Ennis is the
county townA county town is the 'capital' of a county in Republic of Ireland or the United Kingdom. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of
ClareCounty Clare commonly referred to as simply Clare, is a county of Ireland and part of the wider province of Munster. Clare is one of the 26 counties within the Republic of Ireland and it provides a basis for local government, in the form of its own constituency within the Dáil Éireann...
in
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
. Situated on the
River FergusThe River Fergus is a river in County Clare, Ireland. It rises in The Burren and flows into the Shannon Estuary. It is noted for its trout and salmon fishing. Trummer is an island in the river...
, it lies north of
LimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland,
[Information based on Central Statistics Office figures from 2006, which is the most recent census information available.] and the principal city in County Limerick...
and south of
GalwayGalway is the fastest growing and is the fifth largest city in Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht. The city is located on the west coast of Ireland...
. Its name is a shortening of the original
("long rowing meadow island").
The town is 19 km (12 mi) from
ShannonShannon or Shannon Town , named after the river near which it stands, is a new town located in County Clare and is one of only three planned towns on the island of Ireland, the others being the Northern Ireland town of Craigavon and the Mayo tourist town of Westport. It was given town status on 1...
and
Shannon AirportShannon Airport is one of Ireland's three primary airports . It is the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland and the fourth busiest on the island of Ireland, with 3.1 million passengers in 2008...
. Geographically located near the mouth of the Fergus estuary, it is now a gateway to the West of Clare via the N85 Western relief road for people travelling from the Limerick and East Clare regions.
The 2006 census indicates that Ennis had a population of 24,253 making it the largest town in
MunsterMunster is a province of Ireland, located in the south-west of the island. The province is not used as an administration division as such, with the counties filling that role. Much of the area aside from Clare is represented internationally by the South constituency of the European Parliament...
and the sixth largest town in Ireland. It is the
11th largest urban centre in the country.
In 2005 Ennis won the
Irish Tidy Towns CompetitionThe Irish National Tidy Towns Competition is an annual competition organized by the Irish Government's Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government...
. The town has maintained this high status over the years coming 2nd in 2008, an improvement on the previous year.
History
The name Ennis comes from the Irish word "Inis", which means an island formed between two courses of the River Fergus and on which the Franciscan Abbey was built. The past of Ennis is greatly associated with the O'Brien family, who were descendants of
Brian BoruBrian mac Cennétig, called Brian Bóruma, Brian Boru, Emperor of the Irish , , was an Irish king who ended the centuries-long domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill...
. During the 12th century the O'Brien's who were Kings of Thomond, left their seat of power in
LimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland,
[Information based on Central Statistics Office figures from 2006, which is the most recent census information available.] and the principal city in County Limerick...
and built a royal residence at Clonroad on the then island. During 1240 King Donnchadh O'Brien ordered the construction of an extensive church grounds which he later donated to recently formatted followers of St. Francis. The centuries which followed bore great activity. The Friars keep was expanded and students came in great flocks to study at the theological college. The Friars, who were free to move about, met the spiritual needs of the local population. It was a religious centre until the
Dissolution of the MonasteriesThe Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, denotes the administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, nunneries and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their income, disposed...
.
Because it never had town walls it became a location for many Catholic merchants from Limerick when Catholics were forbidden to reside in the walled towns by the Penal Laws, and much of its past prosperity is attributable to this influx.
The Town contains several old British military barracks, which were built over the centuries. The Clare Road and Clonroad areas contain terraced cottages, built in the Early 20
th century to house soldiers. On Station Road, once stood a prison. Many Ennis men fought for the British Army during The First World War.
Politically, Ennis has always been considered a
Fianna FáilFianna Fáil – The Republican Party , shortened to Fianna Fáil is a political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the largest party in both houses of the Oireachtas, Ireland's bicameral parliament, and the leading party in a coalition government with the Green Party, which also has the support...
stronghold. Many of the Town's past councils are made up of members of this party. A monument to
Éamon de ValeraÉamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in 20th century Ireland...
, founder of the party and former President of Ireland, stands outside Ennis Courthouse.
The River Fergus runs through the middle of Ennis, and is a well-known trout and salmon fishery. At one time small sailing boats made their way up river from the Shannon and berthed in the centre of the town at Woodquay. This area of the Town along with Parnell Street and Mill Road was routinely susceptible to flooding, until the Ennis main drainage scheme in 2008 put an end to the event. A new pedestrian bridge was built over the river in June 2009.
