The relationship between Ardpatrick and Ballingaddy is such an interesting point that we may be pardoned for quoting in full from an article by Rev. M. Canty in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record Vol. 28, p. 292 September 1910.
'In the Civil Survey of 1640 Ardpatrick is placed as being in the parish of Ballingaddy. Hence it must have been united to the latter parish some time anterior to that date. Though no oral tradition of it may now remain there can be no doubt that Ardpatrick was united to Ballingaddy. In addition to the proof given in the preceding paragraph, among fragments pasted in White's MSS. History of Limerick is found the following: "The chapel of Ardphaidraig (Ardpatrick), in the parish of Ballyohadding (Ballingaddy). It belongs to the college of Kilmallock. Dedicated." Then Ardpatrick was united to Ballingaddy, and seems to have been a chapel-of-ease to the latter at the time that the fragment just quoted was written.
The fragment is taken from the taxation of the MS. History of the Rev. James White, pastor of the then existing parish of St. Nicolas in the city of Limerick, who died on February 7, 1768. James White states that he copied from an old MS., which was written by Dr. Jasper White, pastor of St. John's, and which was in the custody of the Rev. John Lehy, a succeeding pastor of that parish.
According to a note in Mr. Lenihan's History of Limerick (P. 577) the Rev. Dr. Jasper White was a priest in Limerick in 1688. Hence we may place the union of Ardpatrick with Ballingaddy some date prior to the civil survey of 1640. There can be no doubt as to the union, for the fragment, and consequently the MS. from which it was taken expressly says that Ardpatrick was in the parish of Ballingaddy. Furthermore, when speaking of the places of Divine service in the deanery, James White calls the one at Ardpatrick a chapel, whilst he designates that of Ballingaddy as a church. In looking through his list of such places, I find that he gives the secondary ones as chapels and the principal parochial ones as churches. As an instance, he writes the chapel of St. Laurence in Ahaillaca (Athlacca) and the "parish church of Aheleacagh (Athlacca). .. .dedicated to St. John the Baptist".'