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St John's Parish

History | Break up of the Parishes | Churches | Graveyards | Shrine | Priests of the Parish

Brief Parish History & Geographical Location

St John's is the only one of the five original medieval parishes in Limerick City to have remained unaffected by boundary changes over the years. The Cathedral of St John the Baptist is located within St John's parish.

The population of the parish is around 8,000.

 

Break-up of the Parishes

In Medieval Limerick, there were five parishes in Limerick City; St John's, St Mary's, St Michael's, St Munchin's and St Patrick's.

In recent times, the boundaries of these parishes have been altered to form the following parishes:

St Mary's was divided into St Mary's and St Nicholas' (1991).
St Michael's was divided into St Michael's, Our Lady of Lourdes (1963), St Joseph's (1973) and St Saviour's (1973).
St Munchin's was divided into St Munchin's, Our Lady of the Rosary (1964), Christ the King (1970) and Corpus Christi (1976).
St Patrick's was divided into St Patrick's, Monaleen (1971), and Our Lady Help of Christians (1981).
St John's parish has not been altered.
St Paul's was formerly part of the parish of Mungret/Crecora and was created in 1971.
Our Lady Queen of Peace (1961) and Holy Family (1970) were formerly part of the parish of Donaghmore/Knockea.

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Churches

St John's Cathedral

The Cathedral of St John the Baptist is the present day Cathedral in Limerick City. The link between St John the Baptist and the area around the Cathedral is long standing. According to Begley, the Knights Templars had a house in the area in the 12th century that was dedicated to John the Baptist.

After the Synod of Rathbrassil in 1111, St Mary's church became the first cathedral church of the Diocese of Limerick. According to local tradition, Donal O'Brien, the King of Thomond, donated his palace as the new site for a Cathedral in the latter half of the twelfth century. As the Synod of Rathbrassil occurred in the first half of the twelfth century, this tradition is certainly false. Brian Hodkinson suggests that during Donal's reign, the church moved to a new site on land provided by Donal. However, following the Reformation, this Cathedral became the property of the Church of Ireland.

See St Mary's Parish for more details on St Mary's Cathedral

William Hill, a Quaker bought the site of the present Cathedral in 1796 and the land was kept in a secret trust, as Roman Catholics could not buy land at that time. The foundation stone was laid on May 1st 1856. The coins of the realm were placed in a phial together with an inscription in eight languages. The then Bishop, Dr Ryan visited all the churches of the diocese to collect money for the new church. Originally the plan was to build a plain church for the 15,000 Catholics in St John's parish to replace the old chapel of St John, which was built in 1753.

Due to the widespread response to the appeal for funds, Bishop Ryan decided to convert the church to the Cathedral of the diocese. Philip Charles Hardwicke of London designed it in the style of a Gothic Revival building and the builders were Mr. Wallace & Sons. Hardwicke was chosen after he won a competition to design the Cathedral. The decision caused some annoyance as Hardwicke's design was picked ahead of many Irishmen's designs.

The church design was influenced by Salisbury Cathedral. The Cathedral was built using blue Limerick limestone. Fr William Bourke PP, who was parish priest during the building of the Cathedral, said the first mass in the Cathedral on March 7th 1859. Fr Bourke died a few weeks later and is buried in the Cathedral at the pillar of Belzoni's statue of Our Lady.

The Cathedral was opened for public worship in July 1861 but it had not been completed at the time. The tower was incomplete and the interior of the Cathedral remained to be decorated as well as the three side chapels.

The Cathedral measures 51 metres by 36 at the transepts. The nave measures 24 metres internally and consists of five bays and a clerestory.

St John's Cathedral has the highest spire in Ireland at 308 feet and 3 inches from the base of the tower to the top of the Cross. The Cathedral is an example of Victorian Gothic design. The tower tapers into a spire at 163 feet high. An iron cross was placed on the top of the spire on 27 September 1882. However three days later the cross was knocked during a storm. Little damage was caused to the building and a new cross was placed on the spire in August of the following year. A lighting conductor was also placed on top of the spire in 1883. A firm of architects led by Maurice Hennessy designed the spire and the builder was Mr. T. Byrne. The Cathedral bell was cast in Dublin in 1883 and was transported by barge to Limerick. The bell weighs one and a half tons.

The Cathedral was renovated in 1884 as the interior was in need of a major restoration due to dampness. After this restoration, the consecration of the Cathedral took place on June 21st 1894. It officially became a Cathedral on January 7th 1912 in a decree by Pope Pius X, which also restored the Cathedral Chapter.

More work has been carried out on the Cathedral since but this has mainly been to keep the building in a good state of repair. A new copper roof was put on the Cathedral during renovations in the early 1950s. Further renovations were carried out on the sanctuary in the Cathedral during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

A sign outside of the Cathedral on the right marks the site of the last Roman Catholic parish church of St John's. There is also a Mission Cross, which was erected to commemorate four missions: the Redemptorists Fathers in October 1851; the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in May 1870; the Vincentian Fathers in May 1863; and the Oblates Fathers during Lent 1952.

In the grounds of the St John's Prebystery, there is a statue to Patrick Sarsfield, which was erected in 1881.