Heritage and economy
Clare became a county under rule of Elizabeth I and Ennis was chosen as its capital because of its central location and it because of its great influence by the
Earls of ThomondEarl of Thomond was a title in the Peerage of Ireland that has been created twice, for the family of O'Briens, formerly a clan of celtic Ireland and the rulers of Munster. The first creation was for Murrough O'Brien, who was also created Baron Inchiquin, on 1 July 1543. On the same day his nephew...
. Ennis got a grant to hold fairs and markets in 1610 and some years later a Charter for a Corporation with a Provost, Free Burgesses, Commonalty and a Town Clerk.
Ennis continued to expand in the following centuries in a slow but steady fashion, mainly as a market town and later as a manufacturing and distributing centre. Many commodities were then conveyed by river to
ClarecastleClarecastle is a village located just south of Ennis, in County Clare, Ireland. Over the past ten years the village has a rapidly increasing population due to its close proximity to Ennis, Shannon and Limerick, and also less than an hour away from Galway city.- History :Clarecastle takes its name...
for shipment abroad.
Ennis is an historically important
market townMarket town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
. The
market squareThe market square is a feature of many European and colonial towns. It is an open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as market day.A typical English market square consists of a square or rectangular area, or sometimes...
today is still home to
market stallA stall is a small enclosure of some kind, usually less enclosed than a room.-Market stall:A market stall is usually an immobile temporary structure erected by merchants to display and shelter their merchandise...
s on each Saturday through the year and with the rise in the town's commercial retail sector in recent years, the market has shifted its traditional trading from agricultural produce to mainly textiles and home hardware. The market has added an vibrant organic farming element over the previous years.
The Town Centre consists of medieval narrow streets and laneways, which are overshadowed by simple elegant structures built over the last 1000 years . Of the main thoroughfares, Parnell Street has been pedestrianised, while the others, O'Connell Street, Bindon Street and Abbey Street are one way.
The Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint PaulSt. Peter and St Paul Cathedral is located in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland.-Diocese of Killaloe:In 1735, Catholics of Ennis built a solid chapel in a laneway which soon attained the name Chapel Lane...
is situated on the fringe of the old town centre.
Ennis serves as a major regional hub for County Clare. Among its emergency services, it contains the Ennis Regional Hospital, the HQ of the Clare Divisional Garda, the Clare Fire Brigade and Civil Defence. Ennis also includes many relief organisations, such as The Samaratans, Clare Care and St. Vincent De Paul. Among its civil services, it contains Clare County Council, Ennis Town Council, Clare Revenue Commissionairs, as well as Social and Family affairs.
Ennis has been a center for Irish Traditional Music, and for forty years has hosted the
Fleadh NuaFleadh Nua is a festival of Irish culture which has been held annually during May in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland since 1974.The Fleadh's purpose is to promote Irish traditional music and culture. Activities include music concerts, céilithe , music and dance workshops and street entertainment...
in late May each year, the second largest traditional music festival in Ireland.
Transport (bus, rail & air services)
Ennis is served by both bus and rail links to all major cities and towns in Ireland. The main bus depot is adjacent to the town's train station and both are located about one kilometre distance from the town centre. The station is situated on the Clon Road toward the east of the town, which links to the main N18 in either direction.
Bus services are provided to
Shannon AirportShannon Airport is one of Ireland's three primary airports . It is the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland and the fourth busiest on the island of Ireland, with 3.1 million passengers in 2008...
,
GalwayGalway is the fastest growing and is the fifth largest city in Ireland and the only city in the province of Connacht. The city is located on the west coast of Ireland...
,
LimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland,
[Information based on Central Statistics Office figures from 2006, which is the most recent census information available.] and the principal city in County Limerick...
,
CorkCork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster...
,
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
and all routes in between and run nearly every hour. Shannon Airport is 15 minutes from Ennis, providing daily flights to European and US destinations.
In 1976 passenger trains were withdrawn on the railway line from Limerick to
ClaremorrisClaremorris , is a town in County Mayo in the west of the Ireland, at the junction of the N17 and the N60 national routes. It has a population of approximately 3,180....
via Ennis. County Clare thus became the only Irish county outside
UlsterUlster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island.Ulster is composed of nine counties: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone are part of Northern Ireland; while Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of the Republic of Ireland.-Terminology:The...
without a passenger train service. The closure of Ennis station proved to be only temporary; eighteen rail services per day are now provided to and from Limerick City, from where connecting rail services are available to both Dublin and Cork. The
Western Railway CorridorThe Western Railway Corridor , or Conair Iarnród an Iarthair , in Ireland is a recent term for a mostly disused railway line running through the West of Ireland. Currently only two sections of the line, from Limerick to Ennis and Collooney to Sligo, see regular services, with other sections either...
north of Ennis (to
AthenryAthenry is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It lies east of Galway city, and one of the attractions of the town is its medieval castle. The town is also well-known by virtue of the song "The Fields of Athenry"....
and Galway) is expected to reopen in April 2009.
