic difficulty, changing family life, new housing, expanding education, popular entertainment and the early signs of national modernisation.
Explore the 1950s1960s
Follow Limerick through economic expansion, industrial development, social change, television, improved education, new housing estates and a younger generation demanding wider opportunities.
Explore the 1960s1970s
Read about a decade of industrial growth and decline, housing development, political uncertainty, cultural change, economic pressure and the effects of conflict in Northern Ireland.
Explore the 1970s1980s
Explore Limerick during recession, unemployment, emigration, urban change, community activism, sporting success, cultural development and the difficult social realities of the period.
Explore the 1980s1990s
Discover the decade in which economic recovery, European integration, technological change, cultural confidence and the peace process reshaped Limerick and Ireland.
Explore the 1990s
