Overview
Rathkeale’s oddity is written in its surnames. In 1709 several hundred German Protestant families, fleeing war and famine in the Rhineland-Palatinate, were resettled around the town, and the Irish Palatines – names like Switzer, Teskey, Ruttle and Sparling – put down roots that are still visible in the graveyards and farms. The town sits 30 km southwest of Limerick city on the N21, on the River Deel, and it’s also a base for a large Irish Traveller community. Most visitors come for two things: the Palatine heritage centre and the greenway that starts beside it.
History and heritage
Castle Matrix
On the southwestern edge of town stands Castle Matrix, a 15th-century tower house built by Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond, and later home to Maurice FitzGerald, 9th Earl of Desmond. Be warned before you make a special trip: recent visitors report the castle is currently closed to the public, with no tours or access, so treat it as something to admire from the road rather than a site to tour.
The Irish Palatines
The 1709 settlement gave Rathkeale a cultural identity you won’t find elsewhere in Munster. The Palatines kept their own farming methods, chapels and family networks for generations, and their descendants scattered from here to England, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada. The Irish Palatine Heritage Centre tells the whole arc – German origins, settlement in Ireland, and the later diaspora – from a museum in the town’s old railway station.
The Limerick Greenway
The Limerick Greenway follows the old Limerick–Tralee railway line for 40 km, a flat, traffic-free route from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale by way of Newcastle West. It’s genuinely easy going for families, cyclists and wheelchair users, with car parking at the Rathkeale end and again at Barnagh. The Rathkeale trailhead has a play area, a picnic area, tea rooms and short nature trails, so it works as a half-day out on its own.
What to see and do
Churches and community
St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church is the large parish church, with good stained glass. More interesting for visitors is the graveyard at Holy Trinity (Church of Ireland), where the headstones carry Palatine family names – a quiet, tangible record of who settled here and stayed.
For sport, Mick Neville Park is a GAA training ground owned by Limerick GAA, used by the county teams. The town’s own GAA club plays north of town at a pitch nicknamed ‘the bog garden’, and Rathkeale AFC plays soccer at Holy Cross on the north side.
Irish Palatine Heritage Centre
Housed in the former railway station on the greenway, the centre runs through the Palatine experience with original documents, period furniture and a well-illustrated exhibition, and there’s a tea-room and gift shop. It’s a small, single-level museum, so a visit takes an hour rather than an afternoon.
Practical information
Irish Palatine Heritage Centre details
- Address: Old Railway Buildings, Limerick Greenway, Rathkeale, Co Limerick, V94 NR12
- Phone: +353 69 64397
- Email: info@irishpalatines.org
- Website: www.irishpalatines.org
- Opening hours (June – August): Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 10:00 – 13:00
- Admission: adults around €8 (one recent visitor reported €5, so bring cash and check on arrival)
- Accessibility: wheelchair-accessible via a ramp at the main entrance; the exhibition rooms are on a single level, and there’s a large car park.
The centre keeps short summer-only hours, so this is one to plan around rather than drop in on.
Getting there
Bus Éireann routes 13 and 14 link Rathkeale with Limerick, Tralee and Killarney, running roughly every two hours from Limerick’s Colbert Station; the journey from the city takes about 35 minutes. Dublin Coach also serves the route. The old railway station is now the heritage centre – the line closed to passengers in 1963 and altogether in 1974 – and the greenway car park is the easiest place to leave a car. Drivers coming from Limerick take the N21 straight down.
Accommodation
The Rathkeale House Hotel is a restored 18th-century building set in an old orchard, with 26 en-suite rooms, free Wi-Fi, free parking and a lounge with an open fire – a quiet base for the greenway.
Nearby services
The town centre has a supermarket, cafés, bars, a post office, a credit union and a library.
Tip: time your visit for a Friday, Saturday or Sunday morning in summer, when the heritage centre is open, and give yourself twenty minutes in the Holy Trinity graveyard for the Palatine headstones before you set off along the greenway.