Castleconnell
Fairies vs. Goblins
There once lived a wise child named Fionn in Castleconnell. One day, he was going on a walk down the nature trail and a tree was down, so he went under it. Suddenly, a portal opened and Fionn got sucked into a mysterious fairy land. He always heard about the fairies from his kind aunty,…
Read MoreThe War of Independence in Castleconnell
In the centenary years of the War of Independence it is timely to reflect on its effect on the village of Castleconnell. This story will outline two significant events that illustrate the barbarity and humanity that characterised the war as it played out in the village and surrounding countryside. Castleconnell was home to the 3rd…
Read MoreNapoleon’s Death Mask Recovered in a Small Village in the South of Ireland.
Napoleon’s death mask recovered in a small village in the south of Ireland Annie Hartigan, was a small fiery, red-haired, dressmaker who lived all her life in Railway Cottage, now refurbished and renamed Sloe Berry Cottage, next to the Garda station in Castleconnell. One day in the 1950s Edward Hartigan, her nephew, was working in…
Read MoreThe Grave
Neighbour – Did you hear? Me – No, what happened.? Neighbour – Seamus’s wife passed last night Me – That’s terrible, was she sick for a while? Neighbour – Ya, f*&king cancer came knocking again…. it’s a sickening thing. Me – It is, it really f*&king is. Neighbour – Are you around Sunday around 2…
Read MoreConsternation
The phone rings; sorry to tell you Mamie is dead. Being in the eighties , unexpected but no great surprise. Drove to the house and sympathised with Martin, the husband. It was only proper to pay respects to Mamie who had reared four grand children. in tough times as did others . So up I…
Read MoreCastle Ghost
It was a cold winters day as my mother Margaret Bourke attended for school at Chapel Hill with her friends. It did not take long for a teacher to take Margaret aside and chastise her for not bringing a sod of turf, it being her turn to contribute to the school fire. She and a…
Read MoreThe Tontines
The History of The Tontines The Tontines are a block of four three storey Georgian houses built opposite Cloon Island in 1812. The houses were erected by W. Gabbett using money raised by public subscription. Most of the money came from rich property owners in the district, under a financial scheme initiated in France in…
Read MoreCastleconnell Railway Station
In days gone by, if you wanted to travel from Castleconnell to Limerick City, there were two methods of transport. A horse-drawn coach which left regularly from the village centre or the steam train from the railway station direct into Limerick’s Colbert Station. The railway station in Castleconnell opened on 8 August 1858 and…
Read MoreThe Footbridge
The story of our Footbridge In 1941, the 12th Desmond Infantry Battalion of the Irish Army arrived in Castleconnell. It was the height of World War Two and a state of emergency had been declared in Ireland. Many of the big houses in the area, on both sides of the river, were converted into military…
Read MoreSpectacles Grady & Belmont House
Spectacles Grady and Belmont House Belmont House (now Riverbrook Nursing Home) is noted for being the residence of Thomas Grady, a member of the Irish Bar, scholar and satirical poet of much acclaim. He was known as Spectacles Grady, because of his short-sightedness and was renowned for his wit at many a local gathering. Unfortunately,…
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