Inside the Cathedral

Outside the Cathedral a statue of St John the Baptist has been erected above the main door. A stained glass window in the west wall of the nave depicts St Augustine and St Ambrose on the left and St Jerome and St Gregory on the right. We were unable to read the full inscription under the stained glass window but what we could read states that Robert erected the window on the left to the memory of John and Mary. The Reverend Daniel Synan erected this window on the right in 1851 to the memory of Bishop Bulter who was once the administrator of St John's. Above both windows is a stained glass window that depicts the Descent of the Holy Spirit onto the Apostles.

On the left of the main door to the Cathedral, there is a stained glass window in four sections. The top two sections depict Mary and St Joseph, while the bottom two depict St Richard and St Theresa. Directly beneath the window there is a large statue of the Pieta. To the left of this, there is a statue to St Anne. The accompanying inscription asks people to pray for the souls of James & Bridget Cross. On the far right there is a statue of St Anthony. Near right, there is a statue of Our Lady of Guadeloupe, the patron saint of the unborn. The Kennedy family donated this statue in January 1995.

Along the left hand aisle of the Cathedral there are two stained glass windows, which depict the sacraments of Confirmation and Ordination. There is a large Crucifix on the wall between the stained glass windows of the Confirmation and Ordination. Further along the wall of the aisle there is a stained glass window to the apostle St Thomas, who represents the sacrament of Baptism.

In the left transept there is a painting of the Deposition from the Cross by Limerick artist Timothy Collopy. This painting was originally situated in the old penal Chapel of St John prior to the completion of the Cathedral in 1861. A large stained glass window depicts various scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. The centrepiece of the window shows the Transfiguration of Christ, surrounded by Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John. Above this are Jesus and Mary Magdalene while at the bottom of the panel is Christ teaching the Disciples.

To the left of this, the window shows Christ and St Peter above, and the wedding at Cana beneath. Further left, it depicts Christ with the Centurion, the miracle of the loaves and fishes and the temptation of Jesus in the desert.

The right hand side of the window depicts Christ and the little Children above and the raising of Jairus' daughter beneath. To the right of this is the calming of the seas, the Sermon on the Mount and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Beneath this stained glass window, there is a memorial to Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer.

To the left of the main altar, there is a chapel to the Blessed Sacrament. Over the chapel altar there is a stained glass window of the Last Supper. This chapel contains the back and the canopy of the former bishop's throne, which is now placed over the tabernacle. This throne was carved out of Riga oak in Munich in 1894. Carved in the wood are scenes of Baptism, the Crucifixion and the Lamb of God.

Buried in front of the Blessed Sacrament chapel are:
Bishop Jeremiah Newman
Consecrated July 14 1974
Died April 3 1995

Most Reverend David Keane D.D.
Consecrated 1924
Died March 13 1945

To the left of the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament there is a chapel to St Joseph. Over the altar of the chapel there is a stained glass window of St Joseph. The flight into Egypt and the wedding of Joseph and Mary are depicted on panels on the altar. At the base of the altar the death of St Joseph is depicted. The statue to St Joseph in front of the chapel was made by Mayer of Munich.

To the left of the chapel to St Joseph there are two stained glass windows depicting St Michael and St Edmund. Mrs. Harriet O'Brien donated the stained glass window of St Michael in memory of her father Michael O'Neill.

On the wall are plaques to the following Bishops of the Diocese of Limerick:

Most Reverend Bishop Denis Hallinan D.D.
Consecrated March 10 1918
Died July 2 1923

Right Reverend George Bulter D.D.
Consecrated 1861
Died February 3 1886

Right Reverend John Ryan D.D.
Consecrated 1825
Died 1864

Most Reverend Edward Thomas O'Dwyer D.D.
Consecrated 1886
Died August 19 1917

Most Reverend David Keane D.D.
Consecrated 1924
Died March 13 1945

Under the thirteenth Station of the Cross in the left transept lies the tomb of Father James Fitzgibbon. Father Fitzgibbon died during the cholera epidemic of 1837 at the age of 29. He contracted the disease while assisting the poor and sick of St John's parish. When the church of St John's was demolished to enable the construction of the new Cathedral, the remains of Father Fitzgibbon were found to be intact. His father, Edmund Fitzgibbon, erected the plaque to his memory.

To the right of the main door to the Cathedral, there is a stained glass window, which depicts the Baptism of Christ and his Resurrection. This window was donated by Mr. John T Cleary, Mayor of Limerick in 1873 and 1874.

Beneath this window there is a statue of the Sacred Heart. To the left of this is a shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Help next to which is a picture of the Sacred Heart. The picture was donated to the memory of Bridget (Biddy) Cross. On the right there is a statue to St Therese of Liseiux.

Along the right hand side of the Cathedral are stained glass windows depicting the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick, Confession, Marriage and Communion. The stained glass window of Confession shows the Prodigal Son. The stained glass window of Communion shows the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The stained glass window on Marriage shows the wedding of Mary and Joseph.

