﻿ni 



LIMERICK. 



LIMOGES. 



62S 



the town, where it has been much improved by a considerable extension. 

 The streets of Newtown Pery, which intersect each other at right 

 angles, are spacious and aiiy, well lighted and paved, and contain 

 many handsome shops and dwelling-houses. The principal street, 

 runniug from the New-bridge, which connects it with Englishtown, 

 and terminating in a double crescent, presents a fine line of buildings, 

 upwards of a m'da in length. Towards the south-west end of Newtown 

 in a handsome square with a lofty column in the centre, surmounted 

 by a statue of Lord Monteagle. The city is lighted with gas ; the 

 streets are generally well paved ; the supply of water is from elevated 

 tanks, to which the water is raised by steam power. 



Of the public buildings in Limerick, the most remarkable are the 

 following: St. Mary's cathedral, founded in 1180, and rebuilt in 1490, 

 occupies an open space in the centre of Englishtown. It is a venerable 

 cruciform structure, measuring 156 feet by 114 feet, and has a square 

 embattled tower 120 feet high. St. Munchin's church, supposed to 

 have been the former cathedral, is situated on an elevated open plot 

 in the north of Englishtown, overlooking the Shannon. There are 

 besides 4 Episcopal chapels, one of which is attached to the Blind 

 Asylum ; 4 parochial and 3 conventual Roman Catholic cha|iels ; also 

 chapels for Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists, Presbyterians, Inde- 

 pendents, and Quakers. The Limerick Institution, founded in 1S29, 

 has an extensive library attached to it. There are several National 

 and Free schools ; a district Diocesan school, and schools supported by 

 the Nuns of the Presentation Convent, and by the Monastic Society of 

 Christian Brothers. 



The exchange was built in 1778, and has a commodious hall and 

 handsome portico. The city court-house stands near the Abbey 

 River ; the county court-house, which stands towards the main stream 

 of the Shannon on the west, is a very haudsome building, erected in 

 1808 at a cost of 12,000^. It is quadraDg\dar, built of hewn stone, 

 and has a fine portico of four Roman Doric columns. The chief 

 public buildings of Irishtown are the corn- and butter-markets, the 

 linen-hall and the fever-hospital. At the southern extremity of the 

 new bridge which leads from Englishtown into Newtown-Pery, facing 

 the main river, is the new custom-house, a handsome structure, built 

 in 1769. The Chamber of Commerce was erected in 1805. On 

 Charlotte quay, is the assembly-house, built in 1770, now converted 

 into a theatre. In the southern suburbs is the new county jail, erected 

 in 1821 at a cost of 25,0001. It consists of a central polygonal tower, 

 60 feet high, surrounded by 5 diverging ranges of prison buildings, 

 and having a fine Doric entrance in front. Near it is the County 

 Lunatic Asylum, erected at a cost of nearly 30,000/., and opened in 

 1821 for 150 patients. 



The charitable institutions are the County Limerick infirmary ; 

 Harrington's hospital and City of Limerick infirmary, erected by Sir 

 Joseph Brrington in 1829, and chieSy supported by the Limerick 

 Monte de PietH, opened in March, 1 837 ; the City of Limerick dis- 

 pensary ; the Limerick asylum for blind females ; the house of industry, 

 founded in 1774 ; the fever and lock hospital, founded by Lady 

 Hartstonge in 1781 ; the lying-in hospital, opened in 1812 ; Uall's 

 almshouses, founded by Dr. Jeremy Hall in the early part of the last 

 century ; the corporation almshouse, for reduced widows ; the St. 

 Georje's Widows' asylum ; Mrs. Villiers's almshooses, also for widows, 

 erected in 1826 ; and several minor charities. A savings bank has 

 been in operation since 1820. 



