The Limerick Boycott

In the late 1870s, a small group of Jewish families from Lithuania settled in Limerick City. They were mostly traders in clothing, books and pictures. They settled in the Collooney Street (now Wolfe Tone Street), and Lord Edward Street areas of the city.

According to the 1901 census, the Jewish population in Limerick was 168. In 1902, the Jewish community bought a piece of land in Castletroy, where they established a cemetery and a prayer house.

Limerick Boycott
Courtesy of Limerick City Library.

In January 1904, Fr. John Creagh of the Redemptorist Order in Limerick city gave two sermons that expressed unfounded hostility towards Limerick's Jewish community. Bigotry towards Jews is often referred to as 'anti-Semitism'.

Among other unjustified accusations, Fr. Creagh claimed that the Jewish business community exploited its customers. Creagh's inflammatory sermon was denounced by many leaders, including Michael Davitt, who protested that: 'The Jews have never done any injury to Ireland. Like our own race, they have endured a persecution, the records of which will forever remain a reproach to the "Christian" nations of Europe.'

A boycott of Limerick's Jewish community quickly followed Creagh's incitement, along with many assaults and beatings of Limerick's Jews in the streets. The crippling boycott lasted for two years.

Many Jewish families in the city were forced to leave as their businesses failed. Some families travelled to Cork. They intended to travel to America from the port in Cobh. However, they were largely welcomed by the Cork community and several stayed on there rather than emigrate to America. The family of Gerald Goldberg, who was to become Cork's first Jewish Lord Mayor, was amongst those who fled Limerick.