In the right transept there is a plaque in Latin to Bishop O'Dwyer who consecrated the Cathedral Church on June 21st 1894. The plaque also details that the relics of the Blessed Martyrs Polycarp, Justin and Agatha were placed in the high altar. According to the inscription on a nearby plaque, Thomas E. O'Brien and his wife Harriet of Southill, Limerick erected the stained glass windows of the Transfiguration of Christ and the Assumption of Our Lady in memory of their friend the Most Reverend George Bulter, Bishop of Limerick.

The centrepiece of the large stained glass window in this transept is the Assumption of Our Lady into heaven. Surrounding this are different scenes from the Rosary. At the bottom of the window, the Joyful Mysteries are shown and they are (from left to right) the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple.

Above the Joyful Mysteries are scenes from the Sorrowful Mysteries - the Agony in the Garden and the Scourging at the Pillar. Above these are Jesus meeting his mother on the Via Dolorosa and the Crucifixion. The top of the window depicts the Glorious Mysteries of the Resurrection and the Ascension. There is a scene at the top of the centre window of Jesus crowning Mary as the Queen of Heaven. Under this stained glass window there is a bust to Bishop George Bulter, which was carved by Sir Thomas O'Farrell. The accompanying plaque bears a Latin inscription.

To the right of the main altar there is a chapel of Our Lady. In front of the Our Lady's chapel, there is a statue of the Blessed Virgin in white marble, which was sculpted by Giovanni Benzoni and was donated by William Monsell who was later to become Lord Emly.

The Pork Butchers' Association restored Our Lady's chapel in 1954 and it was dedicated to the memory of Bishop O'Dwyer. Over the altar there is a stained glass window of Our Lady. There are scenes from her life around the altar and at the base of the altar. There is a mosaic of Our Lady behind the altar. In front of the altar is the baptismal font.

Buried in front of Our Lady's chapel are:

Right Reverend George Bulter D.D.
Consecrated 1861
Died February 3 1886

Most Reverend Bishop Denis Hallinan
Consecrated March 10 1918
Died July 2 1923

To the right of Our Lady's chapel there is a chapel to St Vincent de Paul. There is a stained glass window and a statue of St Vincent de Paul. The panels of the altar depict scenes from his life. On the left hand side of the altar there is a statue of St Brigid while on the right there is a statue of St Patrick.

In front of the chapel of St Vincent de Paul is the flag of the Wild Geese. The Wild Geese were men who left Limerick after the Treaty of 1691. About 18,000 men remained loyal to Catholicism and King James. The flag has a harp surmounted by the Stuart Imperial Crown on a red cross. Two quarters on the flag are red. Their motto was In hoc signo vinces, which means, "Through the sign you conquer". This flag was erected in 1991to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Flight of the Wild Geese.

To the right of St Vincent de Paul's chapel there are two stained glass windows of St James and St George slaying the dragon. The window of St James was erected to the memory of James Barry, a magistrate. Mr. Barry died on September 2 1856. Mrs. Harriet O'Brien donated the stained glass window of St George as a tribute to Bishop George Bulter. Meyer of Munich made the stained glass windows in the chapel of St Vincent de Paul and in the right transept at a cost of £600.

Above the High Altar, there is a crucifixion scene. The Virgin Mary is on the left and John is on the right of Our Lord on the cross. According to a plaque on the right of the centre aisle, the High Altar itself is a gift from Mrs. F. MacNamara to the memory of her husband Charles. It is made from Limerick marble, alabaster and coloured marble. Mr. White carried out the stonework of the altar.

Limerick marble was stone that was quarried in Clare. This stone was used to construct most of the buildings in the Englishtown part of Limerick city in the seventeenth century. This part of the city was also known as King's Island as it was built on an island for defence reasons. As Judith Hill wrote in her essay A Letter to Holland from the book "Living at the Time of the Siege of Limerick" the streets were also paved with this marble, which Hill states, "is very different from the Italian marble you find in churches".

A carving in the centre of the altar, sculpted by Theodore Phyffers, depicts the sacrifice of Abraham. Mr. Phyffers also carved the reredos behind the High Altar, which contains two statues on either side. Statues (from left to right) of St Brigid, St Patrick, St Munchin and St John the Baptist surround the tabernacle. The pulpit depicts the following scenes from the life of Christ (anti-clockwise) - presentation, resurrection, baptism, transfiguration and deposition.

According to a plaque on the left of the centre aisle, Denis & Elizabeth Ryan donated the Stations of the Cross in 1872 along with the statue of St John the Baptist at the entrance to the church. During renovations to the Cathedral in the 1950s, the original Stations of the Cross were sent to the Missions in Africa. The present Stations of the Cross were carved in the Bavarian town of Oberammergau and they were erected in 1955.

Buried in front of the high altar are:

Most Reverend Edward Thomas O'Dwyer
Consecrated 1886

Right Reverend John Ryan D.D.
Consecrated 1864

The centrepiece of the stained glass window behind the high altar is the dogma of the Immaculate Conception surrounded by images of Christ, Pope Pius IX and Bishop John Ryan. To the right of this are depictions of St Joseph, St Brigid and St Patrick. Further right are images of St Coleman and St Vincent de Paul. To the left are St John the Baptist, St Ita and St Munchin while the outer part of the window shows St George and St Senan. Both of the outer windows have an angel at the top.

