Glin () is a village in the northwest of

County Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Munster , subdivision ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is on the south shore of the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

's estuary, on the N69 road between

Foynes Foynes (; ) is a town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. The population of the town was 520 as of the 2016 census. Foynes's role as seap ...

and

Tarbert Tarbert ( gd, An Tairbeart) is a place name in Scotland and Ireland. Places named Tarbert are characterised by a narrow strip of land, or isthmus. This can be where two lochs nearly meet, or a causeway out to an island. Etymology All placenames ...

. The population of the village at the 2016 census was 576.

History

The lands around Glin were the manor of the

Knight of Glin The Knight of Glin (; dormant 14 September 2011), also known as the Black Knight or Knight of the Valley, was a hereditary title held by the FitzGerald and FitzMaurice families of County Limerick, Ireland, since the early 14th century. The fam ...

after the

Norman invasion The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...

. Glin was not included in the

Down Survey The Down Survey was a cadastral survey of Ireland, carried out by English scientist, William Petty, in 1655 and 1656. The survey was apparently called the "Down Survey" by Petty, either because the results were set down in maps or because the s ...

of the 1650s. The village, as it was then, was called Ballygullyhannane. Glin ''An Gleann'' was previously ''Gleann Corbraighe'', "Valley of the Corbry", from the stream flowing through the village into the Shannon. Glin is in the

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

of Shanid, formerly a division of the barony of Lower Connello.Glin
''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'' (1837), Samuel Lewis A road through the mountains south to

Abbeyfeale Abbeyfeale (; ) is a historic market town in County Limerick, Ireland, near the border with County Kerry. The town is on the N21 road (Ireland), N21 road from Limerick to Tralee, some south-west of Newcastle West and south-east of Listowel and ...

was completed in 1836 Glin gave its name to a poor law union established in 1850. A

workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...

was erected southeast of the village.Glin Poor Law Union and Workhouse
Peter Higginbotham In 1891, the poor law union was dissolved. In 1894, the workhouse became the site for a District School for boys, run by the Christian Brothers, and girls, run by the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...

. The workhouse closed in 1920, and the District School in 1924. In 1928, St Joseph's industrial school for boys moved to the site from Sexton Street in

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

. The school, also run by the Christian Brothers, closed in 1966. Reports of

abuse Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...

of the residents were documented by the 2009 report of the

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) was one of a range of measures introduced by the Irish Government to investigate the extent and effects of abuse on children from 1936 onwards. Commencing its work in 1999, it was commonly known ...

Glin Castle

Upstream on the Corbry from the village is

Glin Castle Glin Castle is a Georgian country house and national heritage site located along the River Shannon in Glin, County Limerick, Glin, County Limerick, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The castle has belonged to the FitzGerald dynasty, FitzMaurice/Fit ...

and

demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. The concept or ...

, the residence of the

and now a luxury hotel.Glin Castle
official website The first castle they built was by Thomas Fitzgerald in Shanid around 1200. Its ruins are still visible. It was the home of the Knights of Glin from about 1260 until 1642, when a house was built near the site of the present castle. The present day castle was built between 1780 and 1790 by John Bateman. Although it is called a castle, it is actually a Georgian house. The contractor was a Mr. Sheehy and the stone was brought from Athea by horse drawn sledge. By 1798, the majority of the interior was finished but with the Fitzgeralds about to become bankrupt, the craftsmen downed tools and left the castle.

Industrial school monument

St Joseph's Industrial School, Ireland's second largest industrial school, was opened in Glin by the Christian Brothers in 1928. It closed in 1966. In March 2015, a monument to residents and survivors of abuse at this residential institution was erected in the town's heritage park. In 2009, the Child Abuse Commission, chaired by Judge Seán Ryan, described the school as having a "severe, systemic regime of corporal punishment". A statement, released by the Glin Project to mark the unveiling at the monument, said that the monument had "the support and goodwill of the vast majority of local people" and described the monument's inscription as representing a "clear and unambiguous apology by the Christian Brothers".

Culture

The

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

days in Glin were 8 June, the first Wednesday in September, and 3 December, with a weekly market each Wednesday. Glin also holds an annual event known as the ''Swim to Clare'' where locals swim either to or from Clare to the local pier, depending on which way the tide is going. Cycling events are also held throughout the year, as the town is located off the main N69 road.

Sport

The local

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

club,

Glin GAA Glin GAA ( Irish: ''An Gleann CLG'') is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Glin, County Limerick, Ireland. Glin GAA club was founded in 1898 under the name of Glin Emmetts, in commemoration of Robert Emmett who played a major role in t ...

club, won seven county football championships between 1926 and 1934. The club's rivals include Fr. Caseys and Newcastle West. It reached the 2009 County Junior Final, losing a replay to

Mountcollins Mountcollins () is a village in the extreme south west of County Limerick, Ireland, barely 100 metres from the border with County Kerry and just a mile from County Cork. The River Feale runs parallel to the village and is fed by the Caher River ...

References

External links

GLIN, a market and post-town, and a parish
from ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'' (1837) by Samuel Lewis
A collection of images of Glin, Co. Limerick

The Glin Development Association website
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick Towns and villages in County Limerick