Winner of the Irish Historical Research Prize, this book is the definitive history of Limerick City and County. Aimed at the widest possible readership, its appeal is directed towards the people of Limerick whose sense of place centres upon village, town or city neighbourhood. Secondly, it is directed towards the migrants and emigrants everywhere who have departed the middleground of Munster but who retain an abiding love of home place and of ancestral places. Thirdly, the book is expected to appeal to scholars, students of local or regional history and the more general reader with an interest in city, town and village life.

The book is a pioneering study which seeks to explore in great detail the roots of the urban settlements that bestride mid Munster and it traces their development through the breaks and continuities of Munster and Irish history.