For a more detailed history of St John's Cathedral, consult St John's Cathedral, Limerick by John Fleming. Four Court Press published this book in 1987.

Church Ruins

Prior to the Reformation, there was a medieval church, which dated from at least the 15th century. Some claim that this church may have dated from the 12th century. It was dedicated to St John the Baptist. During the Reformation, St John's became the property of Edmund Sexton. This church was demolished in 1852 and was replaced by St John's Church of Ireland church. The old St John's cemetery is still there and contains a number of large tombs. This Protestant church is now closed and is under the ownership of Limerick Corporation.

St John's Roman Catholic parish had a church at Gallow's Green, which was outside the walls of the city in 1703. This was the first post-Reformation Roman Catholic in the parish of St John's and was built by Fr Jasper White P.P.

In 1730 a new church for the Roman Catholics of the parish was built on the site of the car park of the present Cathedral, near St John's Gate. Fr Denis O'Connor was the parish priest when the church was built.

In 1734, the parish priest Fr John Leahy took full control of the parish. It was formerly under the control of the Canon Regular of St Augustine. By 1753 the church from 1730 was falling into a dilapidated state and a simple church was built to replace it. This new church became the Pro-Cathedral and the parochial church until the construction of the Cathedral.

This church was more of a mass house than a church, as we know it today because it consisted of two or three small houses that were merged together. The parishes of St Michael and St John used the church. Fr John Leahy opened this new mass house in the parish of St John's. Fr Leahy is buried in St John's cemetery.

It is believed that this church was similar to St John's church in Cratloe, Co. Clare. This church of St John's was demolished after the completion of the Cathedral in 1861.

The Hennessy brothers designed the church in Mount St Laurence graveyard but it is now in a state of disuse. There is also a church in the grounds of St Joseph's Hospital. This church was built in 1863 and was extended in 1920.

The church of St Laurence was formerly near Limerick prison in the parish but it was destroyed in 1651.

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Graveyards

Mount St Laurence graveyard is in the parish. Originally it was 16 acres of farmland and was called Gortnamanna. It was situated in the old parish of St Laurence. After the Reformation, St John's and St Laurence's were united into one parish. Dr Ryan, Bishop of Limerick, blessed the graveyard on March 29 1849.

The new graveyard was needed due to an outbreak of cholera in the 1830s and the Great Famine of 1845-1848. According to "In the Shadow of the Spire" the metal Celtic cross on the Bethal family grave was originally from the spire of St John's Cathedral but fell from the Cathedral during a storm that occurred in 1883.

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Shrine

There is a shrine to Our Lady in Bengal Terrace and it was erected in the 1950s.

