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View of Ennis County Clare, Danny Burke
Ennis Friary, Ennis, County Clare, Republic of Ireland.
Lots to enjoy for lovers of signs and canines. Less so for those disposed to welfare of bovines. Is this first of future rhyming headlines? Nah; to the census - to find the Considines!
Based on the businesses we see here (and that of a seemingly contemporary reverse view), it's likely this image was taken closer to the end of the range in the catalogue entry (c.1910) than the start of the range. Which would put it, per [/photos/beachcomberaustralia/ beachcomberaustralia] within a few years of real-life tragedy that seemingly inspired Joyce to mention the pictured Queen's Hotel in his celebrated Ulysses:
 - His father poisoned himself, Martin Cunningham whispered. Had the Queen's hotel in Ennis. You heard him say he was going to Clare. Anniversary
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: c.1865-1914 (though likely close to end of this range, c.1910)
NLI Ref:  L_ROY_11350

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
Photo by No machine-readable author provided. Bogman assumed (based on copyright claims).
Destinations
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EuropeIrelandMunster

Ennis

Munster, Ireland · Europe

About Ennis

Ennis works well as a base: 20 minutes from Newmarket on Fergus, 22km from The Burren.

Ennis is in Munster, Ireland, with about 25,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Newmarket on Fergus, about 11 km away.

Ennis (Irish: Inis [ˈɪnʲɪʃ], meaning 'island' or 'river meadow') is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 27,923, making it the 6th

Read more largest town, and 11th largest urban settlement in Ireland, as of the 2022 census. Dating from the 12th century the town's Irish name is short for Irish: Inis Cluana Rámhfhada, meaning 'Island of the long rowing meadow', deriving from its location between two courses of the River Fergus. Ennis has had considerable success in the Irish Tidy Towns competition. In 2005 and 2021, the town was named Ireland's tidiest town, and was named Ireland's tidiest large urban centre on multiple occasions. The town straddles two baronies. Most of the town, including its historic centre, is in the Barony of Islands. However, the eastern and north-eastern edges of the town are in the Barony of Bunratty Upper.

Read more on Wikipedia

Where to Stay in Ennis

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is there to see near Ennis?

Within an hour or so of Ennis: The Burren (22 km), Burren National Park (24 km), Poulnabrone Dolmen (25 km), Corkscrew Hill (25 km).

Are there any good drives near Ennis?

The nearest famous roads are Corkscrew Hill, Wild Atlantic Way and The Vee.

Where is Ennis?

Ennis is in Munster, Ireland, about 11 km from Newmarket on Fergus.

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Quick Information

Population
25,276
Continent
Europe
Country
Ireland
Region
Munster
Timezone
Europe/Dublin
Coordinates
52.8436, -8.9864

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in Ireland

Police
999
Ambulance
999
Fire
999
All emergencies
112
Driving side
left
Full driving guide for Ireland

Tags

EuropeIrelandMunsterTown

Worth the detour from Ennis

8 notable places within an hour's drive.

natural wonder

The Burren

Unique lunar-like karst landscape of 250 square kilometres where Mediterranean and Arctic-Alpine flowers grow side by side in limestone pavements.

22 km · about 25 min drive

national park

Burren National Park

Protected area of the Burren's extraordinary limestone landscape, where rare orchids bloom between ancient dolmens and ring forts.

24 km · about 30 min drive

ancient ruins

Poulnabrone Dolmen

A striking 5,000-year-old portal tomb standing stark against the limestone pavement of the Burren.

25 km · about 30 min drive

famous road

Corkscrew Hill

A zigzag climb on the N67 out of Ballyvaughan, built as famine relief work, with a viewpoint over the Burren at the top.

25 km · about 30 min drive

natural wonder

Aillwee Cave

A show cave in the Burren with an underground waterfall and hollows where brown bears once hibernated.

28 km · about 35 min drive

landmark

Cliffs of Moher

Spectacular sea cliffs rising 214 metres above the Atlantic Ocean on Ireland's west coast.

33 km · about 40 min drive

scenic viewpoint

Cliffs of Moher Viewing Platform

Ireland's most visited natural attraction with 700-foot sea cliffs stretching for 8 miles along the Atlantic coast of County Clare.

33 km · about 40 min drive

film location

Cliffs of Moher (The Princess Bride's Cliffs of Insanity)

The 214m Atlantic cliffs are the Cliffs of Insanity in The Princess Bride and appear in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

33 km · about 40 min drive

Driving roads near Ennis

  • 25 kmCorkscrew HillA zigzag climb on the N67 out of Ballyvaughan, built as famine relief work, with a viewpoint over the Burren at the top.
  • 33 kmCliffs of Moher Viewing PlatformIreland's most visited natural attraction with 700-foot sea cliffs stretching for 8 miles along the Atlantic coast of County Clare.
  • 34 kmCliffs of Moher Coastal WalkDramatic 20km trail along the cliff edge from Hags Head to Doolin, offering ever-changing perspectives of Ireland's most famous sea cliffs.
  • 34 kmHag's HeadThe southern end of the Cliffs of Moher, with a Napoleonic signal tower and far fewer people than the visitor centre.
  • 39 kmBlack Head, BurrenA bare limestone headland on the Burren coast with a small lighthouse, looking across Galway Bay to Connemara.
  • 48 kmWild Atlantic Way2,500 km coastal route along Ireland's rugged western seaboard

Driving in Ireland

Drives on
the left
Petrol
~€1.78/litre
Motorway tolls
~€2.10/100km

When to drive here

April to October

Nearby Destinations

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Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence