Owned successively by three great families – the O’Donnells (1474-1610), the Brookes (1610–76) and the Gores (1676-c.1950s) – the most striking feature of its history is its former political prominence. Under the O’Donnells, it was for 130 years the capital of Tír Chonaill – effectively an independent state and a minor international power. Later, it suffered four sieges (1601, 1641, 1651, 1689) but was never captured, it was the principal estate town of the Gore family for 240 years, a parliamentary constituency for 187 years, the administrative centre of a poor law union for 85 years, and the archetypical Irish market town for two centuries.

Matthew Potter is a native of Donegal town but has been resident in Limerick since 1974. He is curator of Limerick Museum and an associate fellow in the School of History and Geography, University of Limerick. He has published extensively on urban history and local government history.