Ennis was formerly the starting point of the
West Clare RailwayThe West Clare Railway operated in County Clare, Ireland between 1887 and 1961. This 914 mm gauge narrow gauge railway ran from the county town of Ennis, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini, at Kilrush and Kilkee...
, a narrow gauge railway which ran from Ennis to Ennistymon,
Miltown MalbayMiltown Malbay is a village and parish in the west of County Clare, Ireland, next to Spanish Point. The name Malbay is thought to come from the Irish meall-bhaigh, which means treacherous coast...
and onwards to the towns and villages along the West Clare coastline. Trains ran from the same railway station as still used by mainline
Irish railway servicesRail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.The gauge is Irish gauge.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
. The line was
CIÉCIE is an acronym which can stand for:* Cleveland Institute of Electronics, a private technical and engineering educational institution* Cambridge International Examinations, an international examination board...
's last narrow gauge railway and was finally closed in 1961, despite investment in new diesel trains in the early/mid 1950s.
Education
Primary Schools in Ennis include
Ennis National SchoolEnnis National School is a primary school in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland opened in 1897 . It was a boys' school for 95 years before becoming co-educational in 1992. As of 2006 it has some 40 teachers....
, established in 1897 (Formerly Boys National School),
CloughleighCloughleigh is a council housing estate on the Western side of Ennis, County Clare, Ireland.It is mostly made up of bungalows, semi-detached houses and terraced houses...
National School, Gaelscoil Mhicíl Cíosóg, Holy Family School, CBS and the multi-denominational Ennis Educate Together National School. There are several secondary level schools located in Ennis, including
Rice CollegeRice College is a secondary school in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland founded in 1826. It is also a C.B.S with a house on the property where "Brothers" still reside. No Brothers teach in the secondary school but it was previously run by the religious order. It was formerly an all boys school, but...
, Ennis Community College, Colaiste Mhuire,
St. Flannan's CollegeSt. Flannan's College is an Irish secondary school located in Ennis, County Clare. Formerly an all-boys boarding school, the first girls class was entered in 2002 and in 2005 the boarding school was closed. In 2003 an extension which added over 20 new rooms to the college was completed...
, and Gaelcholaiste an Chláir. The Ennis Business college is one of Ennis's 3rd level facilities.
Culture
Ennis is a stronghold of traditional music with many musicians in residence and regularly playing locally. There is a thriving Rock music scene in Ennis with bands playing at Glór and pubs around the town. The town is host each May to the annual
, a traditional music festival. The Glór Irish Music Centre hosts music concerts, comedy acts and plays. The World Irish Dancing Championships are also held every two years in the town.
Sports and Leisure
Cusack Park, the main county GAA playing grounds is situated in the Town centre on Francis Street.
Ennis has many athletics areas, such as Lees Road, which consists of playing pitches and running woods and also in the centre of the town lies the Fair Green.
There is one 25m pool in the town as well as other smaller ones in hotel leisure clubs throughout.
Sister cities
A sister city of Ennis is
Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the fifth most populous city in the United States...
. Each summer an average of four 4th/5th year students partake in the Phoenix Youth Ambassador Program, which is facilitated by the city of Phoenix twinning committee and the Ennis Chamber Of Commerce.
It is also twinned with the town of
Saint-Paul-de-FenouilletSaint-Paul-de-Fenouillet is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-References:*...
; in Southern France.
Information Age Town
In September 1997, Ennis became Ireland's first and only Information Age Town, which was funded by
EircomEircom Group plc is an Irish Telecommunications company, and former state-owned incumbent. It is currently the largest telecommunications operator in the Republic of Ireland and operates primarily on the island of Ireland, with a point of presence in the UK....
(formerly Telecom Éireann). The town was greatly enhanced by the project's IR£15 million investment, which saw 4200 computers provided to residents, a computer lab for every school and every primary school classroom been provided with a computer. Elderly residents were given the chance to become computer users also as a result. The project also gave Ennis Ireland's first high speed ISDN line infrastructure, which connected all the town's businesses together. Ennis was also used as a test site for VISA Cash, which allowed users to top up a chip and pin card with petty cash and purchase goods in local stores. Funding for the project ran out in 2000.
