Augustinian Church, Limerick

The Augustinian Church, located in the heart of Limerick, represents a significant historical and architectural landmark. Founded by the Augustinian order, the first religious order to establish itself in Limerick, the structure was completed in 1942. The church is designed in the Hiberno-Romanesque style and is characterized by its intricate architectural details and historical significance.

The church is crowned by a statue of Saint Joseph and boasts an impressive stained glass window. Its bells, specially imported from London, add to the church’s unique charm. Inside, there is a shrine dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Tolentine and an Adoration chapel, along with a parish bookshop.

The building is a tall structure with a rectangular layout facing west. It includes a north tower with a crenelated parapet and a slate-pitched roof with limestone finishes and stone Celtic crosses. The front facade is crafted from ashlar limestone. A prominent feature is the large Romanesque window with detailed limestone carvings and stained glass by Harry Clarke, complemented by smaller arched windows with decorative capitals.

Inside, the church has a central nave with side aisles divided by Romanesque arcades, chevron decoration, and clusters of Connemara marble columns. The apse at the east end features a stepped Romanesque arch with chevron motifs, supported by colonettes with cushioned capitals, and slender window openings with Harry Clarke stained glass. The principal west window and the organ gallery in front are also by the Harry Clarke studio.

Notable inscriptions include a seventeenth-century stone on the north façade that reads "1633 HIS," along with an adjoining stone that indicates its origin from the lintel of the first Augustinian chapel in Limerick city, founded in 1633 near Fish Lane, following the suppression of their monastery at Adare.