About Cappamore
Cappamore Town, situated in East Limerick, is part of the Slieve Felim area, which was designated for special study by the government over a two-year period 1988-1989. It is located about 13 miles South East of Limerick, very much removed from main traffic routes and the main centres of employment, could be described in modern terms as being isolated. It has a strong rural and dairying background but small farm sizes and poor soil quality make farm incomes insufficient to maintain current employment need through agriculture alone. This decline in rural incomes although widespread throughout the country is intensified in communities such as Cappamore where it is reflected through the closure of the mill, dance hall, cinema and creamery in recent years, which at their peak in the 1970’s employed 45 people.

There is nevertheless a history of very strong and active community spirit in Cappamore, which has maintained a closely united and viable community despite all the adverse factors, which would tend to undermine it.

Cappamore is one of the seven parishes in the Slieve Felim region, which came together in 1988 to seek solutions to the economic and social problems of the area. The population of Slieve Felim region is 22,000, covering an area of 900 Sq. Km. 70% of the region is classified as severely handicapped, 15% less handicapped and 15% not classified.


Famine Memorial Cappamore
The years of 1846/47 brought famine, fever and death to large numbers of people in Cappamore. The intensity of the famine locally maybe measured by the decline in population of 47% in Cappamore between 1841-1851. Those families who suffered most depended on the potato for their existence particularly occupiers of cabins and small holdings of one to five acres. In 1846 there were 237 baptisms in the parish of Cappamore, 5 years later in 1851, there were only 64 baptisms.

In all 250 families or 1500 individuals disappeared off the Cappamore map during those famine years. In 1847 Cappamore fever hospital was set up in Dromsally, over a two year period of its existence it catered for 556 patients of whom only 84 died.

(Ref. Cappamore Historical Society Dr. Liam Ryan, Professor of Sociology)

Relics of Another Age
Left: Fossils believed to be 350 million years old found by the O'Neill family at Killuragh, Cappamore, Co. Limerick, near a cave on their farm.

Right: Kevin O'Neill (9) with some of the fossils found near the cave at his home.
Pictures © Kieran Clancy


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