Limerick Choral Union was established in 1964 so that Limerick would have a choir to accompany the Radio Eireann Orchestra on its visits to the city and with the aim of bringing the best of choral music to Limerick. This initiative emanated from the Limerick Symphony Concerts Society and Radio Eireann and among those involved in the foundation of the Choral Union were its first Musical Director and Choir Master, Fr. Oliver O’Brien, S.J., Tibor Paul, distinguished Chief Conductor of the Radio Eireann Orchestra, Mrs. Frances Condell, Mayor of Limerick and the late Michael Allott, first honorary Life President of Limerick Choral Union.

Limerick Choral Union was in fact one of the first manifestations of Ecumenism in the Mid-West and its inaugural meeting brought together singers from church choirs of all denominations in Limerick and surrounding areas, and indeed the enthusiasm and support of Bishop Wyse Jackson of the clergy of St Mary’s Cathedral was invaluable in the launching of Limerick Choral Union with a gala performance of Mozart’s Requiem in the Cathedral on the 4th of May 1964 with Tibor Paul conducting, Soloists on that occasion were Veronica Dunne and Bernadette Greevy, and among the sopranos in the choir was the young Suzanne Murphy, who has since won such distinction in the world of international opera.

Some of Limerick Choral Union’s founding members are still associated with it, among them Patrick Wallace, twin brothers and long serving committee members, Phil and Tim Madden, Helen Allott, Mary McGrath and Margaret Murphy. True to its founding aim, Limerick Choral Union has performed many of the major choral works. Its courage and initiative in taking on the challenges of great choral works, several receiving their first Irish performances, has been one of the hallmarks of Limerick Choral Union and the excellence of superb first performances in Ireland of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, the great Mass in D (1967), Janacek’s renowned Glagolithic Mass (1968) and Haydn’s Missa Sancti Bernardi (1978) has been widely recognised.

Tibor Paul was a great inspirational force, and many of the Choral Union’s performances then, and since, have been broadcast. At his farewell concert in a packed Savoy Cinema in 1967 following a standing ovation for L.C.U’s performance of the Missa Solemnis, he paid tribute to the Choral Union as the best amateur choir he had ever conducted, emphasising its superbly innovative spirit, when he pointed out that for five years he had tried to persuade many of the Dublin choirs to perform this work, considered to be the greatest challenge to any choir, but to no avail. Limerick Choral Union also made history by being the first choral group, with whom the RTE Singers had performed (in the Glagolithic Mass).

In the years following Tibor Paul’s departure from Ireland, the Choral Union performed with conductors of both national and international renown, including Ludovit Faijter (Czechoslovakia), Rene Liebowitz (Poland), Christopher Adey (England), James Furst (with the Ulster Orchestra), Colman Pearce, Andre Prieur, Professor Aloys Fleischmann and Albert Rosen.

From 1975 onwards, Limerick Choral Union was fortunate to work in close and fruitful association with Dr. Hans Waldermar Rosen, as Musical Director and Conductor. This was an especially rich period in the life of Limerick Choral Union, marked by memorable performances – some legendary – of great works like: Bruckner’s Mass in F Minor, Haydn’s Missa Sanch Bernardi, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, the Missa Brevis Sancti Joannes de Deo. The Limerick Choral Union paid tribute to their great and inspirational mentor in an 80th Birthday Concert, and their rich and harmonious partnership culminated in the Limerick Choral Union’s Coming of Age Concert, of works by Bach, Handel & Britten. It paid tribute to him by joining in a Memorial Concert in Kenmare in 1995 (following his death in his ninetieth year in April 1994), which was attended by his daughter Jutta, who had travelled from Cologne for the occasion.

Limerick Choral Union later worked with Liam Fitzgerald (and the Dublin Baroque Orchestra) and Clem Garvey, who brought the young Non Nobis Domine singers to perform with the Limerick Choral Union. Other great joint ventures were performances with the Monks of Glenstal Abbey, in works like Palestrina’s Latin Mass, Assumpta Est Maria.

Some of the best-remembered performances of Limerick Choral Union marked great moments in the history of music, and celebrated key moments in the life of Limerick, and other Irish cities, as well as in its own history. Among these was the performance of the Missa Solemnis to mark the 200th Anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Schubert’s Mass in C in his anniversary year 1997 and a salute to Mozart Concert in 1991.

Historic events celebrated were the 1996 Commemorative Concert (1916), the Sieges of Limerick Concert (1991), and Limerick 800 with its first concert in the University Concert Hall in December 1997. Its twenty-first Birthday coincided with European Music Year, celebrated by Limerick Choral union in works by J. Bach and Handel, while its Silver Jubilee Concert was a superb concert of Tchaikovski, Elgar, Kodaly, and fittingly, Haydn’s Te Deum, conducted by Clem Garvey.

