County Limerick Poor Law Unions

Glin, Newcastle, Croom, Kilmallock, Michelstown, Tipperary, Limerick and Rathkeale

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Poor Law Unions

Under the Poor Relief Act, 1838, Ireland was divided into districts or "unions" in which the local inhabitants were to be financially responsible for the care of all the paupers in their areas.  These unions did not respect county boundaries and were usually centered around a large market town.  The poor law unions of Ireland were subdivided into 829 registration districts and 3,751 district electoral divisions.  Townlands were arranged according to these divisions, with parishes and baronies being retained only as a means to make caomparisons with records gathered before 1898.