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YIII. 



A SURVEY or THE ANCIENT CHTJECHES IN THE COUNTY 

 OE LIMERICK. 



By THOMAS JOHNSON WESTROPP, M.A. 



[Plates X.-XYIII.] 



[Read NovEMUEK 30, 1904. Ordered for Publication December 14, 1904. 

 Published Makch 14, 1905.] 



Limerick, the central county of Munster, and a focus of interest in 

 Irish History, a:ffords a rich fiehl to workers on antiquities. It seems 

 to possess more ancient forts in proportion to its size than any other 

 district in Ireland ; the alignments and circles of great pillars in the 

 district round Lough Gur give it a marked position in the records 

 of pre-historic archaeology. When a school arises to study the mediaeval 

 castles and fortified towns, Limerick and Adare, Askeaton and Kil- 

 mallock will demand much of its attention : how numerous and 

 interesting are the churches and monasteries I will try to suggest in 

 this Paper. The county has suffered unusually from the great defect 

 of Irish archaeology — the lack of full and careful lists of its remains. 

 It is the first need of Irish archaeology ; and, when done, past work can 

 be classified, and future work kept in touch with what has been 

 already accomplished, until scientific knowledge of Irish antiquities 

 becomes a possibility. 



It might have been thought that the great work of Dr. Reeves on 

 "The Churches of Down and Connor" should have had a host of 

 imitators : but this is far from being the case, so, perhaps, even a less 

 learned and complete survey may be acceptable. Despite the large 

 number of chui'ches dealt with here, and the difficulty I have found in 

 even partially exploring my native county, I hope that the Academy 

 may receive this attempt, though mere pioneer work. At least this 

 survey represents work done during nearly thirty years, for I com- 

 menced sketching the ruins of County Limerick with a camera in 

 1875 ; and despite crudeness and imperfection, this survey may put in 

 the power of more favoured workers notes on the ruins and records, 

 and, still more, on the forms of the names, which in abler hands may 



R.I. A. PROC, VOL. XXV., SEC. C. [27] 