Limerick Choral Union has attracted many top soloists over the years, including Bernadette Greevy, Veronica Dunne, Jennifer Vivian, Mary Sheridan de Bruin, Mattiwalda Dobbs, Franzita Whelan, Cara O’Sullivan and

Limerick Choral Union’s outstanding soprano Rene Madden. Male soloists have included Frank Patterson, Finbarr Wright, Stephen O’Shea, Harry Howes, William Young, Paddy Ring, Joe Dalton and Seamus O’Reilly.

Handel’s Messiah, has, as might be expected enjoyed a special place in the repertoire of the Limerick Choral Union. In the seventies it performed Messiah in Advent each year, with Dr. Hans Rosen conducting the R.T.E. Symphony Orchestra, and later the Dublin Baroque Players, The Ulster Orchestra & the Testore Chamber Orchestra. A memorable “Messiah” was that of 1980 when Limerick Choral Union joined forces with Kerry Choral Union, performing in both Limerick and Tralee.

Limerick Choral Union was invited to perform Messiah in St. Canice’s, Kilkenny in 1985 to commemorate the anniversary of the foundation of the Cathedral in 1285 and while that of 1990 in St Mary’s Cathedral Limerick, was in aid of its Restoration Fund. “ Messiah For All” at Dublin’s Point Theatre, an event organised by The Gay Byrne Show to help Goal & Concern fight famine in Somalia was a highlight of 1992. A special performance of Handel’s Messiah also, was that in St. John’s Cathedral in 1994 as part of the Centenary celebrations of the Consecration of St. John’s. The Choral Union also marked the 250th Anniversary of the first performance of “Messiah” in an ecclesiastical building, when they were invited to join in the “Messiah For All” in St. Finbarr’s Cathedral Cork.

Recent years have seen a resurgence of spirit in Limerick Choral Union. The nineties proved a time of significant growth and consolidation in its development. A special concert was one to celebrate the centenary of St. Joseph’s Church (venue for so many years of its concerts) when the Choral Union performed Schubert’s Mass in G. In the second half of the decade, guided by a buoyant and dynamic committee, and led by its gifted and dedicated Musical Director, Malcolm Green, Limerick Choral Union presented a series of critically applauded concerts, both from its long-established, and newly expanded, repertoires. These included a striking performance of Faure’s Requiem – aptly with a French choir, The Vent d’Est Singers from Paris, in St. Joseph’s Church, April 1997, and, memorably Schubert’s Mass in C, the first of Limerick Choral Union’s performances in Limerick’s University Concert Hall in December 1997. The highlight of 1998 was a much-acclaimed Christmas performance of Handel’s “Messiah” at University Concert Hall, following a rich Summer concert of music by Mozart, Vivaldi, Schubert, Orff and Faure. In its spring concert of 1999 Limerick Choral Union performed Stainer’s “Crucifixion” and Faure’s “Requiem” in St Joseph’s Church. Their annual Christmas concert of Seasonal and Messiah Highlights at University Concert Hall, included works by Purcell and Mozart and a very well received rendition of “When Icicles Hang by the Wall” by John Rutter, new to many in the audience.

Limerick Choral Union marked the Millennium firstly with a celebratory – Easter – performance of Haydn’s Creation. The first performance of this great work in Limerick in more than 50 years, they were joined by an English choir, the Marlow Singers. Again in December 2000, at the Limerick University Concert Hall, in a very special joint Millennium Celebration with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, in a concert of music by Vivaldi, including a spirited performance of his “Gloria”.

In the new Millennium the Choral Union has gone from strength to strength, with growing members and emerging talents, as well as expanding and enthusiastic audiences. A high note in the long musical history of Limerick Choral Union was struck on Good Friday, 13th April, 2001, with a triumphal rendering of Mozart’s “Requiem” for which the University Concert Hall was sold out. This again was the case for it’s performance of Handel’s Messiah at Christmas 2001, acclaimed by many as it’s most inspired interpretation to date, of that great work.

In 2002, with undiminished ardour and freshness, the Limerick Choral Union further extended its wide repertoire, with its first performance of Cherubini’s “Requiem”. Affording its loyal audience an opportunity to hear a rarely performed but very beautiful work, one much admired by other composers, among them Schumann, and in particular, Beethoven, who was a contemporary of Cherubini. At his own request, the Requiem which he so admired was played at Beethoven’s funeral. His admiration for this work inspired the inclusion of Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto in the programme, while Cherubini’s many years living and working in France are acknowledged in the choice of the music of Saint-Saens.

On Good Friday, 2003 in the University Concert Hall in Limerick, Limerick Choral Union joined forces with the Mary Immaculate College Choral Society, under the guest direction of Dr. Gareth Cox, to present the first complete performance in Limerick of Mendelssohn's Elijah.