People
- Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell , known as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the nineteenth century...
, MP returned for the Clare electoral area, was known as "The Liberator" for his winning of Catholic Emancipation in 1829.
- Des Lynam
Desmond Michael "Des" Lynam, OBE is an Irish presenter on British television and radio.He has hosted television coverage of high profile events for many years...
, Irish presenter on British television
- Dara O'Kearney
Dara O'Kearney, born 17 June 1965 in Ennis, County Clare, is an Irish international ultra runner and professional poker player.He won the 2005 Tresco marathon, the 2006 New York Road Runners 60K ultra marathon, the 2007 Schinnen 50K, the 2008 Brno Indoor 6 hour race, and was the 2007 Irish 24 hour...
, international ultra runner and professional poker player
- Trotskyist theorist Sean Matgamna
Sean Matgamna, also known as John O'Mahony is a Trotskyist theorist and activist.- Early political experience :...
- Boxer Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome...
's great grandfather Abe Grady was from the Turnpike area of Ennis. On 1 September 2009, Ali was made the first Honorary Freeman of Ennis on his first visit to the town.
- Singer Maura O'Connell
Maura O'Connell is a Grammy Award-nominated Irish singer and actress. She is known for her contemporary interpretation of Irish folk songs, strongly influenced by American country music.-Background:...
comes from the market area of Ennis
- The scriptwriter Mark O'Halloran
Mark O'Halloran is an Irish scriptwriter and actor. He is a native of Ennis, County Clare. He has written award-winning screenplays for the films Adam and Paul and Garage and the RTE mini-series Prosperity....
, who wrote the screenplays for the films Adam and PaulAdam and Paul is a 2004 Irish film. The plot is centred around a day in the life of two Dublin City centre junkies, Adam and Paul. Adam is the taller and slightly smarter of the two while Paul is his sidekick.-Plot summary:...
and GarageGarage is a 2007 Irish film directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Mark O'Halloran, the same team behind Adam and Paul. It stars Pat Shortt, Anne-Marie Duff and Conor J. Ryan. Garage has won CICAE Art and Essai Cinema Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the Best Film Prize at Turin Film...
, is from Ennis.
- William Mulready
William Mulready was an Irish genre painter living in London. He is best known for his romanticizing depictions of rural scenes.William Mulready was born in Ennis, County Clare...
(1786–1863) – Genre Painter
- James Bartholomew Blackwell
James Bartholomew Blackwell was born on Barrack Street in Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland. Records of his year of birth vary between 1763 and 1765.- Education :He was closely related to Dr Bartholomew Murray who died in Paris on 8 January 1767...
(b. 1763/1765 – d. ?) – Revolutionary soldier
- Johnny Patterson
John Francis Patterson was an Irish singer, song writer and circus entertainer.He was born in Kilbarron, Feakle, County Clare. Both his parents had died by the time he was three years old and so he was raised by an uncle in Ennis. At the age of 14 he enlisted in the 63rd Regiment of Foot which...
(1840-1889) singer and composer was born in Feakle but raised in Ennis
- Actress Harriet Smithson
Henrietta Constance Smithson was an Anglo-Irish actress, the first wife of Hector Berlioz, and the inspiration for his Symphonie Fantastique....
(b. 1800 – d. 1854), first wife of French composer Hector Berlioz Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande Messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation...
, was born and lived for a time in Ennis.
- Footballer Claude Makalele(b. 1973 -present), a great French footballing talent in his day, Claude's aunt, Mary Makelele lives in Willow Park, on the Watery Road in Ennis.
Cultural references
- Ennis is mentioned in the songs "Isobel" by British performer Dido
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong professionally known as Dido is an English singer-songwriter who has sold over 28 million albums worldwide.-Biography:...
, and "At The Ceili" by Celtic WomanCeltic Woman is a musical ensemble comprising five Irish female artists: vocalists Chloë Agnew, Lynn Hilary, Lisa Kelly, Alex Sharpe and fiddler Máiréad Nesbitt. The group's repertoire ranges from traditional Celtic tunes to modern songs...
.
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Clare)
- List of towns and villages in Ireland.
- Cloughleigh
Cloughleigh is a council housing estate on the Western side of Ennis, County Clare, Ireland.It is mostly made up of bungalows, semi-detached houses and terraced houses...
- Roslevan
Roslevan is a residential area on the eastern side of Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. The area has many housing estates such as Oakleigh Wood, Cappahard, Corrovorin. There are two council housing estates in the area, called Bridgecourt and Bridgeview...
External links