ENNIS, a borough, and market-town, in the parish
of DROMCLIFFE, barony of ISLANDS, county of CLARE,
(of which it is the chief town), and province of MUNSTER,
18 miles (N. W.) front Limerick, on the mail road
to Galway, and 111¾ (S. W.) from Dublin; containing
7711, and within the new electoral boundary, 9747 inhabitants.
This place derives its name, formerly spelt
Innis or Inish, signifying an island, from the iusulation
of a considerable plot of ground by the river Fergus,
According to the Ulster Annuls, it was anciently called
Inniscluan-ruadhu, and one of its suburbs is still called
Clonroad. Mac Curtin states that it was eminent as a
seat of learning, upwards of 600 scholars and 350
monks having been here supported by O'Brien, prince
of Thomond, after the arrival of the English, About
the year 1240, Donogh Carbrue O'Brien erected a noble
monastery at Ennis for Franciscan friars, which in 1305,
according to the Annuls of Innisfallen, was rebuilt or
repaired and much adorned by another branch of that
family. It was for a long period the place of sepulture
of the princes of Thomond, and occasionally of the
chiefs of the sept of Mac Namara; and its prosperity
appears to have been in these times dependent on this
circumstance. In 1306, Dermot, grandson of Brien-
Roe, at the head of a body of native and English forces,
entirely destroyed the town. In 1311, Donogh, King
of Thomond, bestowed the whole revenue of his principality
for the enlargement and support of this monastery,
and some time after the refectory and sacristy were
built by Mathew Mac Namara, It is recorded in the
Ulster Annals that Terence O'Brien, bishop of Killaloe,
was here barbarously slain, in 1460, by Brien O'Brien.
The friary was reformed by Franciscans of the Strict
Observance: it remained in the Crown for some time
subsequent to the Reformation, and was granted, in
1621, to Wm, Dongan, Esq. In 1609, Donogh, or Donat,
Earl of Thomond, obtained a grant of n market and
fairs to be held here; and in 1612 "the town of Inish,"
was created a borough. In 1661, the goods of some of
the townspeople were seized in payment of salary due
to Isaac Granier, one of their representatives in parliament,
but were released on their stating, that he had
agreed to serve gratuitously us their representative.
It is situated nearly in the centre of the county, on
the principal or south-western branch of the river
Fergus, which surrounds a portion of the town and its
north-eastern suburbs; two of the principal streets
form a continuous line following the winding of the
river, and a third branches off from the court-house
towards Limerick. The moat populous of these is very
narrow and irregularly built, and the entrance from
Limerick is rendered equally inconvenient by a projecting
angle of the court-house, which, from its dilapidated
state, requires to be rebuilt. In 1831 the town
comprised 1104 houses, and within the new electoral
boundary, l390; the suburbs, which art very extensive,
consist chiefly of cabins. A new street, of superior
houses has been lately built between the county infirm
ary and the river; and a handsome bridge of a single
arch, with parapets of hewn stone, has been recently
completed, at an expense of £800, on the site of a
former one nearly opposite the abbey, The town is not
lighted, and the police perform the duty of a nightly
patrol. A county club-house has been established;
there are also two subscription news-rooms; and races
are held annually in the autumn, which generally continue
five days. The numerous seats in the vicinity are
noticed under the heard of Dromeliffe and the adjacent
parishes, in which they are situated. The woollen
manufacture, which formerly flourished here, has greatly
declined; but the trade in corn butter, and other produce
has much increased About 60,000 barrels of
wheat, 100,000 of oats and 30,000 of barley, are annually
sold in the market, and chiefly shipped at Clare,
about two miles distant, to which place the Fergus is
navigable for lighters, and thence to the sea for vessels of
considerable burden. A plan fur improving the navigation
between Ennis and Clare, is noticed in the account
of the latter town, which is considered the port of Ennis.
A weighing-house for butter, of which a large quantity
is annually exported, wan built in 1825, and there are
several large corn stores. Ennis Mills, which have
been recently enlarged, are capable of producing 30,000
barrels of flour annually: the produce is much esteemed
in the Limerick market. At Clonroud is the extensive
brewery of Messrs. Hurley and Co., who are also about
to re-establish a distillery formerly carried on at that
place; and there is a smaller brewery in the town; the
Ennis ale is in great repute. Branches of the Provincial
and Agricultural Banks, and a savings' bank, have been
established. A market for the sale of country produce
is held daily, but the principal markets are on Tuesday
and Saturday, and are abundantly supplied with provisions
of every description. Fairs are held in the town
on April 9th, and Sept. 3rd, and at Clonroad on May
9th, Aug. 1st, Oct. 14th, and Dec. 3rd; of the latter, the
first three are large fairs for cattle and horses, and the
last is chiefly for pigs.
By the charter of the 10th of Jas. I. (1612), the
corporation, under the style of "The Provost, Free
Burgesses, and Commonalty of the Town of Ennis,"
consists of a provost, twelve free burgesses, and a townclerk,
with power to admit an unlimited number of
freemen to constitute a "commonalty;" but no freemen
have been appointed for many years. The provost is
elected by the burgesses from their own body, on the
24th of June, and sworn into office on the 29th of
Sept.: until lately he appointed a deputy, called the viceprovost.
The burgesses are elected for life by the
provost and burgesses, who also appoint the town-clerk.
The provost is empowered by the charter to hold a court
of record, with cognizance of debts not exceeding
£3. 6. 8. late currency, arising within the limits of the
borough: this court was held until within the last 12
years, by the vice-provost, who also acted as weighmaster.
