Barrington, Son & Co. Solicitors

Matthew Barrington was born on 21 May 1788 in Limerick as the eldest of five sons and two daughters of Joseph Barrington and Mary née Baggott. He was educated in Limerick and King's Inns and established a highly successful solicitor's practice at 10 Ely Place in Dublin. In 1814, he was appointed a crown solicitor for Munster. From the 1840s he acted as solicitor and adviser to the Great Southern and Western Railway and was instrumental for the establishment of the railway station known as Limerick Junction. He was the founder of Barrington's Hospital and City of Limerick Infirmary (1831), the first general hospital in Limerick to provide for the poor. He owned extensive estates in Limerick and was the builder of the massive Norman revival castle, Glenstal. Matthew Barrington died on 1 April 1861 and is buried in St Mary's cathedral in Limerick. His son, Croker Barrington (1817-1890) took over the management of the legal firm and ran a similar establishment in Limerick city. The firm existed at least until 1974, operating under the name 'Barrington & Sons'.