Work and Industry

Barricades Limerick

Image · 10 July 2026

At Thomond Bridge in Limerick in 1923, a soldier stands guard beside a rough barricade near the Treaty Stone, a symbolic landmark now overshadowed by civil conflict. The scene evokes the tense aftermath of the Treaty split, when Anti-Treaty IRA forces and pro-Treaty National Army troops fought for control of the city. Sandbags, timber, stone, and street debris suggest hurried urban fortification, while the soldier’s watchful posture conveys danger and uncertainty. The bridge becomes both military checkpoint and historic threshold, linking Limerick’s medieval memory with the bitter street warfare that marked the Irish Civil War in the city that summer.

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Horse Brake

Image · 16 July 2026

By 1900, Limerick’s great long-distance stagecoach era had largely disappeared, replaced by the expanding railway network. Horse-drawn vehicles nevertheless remained essential throughout the city and surrounding countryside. Large brakes and passenger wagons carried groups on local journeys, outings and transfers, while hackney cars, jaunting cars, drays and private carriages crowded the streets. Horses also transported goods from the docks, breweries, distilleries and railway station. This reconstructed scene captures a group of formally dressed men aboard a substantial horse-drawn vehicle, reflecting a transitional age when steam powered intercity travel, but horses still firmly supported Limerick’s everyday commercial, urban and social life.

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Vanished Junction

Image · 5 August 2026

This 1975 view captures the junction of Lower Henry Street and Sarsfield Street before the creation of Liddy Street transformed the surrounding cityscape. The photograph preserves a moment when traffic, shopfronts and older buildings still defined this busy corner of central Limerick. Lower Henry Street connected the commercial heart of the city with the Shannon quays, while Sarsfield Street formed an important route towards Sarsfield Bridge. The later development of Liddy Street altered movement through the area and removed part of the earlier streetscape. Today, the image offers a valuable record of a vanished junction and changing daily urban life.

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Horse Brake

Image · 16 July 2026

By 1900, Limerick’s great long-distance stagecoach era had largely disappeared, replaced by the expanding railway network. Horse-drawn vehicles nevertheless remained essential throughout the city and surrounding countryside. Large brakes and passenger wagons carried groups on local journeys, outings and transfers, while hackney cars, jaunting cars, drays and private carriages crowded the streets. Horses also transported goods from the docks, breweries, distilleries and railway station. This reconstructed scene captures a group of formally dressed men aboard a substantial horse-drawn vehicle, reflecting a transitional age when steam powered intercity travel, but horses still firmly supported Limerick’s everyday commercial, urban and social life.

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O’Connell Street

Image · 13 July 2026

This 1937 view of O’Connell Street, historically known as George’s Street, captures Limerick’s principal commercial thoroughfare during a period of urban transition. Georgian façades, prominent shopfronts and the landmark clock tower frame a busy scene of pedestrians, cyclists, motorcars and public transport. Heavy coats and formal dress reflect everyday life before the Second World War, while traditional businesses line both sides of the street. Several buildings and upper storeys shown here were later altered or demolished during redevelopment. Despite extensive modernisation and pedestrianisation, O’Connell Street remains central to Limerick’s commercial, architectural and social identity within the changing modern city today.

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Vanished Junction

Image · 5 August 2026

This 1975 view captures the junction of Lower Henry Street and Sarsfield Street before the creation of Liddy Street transformed the surrounding cityscape. The photograph preserves a moment when traffic, shopfronts and older buildings still defined this busy corner of central Limerick. Lower Henry Street connected the commercial heart of the city with the Shannon quays, while Sarsfield Street formed an important route towards Sarsfield Bridge. The later development of Liddy Street altered movement through the area and removed part of the earlier streetscape. Today, the image offers a valuable record of a vanished junction and changing daily urban life.

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Mary’S Church

Image · 9 July 2026

St Mary’s Church stands on Athlunkard Street in Limerick, occupying a site associated with Catholic worship since the eighteenth century. The present church opened in 1932, replacing an earlier chapel where Mass was first celebrated on December 10, 1749. Designed by Ashlin and Coleman of Dublin, the building reflects the scale and ambition of parish church architecture in early twentieth-century Limerick. Its tower, façade, railings and street setting mark an important local landmark, while the surviving holy water font from the former chapel links the modern church with the long religious history of St Mary’s parish community today.

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Vanished Junction

Image · 5 August 2026

This 1975 view captures the junction of Lower Henry Street and Sarsfield Street before the creation of Liddy Street transformed the surrounding cityscape. The photograph preserves a moment when traffic, shopfronts and older buildings still defined this busy corner of central Limerick. Lower Henry Street connected the commercial heart of the city with the Shannon quays, while Sarsfield Street formed an important route towards Sarsfield Bridge. The later development of Liddy Street altered movement through the area and removed part of the earlier streetscape. Today, the image offers a valuable record of a vanished junction and changing daily urban life.

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Industry Memory

Image · 10 July 2026

A hazy bird’s-eye view of Limerick in the 1920s stretches across rooftops, chimneys, lanes, and terraces fading into mist. Smoke rises from houses and workshops, softening the city skyline and giving the scene a wintery industrial atmosphere. A tall church spire dominates the distance, standing above packed streets and modest dwellings, while long rows of buildings suggest dense urban life along the Shannon. The elevated perspective captures Limerick as a working city of faith, labour, and close-knit neighbourhoods. Though blurred by age and weather, the photograph preserves a rare panoramic impression of everyday Limerick between war, industry, and memory.

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Vanished Junction

Image · 5 August 2026

This 1975 view captures the junction of Lower Henry Street and Sarsfield Street before the creation of Liddy Street transformed the surrounding cityscape. The photograph preserves a moment when traffic, shopfronts and older buildings still defined this busy corner of central Limerick. Lower Henry Street connected the commercial heart of the city with the Shannon quays, while Sarsfield Street formed an important route towards Sarsfield Bridge. The later development of Liddy Street altered movement through the area and removed part of the earlier streetscape. Today, the image offers a valuable record of a vanished junction and changing daily urban life.

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