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List of Priests

Year	Parish Priest	Curate(s)
1624 - 1643	Philip Hury
1644 - ?	John Molony
1665 - 1704	Jaspar White
1704 - 1730	Denis O’Connor
1730 – 1754	John Leahy D.D.
From 1754, St. John’s became a Bishop’s Parish and remains so to the present day.
1837	Bishop’s Parish	Matt O’Connor
		James Quinn
		John Clarke
1838	Bishop's Parish	Matt O'Connor
		John Clarke
		James Quin
		James Houlohan
1839	Bishop's Parish	Matt O'Connor
		James Quin
		John Clarke
		William Bourke
1840	Bishop’s Parish	John Clarke
		James Quinn
		Patrick Quaide
1841	Bishop’s Parish	John Clarke
		James Quinn
		Michael Casey
		William Bourke
1842	Bishop’s Parish	John Clarke
		Michael Casey
		William Bourke
		Michael Ryan
1843	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Casey
		James Quinn
		William Bourke
		Michael Ryan
1844	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Casey
		James Quinn
		William Bourke
		Michael Ryan
1845	Bishop’s Parish	James Quinn
		Michael Casey
		William Bourke
1846	Bishop’s Parish	James Quinn
		Michael Casey
		William Bourke
1847	Bishop’s Parish	James Quinn
		Michael Casey
		William Bourke
1848	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Casey
		William Bourke
		Michael Ryan
1849	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Casey
		William Bourke
		Richard Nunan
1850	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Casey
		William Bourke
		John Bunton
		John Quinlan
1851	Bishop’s Parish	William Bourke
		John Bunton
		John Quinlan
		John Halpin
		P. Meehan D.D.
1852	Bishop’s Parish	William Bourke
		John Bunton
		John Quinlan
		John Halpin
		P. Meehan D.D.
1853	Bishop’s Parish	William Bourke
		John Bunton
		John Quinlan
		John Halpin
		P. Meehan D.D.
		James O’Brien
1854	Bishop’s Parish	William Bourke
		John Bunton
		John Quinlan
		John Halpin
		James O’Brien
		James Hickey
1855	Bishop’s Parish	William Bourke
		John Bunton
		John Quinlan
		John Halpin
		James O’Brien
		James Hickey
1856	Bishop’s Parish	William Bourke
		John Quinlan
		John Halpin
		James O’Brien
		James Hickey
1857	Bishop’s Parish	William Bourke
		John Quinlan
		John Halpin
		James Hickey
		John Conway
1858	Bishop’s Parish	William Bourke
		John Quinlan
		John Halpin
		James Hickey
		John Conway
		Patrick Duhigg
		Michael Malone
1859	Bishop’s Parish	William Bourke
		John Quinlan
		John Halpin
		John Conway
		Patrick Duhigg
1860	Bishop’s Parish	John Quinlan (Adm.)
		John Halpin
		John Conway
		Michael Malone
		Richard Cooke
		John Shannon
1861	Bishop’s Parish	John Quinlan (Adm.)
		John Halpin
		John Conway
		Michael Malone
		John Shannon
1862	Bishop’s Parish	M. Fitzgerald
		John Conway
		Michael Malone
		John O’Sullivan
		John Halpin
		Michael O’Carroll
1863	Bishop’s Parish	M. Fitzgerald (Adm.)
		John Conway
		Michael Malone
		John O’Sullivan
		John Naughton
		Michael O’Carroll
		James Corbett
		John Carrick
1864	Bishop’s Parish	M. Fitzgerald (Adm.)
		John Conway
		William Moloney
		Michael O’Carroll
		John Condon
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
1865	Bishop’s Parish	M. Fitzgerald (Adm.)
		John Conway
		John Condon
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Hugh Flattery
1866	Bishop’s Parish	M. Fitzgerald (Adm.)
		John Conway
		John Condon
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Hugh Flattery
		C. Conway
1867	Bishop’s Parish	M. Fitzgerald (Adm.)
		John Conway
		John Condon
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Hugh Flattery
		C. Conway
1868	Bishop's Parish	M. Fitzgerald (Adm.)
		John Conway
		John Condon
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Stephen Nicholl
		C. Conway
1869	Bishop’s Parish	M. Fitzgerald
		John Conway
		John Condon
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Charles McNamara
		C. Conway
1870	Bishop’s Parish	M. Fitzgerald
		John Conway
		John Condon
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Charles McNamara
		C. Conway
1871	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Malone (Adm.)
		John Conway
		C. Conway
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Thomas Head
		Charles McNamara
1872	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Malone (Adm.)
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Charles McNamara
		James O’Shea
		Thomas Head
1873	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Malone (Adm.)
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Charles McNamara
		James O’Shea
		Thomas Head
1874	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Malone (Adm.)
		James McCoy
		Arthur Sheedy
		Charles McNamara
		Thomas Head
1875	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		William Higgins
		Arthur Sheedy
		Charles McNamara
		Thomas Head
		George Quaid
1876	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		William Higgins
		Arthur Sheedy
		Charles McNamara
		Thomas Head
		George Quaid
1877	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		William Higgins
		Arthur Sheedy
		Charles McNamara
		Thomas Head
		George Quaid
1878	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		William Higgins
		Arthur Sheedy
		Thomas Head
		George Quaid
		Charles McNamara
1879	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		Arthur Sheedy
		Thomas Head
