Edmund Pery, 1st Viscount Pery

Edmund Pery, born in Limerick in 1719, became the penultimate Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and a leading voice for Irish legislative independence. He shaped the city’s development and represented Limerick City for decades, while his brother William rose to become Baron Glentworth and his sister Lucy founded what is now St John’s Hospital. The Pery name still moves through Limerick’s streets, churches and public institutions, a reminder that one family helped build the city’s civic confidence.