•  St Patricks, County Limerick

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In 1837, Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland described St Patricks like this:

PATRICK'S (ST), or SINGLAND, a parish, in the county of the city of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, on the southern bank of the Shannon and close to the city, a part of which is built on it; containing 2331 inhabitants. The Shannon sweeps round the eastern, northern, and western sides of the parish, and the small river Groody, a branch of the preceding river, passes through it. ...

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The extent, as applotted under the tithe act, is 1359 acres, of the estimated annual value of £4629. The land, which is very fertile, is chiefly under tillage, and supplies the city with large quantities of vegetables; along the banks of the Groody is a tract of rich meadow, liable, however, to casualties from floods. On this river are a bleach-green, a paper-mill, and a flour-mill: at the salmon-weir near the Shannon, is a very extensive flour-mill, which commands the whole water of that river: in the city suburbs is a large brewery. A short canal from the Abbey river to the Shannon, formed in 1758, intersects the parish from west to east. The city water-works and the county infirmary are in the parish. There are several very elegant seats, with small but highly ornamented demesnes: the principal are Park House, the residence of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Ryan, R. C. bishop of Limerick; Corbally House, of Poole Gabbett, Esq.; and Corbally Park, of Pierce Shannon, Esq. The living is a rectory and perpetual cure, in the diocese of Limerick; the rectory was united, at a period prior to any known record, to the entire rectory of Cahirvally, the rectory and vicarage of Emly-Grenan, and the chapelry of Kilquane, which constitute the corps of the treasurership of the cathedral of Limerick, and in the patronage of the Bishop, who is also patron of the perpetual cure, which comprises the parishes of St. Patrick and Kilquane. The tithes amount to £156. 18. 5 ½. per ann., and of the benefice to £585. 12. 6 ½. The church has been in ruins since the war of 1641, when it was destroyed together with an adjoining round tower: the cemetery is still used as a place of burial for Roman Catholics. In the R. C. divisions the parish is the head of a union or district, comprising this parish and those of Kilmurry and Derrygalvin, in which union there are two chapels. Singland was the scene of a battle fought in 943 between the Munster Irish and the Danes, in which the latter were defeated, driven into the town, and forced to pay a heavy contribution. Cromwell, Ireton, Wm. III and de Ginkell all had their camps and intrenchments here when they invested Limerick; military weapons have consequently been frequently found in the grounds. Some remains of the ancient military roads from Dublin and from Cork which passed through the parish are still traceable. The lands of Singland are held under the vicars choral of Limerick by a lease, from which that body derives little advantage.

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