		William Higgins
		Charles McNamara
		William Carroll
1880	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		Arthur Sheedy
		Charles McNamara
		William Higgins
		William Carroll
		Denis Shanahan
1881	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		William Higgins
		William Carroll
		Charles McNamara
		Denis Shanahan
		John Doody
1882	Bishop's Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		John Doody
		Charles McNamara
		Denis Shanahan
		William Higgins
		William Carroll
1883	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		John Doody
		William Higgins
		William Carroll
		Charles McNamara
		Timothy Lee
1884	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		Timothy Lee
		William Higgins
		William Carroll
		John Griffin
		Robert Ambrose
1885	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		Timothy Lee
		William Higgins
		William Carroll
		John Griffin
		Robert Ambrose
1886	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		Timothy Lee
		William Higgins
		William Carroll
		John Griffin
		Robert Ambrose
1887	Bishop’s Parish	James McCoy (Adm.)
		William Higgins
		Timothy Lee
		William Carroll
		John Griffin
		Patrick Carroll
1888	Bishop’s Parish	William Higgins (Adm.)
		William Carroll
		Timothy Lee
		Patrick Carroll
		John Griffin
		John O’Donnell
1889	Bishop’s Parish	William Higgins (Adm.)
		William Carroll
		Timothy Lee
		John Griffin
		John O’Donnell
		D. O’Driscoll
1890	Bishop’s Parish	William Higgins (Adm.)
		Timothy Lee
		John Griffin
		John O’Donnell
1891	Bishop’s Parish	George Quain
		Timothy Lee
		John Griffin
		John O’Donnell
		James Cregan
		William O’Shea
1892	Bishop’s Parish	George Quain
		Timothy Lee
		John Griffin
		John O’Donnell
		James Cregan
		William O’Shea
1893	Bishop’s Parish	George Quain
		Timothy Lee
		John Griffin
		William O’Shea
		Michael Murphy
		Henry O’Donnell
1894	Bishop’s Parish	George Quain
		Timothy Lee
		John Griffin
		William O’Shea
		Michael Murphy
		Henry O’Donnell
1895	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		William O’Shea
		Michael Murphy
		Henry O’Donnell
		Robert Fitzgerald
1896	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		Michael Murphy
		Henry O’Donnell
		Robert Fitzgerald
1897	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		Michael Murphy
		Henry O’Donnell
		Robert Fitzgerald
1898	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		Michael Murphy
		Henry O’Donnell
		Robert Fitzgerald
1899	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		Michael Murphy
		Robert Fitzgerald
		? O’Connor
		Patrick Murphy
1900	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		Michael Murphy
		Robert Fitzgerald
		? O’Connor
		Jeremiah O’Shea
1901	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		Michael Murphy
		Robert Fitzgerald
		? O’Connor
		Jeremiah O’Shea
1902	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		Michael Murphy
		Jeremiah O’Shea
		Robert Fitzgerald
1903	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		Michael Murphy
		Jeremiah O’Shea
		Michael Hayes
		Robert Fitzgerald
1904	Bishop’s Parish	Timothy Lee (Adm.)
		John Griffin
		Michael Murphy
		Jeremiah O’Shea
		Michael Hayes
		Robert Fitzgerald
1905	Bishop’s Parish	John Griffin (Adm.)
		Michael Murphy
		Jeremiah O’Shea
		Robert Fitzgerald
		Stephen Connolly
1906	Bishop’s Parish	A. Murphy (Adm.)
		Stephen Connolly
		Robert Fitzgerald
		T. J. MacNamara
		Michael Murphy
1907	Bishop’s Parish	A. Murphy (Adm.)
		Stephen Connolly
		Robert Fitzgerald
		T. J. MacNamara
		Michael Murphy
1908	Bishop’s Parish	A. Murphy (Adm.)
		Stephen Connolly
		Robert Fitzgerald
		T. J. MacNamara
		Michael Murphy
1909	Bishop’s Parish	A. Murphy (Adm.)
		Stephen Connolly
		Robert Fitzgerald
		T. J. MacNamara
		Michael Murphy
1910	Bishop’s Parish	A. Murphy (Adm.)
		Stephen Connolly
		Robert Fitzgerald
		T. J. MacNamara
		Michael Murphy
1911	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Murphy (Adm.)
		Robert Fitzgerald
		Stephen Connolly
		T. J. MacNamara
1912	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Murphy (Adm.)
		Robert Fitzgerald
		Stephen Connolly
		T. J. MacNamara
		P. Thornhill
1913	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Murphy (Adm.)
		Robert Fitzgerald
		Stephen Connolly
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
1914	Bishop’s Parish	Michael Murphy (Adm.)
		Robert Fitzgerald
		Stephen Connolly
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
1915	Bishop’s Parish	Robert Fitzgerald (Adm.)
		Stephen Connolly
		James Carroll
		T. J. MacNamara
		Denis Kelly
1916	Bishop’s Parish	Robert Fitzgerald (Adm.)
		Stephen Connolly
		Denis Kelly
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
1917	Bishop’s Parish	Robert Fitzgerald (Adm.)
		Stephen Connolly
		Denis Kelly
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
1918	Bishop’s Parish	Stephen Connolly (Adm.)
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
		Denis Kelly
		James Hayes
1919	Bishop’s Parish	Stephen Connolly (Adm.)
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
		Denis Kelly
		Frederick Rice
1920	Bishop’s Parish	Stephen Connolly (Adm.)
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
		Denis Kelly
		Frederick Rice
1921	Bishop’s Parish	Stephen Connolly (Adm.)