About a mile above the city, the river is crossed by Athlunkard- 

 bridge, a fine structure of five large elliptic arches. Wellesley-brirlge, 

 with the same form and number of arches, each 70 feet in span, con- 

 nects the east end of Newtown Pery with the county Clare side of 

 the river. It was completed in 1827 at a coat of 60,0002. Thomond- 

 bridge has been lately rebuilt by the corporation at an expense of 

 12,000/. At the end of this bridge is Treaty Stone, noted as the spot 

 on which the Treaty of Limerick was signecl. On the Abbey River, 

 New-bridge, and Ball's-bridge, the latter a beautiful single arch, 

 erected in 1831, connect Englishtown with Newtown Pery and Irish- 

 town. Higher up on the same stream is Park-bridge, an old and lofty 

 structure of five irregular arches. 



Limerick possesses various important branches of productive 

 industry. The manufacture of lace, introduced in 1829, has gradually 

 increased, and gives employment to a considerable number of females. 

 Fish-hooks of a superior quality are made in great number, and 

 largely exported to America. There are several iron-foundries, tan- 

 neries, flour-mills, breweries, and distilleries; three ship-building slips, 

 and a patent slip for vessels of 500 tons. "The interests of manufac- 

 tures and trade are attended to by the Chamber of Commerce, the 

 Agricultural Association, and the Trustees for the promotion of 

 Industry. 



The trade of Limerick has increased with the growth of the city. 

 Being the natural outlet for the produce of a great part of the 

 counlies of Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Cork, and Kerry, it has since 

 the termination of the civil wars been, next to Cork, the chief sea- 

 port of Munster. It has also an extensive export trade through the 

 Shannon and Grand Canal by way of Dublin. The mayor is admiral 

 of the port, with jurisdiction from 3 miles above the city to the open 

 ■ea. The port is under the control of 72 commissioners, 42 for life, 

 and 15 elected each year to serve for two years, by whom are appointed 

 a resident engineer, harbour master, &&, and 50 pilots. 



The harbour extends about 1600 yards in length, by 150 yards in 

 breadth. It has from 2 feet to 9 feet at low-watur, and 19 feet at 

 spring tide, when ve.ssel3 of 600 tons can moor at the quay.?. There 

 are about ICOO yards of quayage and wharfage running irregularly 

 along the Abbey River and the main stream of the Shannon, to a weir 

 thrown across the river towards the lower end of Newtown Pery. 

 Between Wellesley-bridge and the custom-house is a large fioatiug 

 dock, and near the lower end of the island is one 300 yards in length, 

 called the Long Dock. A lateral cut with a swing bridge, at the 

 south end of Wellesley-bridge, admits vessels to the upper quays, and 

 to the works in Abbey River, which connect the harbour with the 

 canals of the Limerick navigation. 



On 31st December, 1853, the number of vessels registered as 

 belonging to the port of Limerick was 59 under 50 tons, amounting 

 to 1761 tons, and 40 above 50 tons, amounting to 10,315 tons; and 

 one steam-vessel of 300 tons. The number and tonnage of vessels 

 entered and jleared at the port during 1853 were as follows, namely : — ■ 

 Inwards 564 sailing-vessels of S9,5.30 tons, and SI steam-vessels of 

 21,228 tons ; outwards, 529 Siiiling-vessels of 76,763 tons, and 80 steam- 

 vessels of 21,168 tons. The amount of customs duties received at the 

 port in 1S51 w.as 159,781/. Ss. 2d. 



Limerick is the head-quarters of the South-western Military District, 

 and contains several barracks. One, consisting of three sides of a 

 square, and affording accommodation for 400 men, stands within the 

 remains of King John's Castle. There are a fine new barrack near 

 Newtown Pery, one for ai-tillery in Irishtown, and another for infantry 

 in St. John's Square. 



The assizes for the county are held in Limerick, also quarter and 

 petty sessions. The mayor holds a court of coiiscienoe for pleas 

 under 40<., and the assistant barrister holds a civil bill court for the 

 county. Fairs are held on Easter Tuesday, July 4th, August 4th, 

 and December 4th. The market-days are Wednesday and Saturday. 