By the charter the provost is a magistrate
within the old borough, and the vice-provost formerly
acted as such; but latterly no exclusive jurisdiction,
either civil or criminal, has been exercised. The borough
sent two members to the Irish parliament prior to the
Union, since which period it has returned one to the
Imperial parliament: the right of election, formerly
limited to the provost and free burgesses, was, by the
act of the 2nd of Wm. IV., cap. 88, extended to the
£10 householders; and a new boundary was formed for
electoral purposes, comprising an area of 469 statute
acres, and comprehending the entire town and suburbs,
which is minutely described in the Appendix. The
number of voters registered, in March.1836, was 254,
of which 7 were free burgesses, and the remainder £10
householders; and the number polled at the last election
was 194: the provost is the returning officer. The
spring and summer assizes, and the January, April, and
October quarter sessions for the eastern division of the
county, are held in the court-house. Petty sessions are
held every Friday; and a court for the manor of Clonroad,
which was granted by Jas. I. to the Earl of Thomond,
and now belongs to the Earl of Egremont, is
occasionally held by the seneschal, for the recovery of
debts not exceeding £10 late currency. The county
gaol, situated on the south side of the town, is an extensive
modern building on the radiating principle,
with detached prisons for females and debtors, lately
erected in front: it contains 10 day-rooms and airingyards,
73 sleeping cells, and 12 other bed-rooms, and
has a treadmill. The total expense of the establishment,
for 1835, was £2522. 7. 10. The constabulary police
force, including an extra force called the peace preservation
police, is under the control of a resident stipendiary
chief magistrate and a sub-inspector; the barrack
is a commodious building, formed out of the old county
gaol. A party of the revenue police is also stationed in
the town.
The parish church, which forms part of the ancient
abbey, was much injured by lightning in 1817; the
abbey tower was also damaged and the bell destroyed.
The late Board of First Fruits granted £2000 for its
renovation, and the tower was subsequently heightened
by the addition of battlements and pinnacles: a grant
of £146 has been recently made by the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners for the further improvement of the
church. The organ was presented, in 1825, by the Earl
of Egremont. The R. C. district of Ennis comprises
the eastern part of the parish of Dromcliffe, including
the whole of the town and suburbs: the R. C. chapel
is an old building, situated in an obscure part of the
town. A chaste and elegant cruciform structure, from
a design by Mr. Madden, was commenced in 1831, on
a more eligible site, under the superintendence of the
Very Rev. Dean O'Shaughnessy, P. P., which is intended
for the cathedral of the R. C. diocese of Killaloe: the
tower will be surmounted by a spire rising to the height
of 140 feet. The estimated expense is £5000, towards
which Sir Edward O'Brien, Bart., of Dromoland, contributed
£100: the site was presented by Francis Gore,
Esq. A small society of Franciscans has a chapel which
is open to the public; and to the east of the town is an
Ursuline convent, established about seven years since.
There are meeting-houses for Primitive Methodists and
Independents; and a congregation of Separatists meet
in the court-house: the Methodist meeting-house is a
modern building, erected chiefly at the expense of Mr.
Leach. Ennis college is one of the four classical schools
founded by the munificent bequest of Erasmus Smith.
The school-house, which is situated at a short distance
north of the town, was built about 70 years since by
the trustees, who have recently added wings and outoffices,
and made other extensive improvements, at au
expense of nearly £1200: it is now capable of accommodating
more than 100 boarders, and a large number
of day scholars. The building, which presents an imposing
front, is approached from the extremity of the
promenade called the "College walk "by a handsome
gateway of four octangular pillars, and, together with
the extensive play-ground, is surrounded by a high wall.
The head master receives a salary of £100 from the
trustees, and is allowed the full benefit of the establishment
as a boarding and day school; the second master
also receives £100; and the third, £80. The course of
instruction comprises the ancient and modern languages,
mathematics, and English composition, and there are
usually ten free day scholars on the foundation. The
parochial school, in Jail-street, is supported by subscription;
a school is held in Cook's-lane meetinghouse,
and a Sunday school in the church. Near the
town is a large and substantial school-house, built in
1830, at an expense of £800, of which £200 was contributed
by the National Board, by whom the school, in
which are about 400 boys, is partly supported, and
partly by collections at the R. C. chapel. About 200
girls are instructed by the nuns of the convent, by whom
they are also taught every description of useful and
ornamental needlework. Connected with the nunneryschool
is a preparatory establishment for very young
girls, under the patronage of Dean O'Shaughnessy, who
contributes £6 per ann. towards its support. The County
Infirmary, situated on the north side of the town, is a
substantial building, containing four wards for male and
two for female patients, with a dispensary, and accommodations
for a resident surgeon and apothecary. The
Fever Hospital is situated in a confined part of the town,
but one for the county is now being erected in a more
appropriate situation and on a larger scale, to which a
cholera hospital will be attached. The House of Industry
immediately adjoins the infirmary, and contains
three male and four female wards; it was built by subscription
about the year 1775, and is governed by a
corporation under an act of the Irish parliament. A
loan fund, for the benefit of the poorer classes of tradesmen
and farmers, has been for some time in operation,
and a mendicity society was established in 1832. The
remains of the Franciscan abbey, founded by the Kings
of Thomond, of whom several were interred in it, still
present many traces of its ancient grandeur. Of these,
the principal is the grand eastern window, upwards of
30 feet high, consisting of five lancet-shaped compartments,
separated by stone mullions, and universally
admired for its exceedingly light proportions and beautiful
workmanship. In the chancel is the "Abbot's
chair," which, with the altar, is richly sculptured with
figures in high relief; and some of the ancient monuments,
also profusely sculptured, still exist. See DROMCLIFFE.