Religion and History of Rathkeale

Catholic Church, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick

Photo of the Catholic Church in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick. Built in the 1860s, this church was designed in a Gothic-revival style by J.J. McCarty. After it was built, a school run by the Christian Brothers opened beside it.

© Limerick County Library.

Catholic Church, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick
© Limerick County Library.

Catholic Church, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick

Photo of the Catholic Church in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick. Built in the 1860s, this church was designed in a Gothic-revival style by J.J. McCarty. After it was built, a school run by the Christian Brothers opened beside it.

© Limerick County Library.

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The town of Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, has two large churches.

One is the Catholic Church, which was built in the 1860s.

The churches are located at opposite ends of the town.

Augustinian Priory, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick

Built in the thirteenth century, these ruins are the remains of the Augustinian Priory believed to have been built by Gilbert Harvey.

© Limerick County Library.

Augustinian Priory, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick
© Limerick County Library.

Augustinian Priory, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick

Built in the thirteenth century, these ruins are the remains of the Augustinian Priory believed to have been built by Gilbert Harvey.

© Limerick County Library.

Enlarge image

On the north side of the town, on the old Limerick Road, are the remains of an Augustinian Priory.

This is believed to have been founded in the thirteenth century by Gilbert Harvey for the Augustinian Canons.

The Augustinians were founded in 1256 and had spread across Europe, including to Ireland, by the end of thirteenth century.

Palatine Centre, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick

This photo shows the Palatine Centre, Rathkeale, which holds records of the Palatines in Ireland and particularly in Limerick. The Palatines were German Protestant refugees who emigrated to Ireland, Canada and America. The Southwell Estate in Co. Limerick was one of their more successful settling places.

© Limerick County Library.

Palatine Centre, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick
© Limerick County Library.

Palatine Centre, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick

This photo shows the Palatine Centre, Rathkeale, which holds records of the Palatines in Ireland and particularly in Limerick. The Palatines were German Protestant refugees who emigrated to Ireland, Canada and America. The Southwell Estate in Co. Limerick was one of their more successful settling places.

© Limerick County Library.

Enlarge image

Palatine Centre, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick In 1709, over 1,200 Palatines from Germany settled in Rathkeale under the patronage of Thomas Southwell. They came to Ireland to escape the French invasion of their native land and brought with them many new ideas in farming. This contributed much to the development of the town. Two people from this Palatine community, Barbara Heck and Philip Embury, emigrated to America, where they founded the first Methodist church there. Today there are over 14 million Methodists in America.