Limerick Histories & Reference Guides

Each record is available in a PDF format. Use the previous and next buttons at the top of the page to browse through the publication. The PDF search experience can be different from searching for transcribed records. Use our search tips below to get the most out of this collection.

To the left of the PDF, you will find the Transcription Box, will include a combination of the following:

• Publication – the title of the publication

• Author

• Publisher

• County

• Country

• Image number

• Image count

Image number and image count – this will tell you where you are in the publication and help you to explore the publication further.

This collection currently holds three titles:

• Limerick and its Sieges - Published in 1890, written by Rev. James Dowd, A.B., T.C.D. This is the second edition of the book. Dowd begins his preface with the following; ‘This sketch of Limerick and its Sieges, as well as other notes concerning the place of chief historic interest in the county of Limerick, were put together by the writer more for his own information than with an eye towards their publication, at least in a book form’.

• Round About The County Of Limerick - Published in 1896 written by Rev. James Dowd, A.B., T.C.D. Dowd begins his preface with the following; ‘In asking my readers to accompany me on a Historical and Archaeological Tour Round About the County of Limerick, I have consulted their convenience by grouping events around the places brought under notice. The arrangement may lead to occasional repetition, and the narrative may sometime be left incomplete, to be resumed and finished elsewhere. But, on the other hand, it possesses the undoubted advantage of fixing the attention of the reader upon the events and occurrences which render the places visited memorable.

• The History, Topography and Antiquities of the County and City of Limerick, 2 Vols - Published in 1826 and 1827, written by Rev. Patrick Fitzgerald and John James McGregor. The book begins with the following; ‘An author who should undertake the difficult task of writing a general history of Ireland, must, for the most obvious reasons, divide his work into three grand periods, namely, the fabulous, the obscure, and the authentic.

Searching through a PDF (Portable document format) is different from searching through fully transcribed record sets. Here are some tips to keep in mind while you search for your ancestors:

Direct search

• The search feature uses direct search. It will search for the exact word or phrase you type in the search field. There are no name variants available through this format.

• All search results will bring you to the page on which your search word has been found and not to an individual transcript. You can then read through the page to find your result.

Name searches

• A name search will return results which have the search terms on the same page within the document. This means that searching for John Smith will return pages where the names 'John' and 'Smith' occur. For this reason, your search may return the name, William Smith or John Brown. By inserting quotations around the full name the search function will locate the terms together; for example, “John Smith.”

• To search for your ancestor by their name, write it as it would appear on the document. For example, if your relative was known as ‘Will’ it is likely that the name used for official records was ‘William.’

• If you are unable to find your relative on your first search you can try different name variations. A number of register books only use abbreviations for first names.

For example, if your search is unsuccessful for William Smith, try W Smith or Wm Smith.

Perusing the PDF

• If you wish to read through the whole document you are searching, then order the results by page number. You can start from the beginning of the document and read through to the end using the next button above the image.

• Page numbers often correlate with the individual images of the documents rather than the page numbers used within the publication. Therefore page 1 starts with the cover page.