Ennis

Infobox Irish Place
name = Ennis
gaeilge = Inis
crest

motto =
map

pin coords = left: 101px; top: 66px
north coord = 52.8463
west coord = 8.9807
irish grid = R333780
area =
elevation = 3 m
province = Munster
county = County Clare
town pop = 24,253
census yr = 2006
web = www.visitennis.ie
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Ennis (Irish place name|Inis|Island) is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway on the main N18 road connecting these two cities. Its name is a shortening of the original " _ga. Inis Cluain Ramh Fhada" ("Long Rowing Meadow Island"). The town is located only twelve miles from Shannon and Shannon Airport, which provides a large tourist business in the town.

The 2006 census indicates that Ennis had a population of 24,253 making it the largest town in Munster and the sixth largest town in Ireland. It is the 11th largest urban centre in the country and bigger than the cities of Kilkenny and Armagh. Ennis has a large number of foreign national people living in the town with nationalities including Polish, Slovakian, Czech, Nigerian, and Latvian.

Heritage and economy

Ennis grew up around the Franciscan friary. The large building was an important seat of learning at its peak and was built by the O'Brien family in approximately 1242. It was a religious centre until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Ennis is an historically important market town. The market square today is still home to market stalls on each Saturday through the year, although the practice has steadily decreased over the past few decades.

The Town Centre consists of narrow streets and laneways dating back to medieval times, and many fine old buildings. 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 Paul can also be found in the town.

Ennis has several major shopping centres and the Town Centre itself (consisting primarily of O'Connell, Parnell and Abbey Streets and the Market area) contains numerous shops, restaurants and pubs.

Ennis has become an important centre of Irish traditional music over the last fifteen years, and hosts the "Fleadh Nua" 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.

Bus services are provided to Shannon Airport, Galway, Limerick, Cork, Dublin and all routes in between and run nearly every hour. Shannon Airport is 20 minutes from Ennis, providing daily flights to European and US destinations.

In 1976 passenger trains were withdrawn on the railway line from Limerick to Claremorris via Ennis. County Clare thus became the only Irish county outside Ulster without a passenger train service. The closure of Ennis station proved to be only temporary; fourteen 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 Corridor north of Ennis (to Athenry and Galway) is expected to reopen in 2009.

Ennis was formerly the starting point of the West Clare Railway, a narrow gauge railway which ran from Ennis to Ennistymon, Miltown Malbay 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 services. The line was CIÉ'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 School, established in 1897, Cloughleigh National School, Gaelscoil Mhicíl Cíosóg, Holy Family School & CBS. There are several secondary level schools located in Ennis, including Rice College, Ennis Community College, Colaiste Mhuire, St. Flannan's College, and Gaelcholaiste an Chláir.

Culture

Ennis is a stronghold of traditional music with many musicians in residence and regularly playing locally. The town is host each May to the annual " _ga. Fleadh Nua", a traditional music festival. The Glór Irish Music Centre, hosts music concerts, comedy acts and plays.There is a thriving Rock music scene in Ennis with bands playing at Glor, and Pubs around the town (Brandons, May Kearneys, Charlie Stewarts, Baron McQs).

ister cities

A sister city of Ennis is Phoenix, Arizona. [ [http://phoenix.gov//SISTER/siscomm.html Phoenix Sister Cities Commission ] ] 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-Fenouillet; in Southern France. [ [http://www.clarecoco.ie/foi/FOI_Section_15_Ennis_TC.pdf Section 15 Freedom of Information Manual for Ennis Town Council (pdf format) ] ]

Gallery

People

*Daniel O'Connell, MP returned for the Clare electoral area, was known as "The Liberator" for his winning of Catholic Emancipation in 1829.
*Thomas Dillon, record-breaking Triathlon athlete, was born in Ennis in 1964 and attended St Flannan's College there.
*Boxer Muhammad Ali's great grandfather Abe Grady was from the Turnpike area of Ennis. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/1810535.stm BBC: Grady emigrated in the 1860s to Kentucky where he married a freed black slave.] ]
*Former Match Of The Day presenter Des Lynam was born in Ennis.
*Singer Maura O'Connell comes from the market area of Ennis
*The scriptwriter Mark O'Halloran, who wrote the screenplays for the films Adam and Paul and Garage, is from Ennis.
*William Mulready (1786 - 1863) - Genre Painter
*James Bartholomew Blackwell (b. 1763/1765 - d. ?) - Revolutionary soldier

Trivia

*Ennis is mentioned in the song "Isobel" by British performer Dido.
*Ennis is mentioned in the song "At The Ceili" by the international singing sensation Celtic Woman.

References

ee also

*List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Clare)
* List of towns and villages in Ireland.

External links

* [http://www.visitennis.ie Official Ennis website]
* [http://www.clarepeople.com Ennis Newspaper]
* [http://www.fleadhnua.com/ Fleadh Nua]