Ennis Town
Ennis, situated on the banks of the River Fergus, is the county town of County Clare. It is located 37km from Limerick city and 67km from Galway City. Shannon International Airport is only 24km south of Ennis.
Ennis Town has a population of over 18,000 (census 2002) and the population is expected to grow in Ennis and its Environs to 32,000 by 2008. Ennis is designated as a "Hub" in the National Spatial Strategy and as such is a regional growth centre and will attract infrastructural investment to facilitate its further growth and expansion.
Ennis is one of Ireland's fastest growing towns. With its narrow streets and lanes, Ennis represents a pleasant blend of the historic past and the active present. It is a tourist centre of major importance and acts as a superb base for County Clare's many other attractions.
Video: Ennis - Gateway to Clare
Download the "Ennis - Gateway to Clare" video below (a broadband connection will be required to download the file as the file is very large). The clip is 12 minutes 42 seconds in duration.
Video (AVI) [25.36 MB] Subtitles [17KB]
If you wish to view the video with subtitles:
- Download the video to your computer along with the subtitle file. The files must be copied to the same location.
- Use Windows Media Player to view the video. The Windows Media Player can be downloaded from the Microsoft Website.
- Open the View menu in Windows Media Player > choose Full Mode
- Open the Play menu > select Captions and Subtitles > choose On, if Available.
- If you are having a problem viewing the subtitles please contact the Web Systems on 6846242 in Clare County Council
Awards and Achievements
In 1997, Ennis became Ireland’s “Information Age Town” by winning the prestigious national Telecom Eireann Competition.
Ennis received a Silver Medal in the International Entente Florale Competition in 1997 and a Gold Medal in the same competition in 2002.
Ennis has a proud history of success in the National Tidy Towns Competition. In recent years, the town has achieved success at County, Regional and National level. Ennis was awarded Gold Medals in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. The pinnacle of the town’s success was in 2005 when Ennis was designated Ireland’s Tidiest Town. The following extract from the winner’s report highlights the attractiveness of the town.
- “Built Environment: The built heritage of Ennis dates back to the 16th Century and much of the late medieval town still exists. Ennis is now a bustling commercial and cultural centre and the modern buildings of today reflect this, however, it is the traditional shop fronts which add real character to the heart of the town.
- Landscaping: The comprehensive and well maintained landscaping on the approach roads and in the town centre ensures that Ennis looks its best at all times.
- Wildlife and Natural Amenities: The many geese and ducks inhabiting the riverside post office field are a delight to view and a clear demonstration of the commitment that exists for preserving and cultivating indigenous wildlife.
- Litter Control: In view of the size of the town and the throughput of visitors, it has to be said that the litter situation is well contained both in the town and in the suburbs. The initiative to involve local businesses by encouraging them to sweep outside their premises twice daily and particularly at closing times is very worthwhile.
- Residential Areas: Housing estates and individual properties were mostly well presented and make a real contribution to the overall tidy towns effort.
- Roads, Streets and Back Areas: We are glad to see that public signage throughout Ennis has improved and the upgrading of footpaths was noted.
- Overall Developmental Approach: The co-operation between the Tidy Towns Committee, Ennis Town Council, Clare County Council, Residents Associations, Schools and other groups is exemplary and a model for other similar large centres to emulate. The people of Ennis clearly take pride in looking after their own areas and credit is due to all concerned.”
The town’s consistent success in the Tidy Towns Competition continued in 2006 when another Gold Medal Award was achieved and the town was designated Ireland’s Tidiest Large Urban Centre 2006.
History
The town of Ennis developed around the 13th Century Franciscan Abbey. The town takes its name from Inis, meaning an island which was formed between two streams of the River Fergus and on which the foundations of the Franciscan Abbey were laid. The history of Ennis is intimately linked with that of the O'Brien family, descendants of Brian Boru. During the 12th century the O'Brien's, Kings of Thomond, left their seat of power in Limerick and settled at Clonroad where they built a royal residence.
In 1240, King Donnchadh O'Brien commenced the building of an extensive church which he later entrusted to the newly arrived followers of St. Francis. The centuries which followed witnessed scenes of great activity. The Friars residence was extended and students came in large numbers to study at the theological school. The Friars who were free to move about met the spiritual needs of the townspeople.
When Clare became a county under Elizabeth I, Ennis was chosen as it's capital by reason of it's central position and it's being well within the influence of the Earls of Thomond. Ennis received 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 Clarecastle for shipment abroad.
Hely Dutton who carried out a statistical survey of Ennis in 1808 left valuable information about the town at that time. Local factories were turning out clothing and blankets, the flour mills absorbed a large quota of corn for milling, all of which was grown locally. There was a brewery in the present day Abbey Street car park, and a distillery and malt house sited near Knox's Bridge.
The famine of 1845 and its aftermath affected Ennis, as did the cholera epidemic of 1832. The population fell from 9,318 in 1841 to 7,041 in 1861 because of famine, fever and emigration.
Ennis is associated with some of the great political leaders of the past. 1828 marked the return to parliament of Daniel O'Connell in the famous Clare Elections. Charles Stewart Parnell, when visiting Ennis in 1880, gave an address in which he propounded the policy of boycott.
In 1917, Eamon de Valera was selected to contest the East Clare by-election and so began his long association with the town and county. Today, Ennis has well developed shopping, business, commercial, educational, community and amenity facilities.