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
		Denis Kelly
		Frederick Rice
1922	Bishop’s Parish	Stephen Connolly (Adm.)
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
		Denis Kelly
		Frederick Rice
1923	Bishop’s Parish	Stephen Connolly (Adm.)
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
		Denis Kelly
		Frederick Rice
1924	Bishop’s Parish	Stephen Connolly (Adm.)
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
		Denis Kelly
		Frederick Rice
1925	Bishop’s Parish	Stephen Connolly (Adm.)
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
		Denis Kelly
		Frederick Rice
1926	Bishop’s Parish	Stephen Connolly (Adm.)
		T. J. MacNamara
		James Carroll
		Denis Kelly
		Frederick Rice
1927	Bishop’s Parish	T. J. MacNamara (Adm.)
		James Carroll
		Frederick Rice
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
1928	Bishop’s Parish	T. J. MacNamara (Adm.)
		James Carroll
		Frederick Rice
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
1929	Bishop’s Parish	T. J. MacNamara (Adm.)
		James Carroll
		Frederick Rice
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
1930	Bishop’s Parish	T. J. MacNamara (Adm.)
		James Carroll
		Frederick Rice
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
1931	Bishop’s Parish	T. J. MacNamara (Adm.)
		James Carroll
		Frederick Rice
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
1932	Bishop’s Parish	James Carroll (Adm.)
		Frederick Rice
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
		Michael Doody
1933	Bishop’s Parish	James Carroll (Adm.)
		Frederick Rice
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
		William O’Grady
		John Liston
1934	Bishop’s Parish	Frederick Rice (Adm.)
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
		William O’Grady
		Patrick Coleman
1935	Bishop’s Parish	Frederick Rice (Adm.)
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
		William O’Grady
		Patrick Coleman
1936	Bishop’s Parish	Frederick Rice (Adm.)
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
		William O’Grady
		Patrick Coleman
1937	Bishop’s Parish	Frederick Rice (Adm.)
		Denis Kelly
		John Brassil
		William O’Grady
		Patrick Coleman
1938	Bishop’s Parish	Denis Kelly (Adm.)
		John Brassil
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Bernard Gill
1939	Bishop’s Parish	Denis Kelly (Adm.)
		John Brassil
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Bernard Gill
1940	Bishop’s Parish	Denis Kelly (Adm.)
		John Brassil
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Bernard Gill
1941	Bishop’s Parish	Denis Kelly (Adm.)
		John Brassil
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
1942	Bishop’s Parish	John Brassil (Adm.)
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Michael Kelly
		Joseph Moran
1943	Bishop’s Parish	John Brassil (Adm.)
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Michael Kelly
		Joseph Moran
1944	Bishop’s Parish	John Brassil (Adm.)
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		David Houlihan
1945	Bishop’s Parish	John Brassil (Adm.)
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Hubert Fee
1946	Bishop’s Parish	John Brassil (Adm.)
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Hubert Fee
1947	Bishop’s Parish	John Brassil (Adm.)
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Hubert Fee
1948	Bishop’s Parish	John Brassil (Adm.)
		William O’Grady
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Hubert Fee
1949	Bishop’s Parish	William O’Grady (Adm.)
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Hubert Fee
		Charles Mullins
1950	Bishop’s Parish	William O’Grady (Adm.)
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Hubert Fee
		Charles Mullins
1951	Bishop’s Parish	William O’Grady (Adm.)
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Charles Mullins
		Daniel Gallagher
1952	Bishop’s Parish	William O’Grady (Adm.)
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Charles Mullins
		Daniel Gallagher
1953	Bishop’s Parish	William O’Grady (Adm.)
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Charles Mullins
		Daniel Gallagher
1954	Bishop’s Parish	William O’Grady (Adm.)
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Charles Mullins
		Daniel Gallagher
1955	Bishop’s Parish	William O’Grady (Adm.)
		William Creed
		Joseph Moran
		Charles Mullins
		Daniel Gallagher
1956	Bishop’s Parish	William Creed (Adm.)
		Joseph Moran
		Daniel Gallagher
		Charles Mullins
		Eamonn Casey
1957	Bishop’s Parish	William Creed (Adm.)
		Joseph Moran
		Daniel Gallagher
		Charles Mullins
		Eamonn Casey
1958	Bishop’s Parish	William Creed (Adm.)
		Daniel Gallagher
		Charles Mullins
		Eamonn Casey
		Cornelius Collins
1959	Bishop’s Parish	William Creed (Adm.)
		Daniel Gallagher
		Charles Mullins
		Eamonn Casey
		Cornelius Collins
1960	Bishop’s Parish	William Creed (Adm.)
		Daniel Gallagher
		Charles Mullins
		Eamonn Casey
		Cornelius Collins
1961	Bishop’s Parish	William Creed (Adm.)
		Daniel Gallagher
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
1962	Bishop’s Parish	William Creed (Adm.)
		Daniel Gallagher
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
1963	Bishop’s Parish	Daniel Gallagher (Adm.)
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
		J. Ryan
1964	Bishop’s Parish	Daniel Gallagher (Adm.)
