WELCOME TO LIMERICK ARCHIVES
Limerick Archives is an independent digital history project dedicated to preserving and sharing the story of Limerick city and county.
Through historical photographs, newspaper reports, biographies, local memories, original research and published books, the archive records the people, streets, workplaces, schools, organisations and communities that shaped Limerick across generations.
PRESERVING LIMERICK’S PAST
The collection contains more than 20,000 photographs relating to twentieth-century Limerick, including many images that have never previously been published.
Together, these photographs provide a remarkable visual record of everyday life. They capture changing streets, vanished buildings, family occasions, sporting achievements, public ceremonies, workplaces, schools, businesses and neighbourhoods throughout the city and county.
Limerick Archives seeks to preserve this material before it is lost and to make it freely accessible to everyone with an interest in local history.
DISCOVER THE STORIES OF LIMERICK
Every photograph has a story. Every street carries memories. Every family has contributed in some way to the history of Limerick.
The archive explores major political, social, cultural, industrial, religious and sporting developments while also restoring attention to ordinary people whose experiences are often absent from traditional historical accounts.
Visitors can discover articles about significant events, forgotten personalities, local institutions, historic buildings, changing communities and the daily lives of Limerick people.
LATEST FROM THE ARCHIVE
The latest articles appear below and are continually added to as new material is researched, identified and prepared for publication.
Each article is intended to place Limerick people at the centre of their own history and to explain how local lives were shaped by events within the city, throughout the county, across Ireland and beyond.
LIMERICK GENERATIONS
Limerick Generations is a ten-volume history of Limerick city and county across the twentieth century.
Each book covers one decade between 1900 and 1999, combining detailed historical research with an extensive collection of photographs. The series examines political change, work, poverty, education, sport, religion, housing, family life, entertainment, conflict and community development.
Together, the ten books create a permanent record of the people and experiences that shaped modern Limerick.
HELP PRESERVE LIMERICK’S HISTORY
Many important photographs and documents remain in private homes, family albums, boxes, drawers and personal collections.
Members of the public are invited to contribute photographs, documents, information, corrections and personal memories connected with Limerick. Even a name, date, location or remembered detail can help identify an image and strengthen the historical record.
Original photographs and documents do not necessarily have to be donated. Where appropriate, material may be digitally copied and returned to its owner.
A FREE ARCHIVE FOR EVERYONE
Limerick Archives was created to ensure that local history remains available to the people whose families and communities created it.
The archive is free to explore and continues to grow through research, publication and public contribution.
By preserving photographs, recovering forgotten stories and sharing historical knowledge, Limerick Archives helps ensure that the people and places of Limerick are remembered by present and future generations.