It is the only known admission register of its time to have survived. It contains information on the age, sex, place of origin, religion and medical condition of named inmates, together with details of their admission (whether voluntary or not) and discharge. The latter might include observations such as 'his friends bought his coffin', 'promised to return home', or 'security given not to beg'.
Most of the inmates came from Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and Cork.
Pauper Limerick, The Register of the Limerick House of Industry, 1774-1793, edited by historians Dr David Fleming and Dr John Logan of the University of Limerick, is published by the Irish Manuscripts Commission. €45. More details: www.irishmanuscripts.ie.