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
		J. Ryan
1965	Bishop’s Parish	Daniel Gallagher (Adm.)
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
		Maurice Healy
1966	Bishop’s Parish	Daniel Gallagher (Adm.)
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
		James Ambrose
1967	Bishop’s Parish	Daniel Gallagher (Adm.)
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
		James Ambrose
1968	Bishop’s Parish	Daniel Gallagher (Adm.)
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
		James Ambrose
1969	Bishop’s Parish	Daniel Gallagher (Adm.)
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
		Thomas Ryan
1970	Bishop’s Parish	Daniel Gallagher (Adm.)
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
		Thomas Ryan
1971	Bishop’s Parish	Daniel Gallagher (Adm.)
		M. Sadlier
		Cornelius Collins
		James Power
		Thomas Ryan
1972	Bishop’s Parish	Cornelius Collins (Adm.)
		James Power
		Thomas Ryan
		J. Griffin
		Joseph Kennedy
1973	Bishop’s Parish	Cornelius Collins (Adm.)
		James Power
		Thomas Ryan
		Anthony Mulvihill
		Joseph Kennedy
1974	Bishop’s Parish	Cornelius Collins (Adm.)
		James Power
		James Ambrose
		Thomas Ryan
		William Fitzmaurice
1975	Bishop’s Parish	Cornelius Collins (Adm.)
		James Power
		James Ambrose
		Thomas Ryan
		William Fitzmaurice
1976	Bishop's Parish	Cornelius Collins (Adm.)
		James Power
		James Ambrose
		Thomas Ryan
		William Fitzgerald
1977	Bishop’s Parish	James Power (Adm.)
		James Ambrose
		Thomas Ryan
		William Fitzmaurice
		John Fitzgerald
1978	Bishop’s Parish	James Power (Adm.)
		James Ambrose
		Thomas Ryan
		William Fitzmaurice
		John Fitzgerald
1979	Bishop’s Parish	James Power (Adm.)
		James Ambrose
		William Fitzmaurice
		John Fitzgerald
		Gerard Cantillon
1980	Bishop’s Parish	James Power (Adm.)
		James Ambrose
		William Fitzmaurice
		Oliver Plunkett
		William Doolan
1981	Bishop’s Parish	James Power (Adm.)
		James Ambrose
		William Fitzmaurice
		Oliver Plunkett
		William Doolan
1982	Bishop’s Parish	James Power (Adm.)
		James Ambrose
		William Doolan
		Oliver Plunkett
		William Fitzmaurice
1983	Bishop’s Parish	James Power (Adm.)
		James Ambrose
		William Doolan
		William Fitzmaurice
		Albert Nix
1984	Bishop’s Parish	James Power (Adm.)
		James Ambrose
		William Fitzmaurice
		Albert Nix
		Liam O’Sullivan
1985	Bishop’s Parish	James Ambrose (Adm.)
		Albert Nix
		Liam O’Sullivan
		William Fitzmaurice
		Gerard Garrett
1986	Bishop’s Parish	James Ambrose (Adm.)
		William Fitzmaurice
		Oliver Plunkett
		Patrick Hogan
		Gerard Garrett
1987	Bishop’s Parish	Oliver Plunkett (Adm.)
		William Fitzmaurice
		Gerard Garrett
		Timothy Curtin
		Patrick McMahon
1988	Bishop's Parish	Oliver Plunkett (Adm.)
		Timothy Curtin
		William Fitzmaurice
		Patrick McMahon
		Anthony Mullins
1989	Bishop’s Parish	Oliver Plunkett (Adm.)
		Timothy Curtin
		William Fitzmaurice
		Patrick McMahon
		Anthony Mullins
1990	Bishop’s Parish	Oliver Plunkett (Adm.)
		Timothy Curtin
		William Fitzmaurice
		Patrick McMahon
		Anthony Mullins
1991	Bishop’s Parish	Oliver Plunkett (Adm.)
		William Fitzmaurice
		Anthony Mullins
		Patrick Donovan
		Francis O’Dea
1992	Bishop’s Parish	William Fitzmaurice (Adm.)
		Anthony Mullins
		Francis O’Dea
		Patrick Donovan
		Terence O’Connell
1993	Bishop’s Parish	William Fitzmaurice (Adm.)
		Anthony Mullins
		Francis O’Dea
		Patrick Donovan
		Terence O’Connell
1994	Bishop’s Parish	William Fitzmaurice (Adm.)
		Anthony Mullins
		Francis O’Dea
		Terence O’Connell
1995	Bishop’s Parish	William Fitzmaurice (Adm.)
		Anthony Mullins
		Francis O’Dea
		Terence O’Connell
1996	Bishop’s Parish	Anthony Mullins (Adm.)
		Francis O’Dea
		Terence O’Connell
		Kevin McCarthy
1997	Bishop’s Parish	Anthony Mullins (Adm.)
		Terence O’Connell
		Gerard O’Leary
		Joseph Cussen
1998	Bishop’s Parish	Anthony Mullins (Adm.)
		Terence O’Connell
		Gerard O’Leary
		Joseph Cussen
		Sean Harmon
		Joseph O’Keeffe
1999	Bishop’s Parish	Anthony Mullins (Adm.)
		Terence O’Connell
		Gerard O’Leary
		Joseph Cussen
		Sean Harmon
		Joseph O’Keeffe
2000	Bishop's Parish	Anthony Mullins (Adm.)
		Joseph Cussen
		Joseph O'Keeffe
		Gerard Lysaght
		Gerard O'Leary
		Sean Harmon
2001	Bishop's Parish	Denis Mullane (Adm.)
		Joseph Cussen
		Joseph O'Keeffe
		Gerard Lysaght
2002	Bishop's Parish	Denis Mullane (Adm.)
		Joseph Cussen
		Liam Enright
		Gerard Lysaght
2003	Bishop's Parish	Denis Mullane (Adm.)
		Joseph Cussen
		Liam Enright
		Liam Murphy (w/e asst.)
2004	Bishop's Parish	Denis Mullane (Adm.)
		Joseph Cussen
		Liam Enright
		Liam Murphy (w/e asst.)
2005	Bishop's Parish	Denis Mullane (Adm.)
		Joseph Cussen
		Liam Enright
		Liam Murphy (w/e asst.)
2006	Bishop's Parish	Denis Mullane (Adm.)
		Joseph Cussen
		Liam Enright
2007	Bishop's Parish	Denis Mullane (Adm.)
		Joseph Cussen
		Austin McNamara

 

The list of Priests from 1704 to 1836 is compiled from information gained in Begley's History of the Diocese of Limerick Vol. III page 598. The remaining years are compiled from the Catholic Directories. Information contained in a directory of any given year refers to what happened the previous year. For example if a priest is recorded in the 1954 directory as being in a particular parish, this would mean that he was actually there in 1953.

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