The see of Limerick is in the archiepisuopal province of Dublin ; 

 it comprises a large | 'art of Limerick, and a small portion of Clare. 

 It contains 58 benefice.1. The chapter consists of a dean, precentor, 

 chancellor, treasurer, archdeacon, and 11 prebendaries. The diocese 

 iu 1663 was united to that of Ardfert and Aghadoe. The annual 

 revenue of the united diocese is 4973/. The bishoi>'s palace is situated 

 in the New Town of Limerick, overlooking the Shannon. 



LLMISSO. [CTPnua] 



LIMOGES, a city in France, capital of the department of Haute- 

 Vienno, is situated on the summit and slope of a hill on the right 

 bank of the Vienne, which is here crossed by three bridges, 236 miles 

 S. by W. from Paris, in 45° 49' 52" N. lat, 1° 15' 35" E. long., and 

 had 37,010 inhabitants iu the commune according to the census of 

 1851. It was the chief town of the Celtic tribe Lanovices, to whom 

 both the town and the province of Limodsin owe their n.ames. It 

 was called Augustoritum by the Romans, under whom it was n place 

 of considerable importance, and became in the 3rd century the seat of 

 a bishop. It was at the convergence of several Roman roads. There 

 was an amphitheatre, said to have been built by the emperor Traj.an, 

 of which there were sufficient remains in 1713 to admit of a plan being 

 drawn; it was about 1500 feet in circumference. It was entirely 

 destroyed in 1714, in order to form the Place d'Orsay. There are 

 now no Roman remains at Limoges in good preservation, except a 

 subterraneous aqueduct, which conveys the water of a fountain in the 

 upper part of the town. In the 5th century Limoges came into the 

 power of the Visigoths ; and was successively pillaged or destroyed by 

 the Franks and by the Northmen. It was ceded to the English by 

 the treaty of Bretigny, and formed part of the great principality of 

 Aquitaine under Edward the Black Prince. The people of Limoges 

 were perauaded by their bishop to revolt from Edward, one of whoso 

 last exploits (a.d. 1370) was the capture of the town. Irritated by 

 treachery, the prince put three thousand of the inhabitants, men, 

 women, and children, to the sword. 



Limoges is built on a hill which commands a prospect of the 

 delightful valley of the Vienne. The older part of the town consists 

 of narrow and steep streets, with timber-framed houses : the more 

 modem part contains broad and straight streets, two handsome squares, 

 several excellent houses, new boulevards, and a number of public 

 fountains. Of the public edifices the principal are the town-hall, the 

 cathedral of St-£tienne, a fine gothic edifice of the 13th century ; the 

 churches of St-Michel-des-Lions, and St.-Pierredu-Queyroix ; the 

 episcopal palace, and the beautiful fountain of Aigoul^ne. The public 

 library of 12,000 volumes, the cavalry barracks, the prefect's residence, 

 the theatre, and the hospitals also deserve notice. There is a great 

 monthly cattle market, and nine yearly fairs are held. 



Limoges is the seat of a bishop, whose diocese includes the depart- 

 ments of Creuse and Haute-Vienne ; and of a High Court, the juris- 

 diction of which comprehends the departments of Haute-Vienne, 

 Corrfize, and Creuse. It has tribunals of first instance and of commerce, 

 a college, a mint, an ecclesiastical college, and several charitable 

 institutions. A great number of books are printed at Limoges ; and 

 the manufacture of fine and coarse woollen-cloth, paper, porcelain, 

 and crucibles is important. Flannel, cotton handkerchiefs, glue, nails, 

 woollen-yarn, room-paper, articles in papier-machd, &c., are also made. 

 There is besides a considerable commerce in com, chestnuts, wine, 

 brandy, liqueurs, iron, copper, tin, kaolin, &c. 



