Ennis Friary
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 Location within Ireland
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Franciscans |
| Established | mid-13th century |
| Disestablished | formally suppressed in 1543 interrupted in practice 1697 new friary still functional |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | Donnchadh Cairprech Ó Briain (Dermot O'Brian) |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | National Monument |
| Site | |
| Location | Abbey Street, Ennis |
| Coordinates | 52°50′46″N 8°58′52″W / 52.846°N 8.981°W |
| Public access | yes |
| Official name | Ennis Friary |
| Reference no. | 170 |
Ennis Friary (colloquially also known as Ennis Abbey) was a Franciscan friary in the town of Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. It was established in the middle of the 13th century by the ruling O'Brien dynasty who supported it for most of its existence. Following the suppression of the monasteries in the 16th century, the friary continued to function for a while despite the loss of its lands. In the early 17th century, the buildings were handed over to the Church of Ireland as a place of worship. It was used as such until the late 19th century. After the construction of a new Church of Ireland building, the friary fell into ruin. Managed by the Office of Public Works since the late 19th century, it was formally returned to the Franciscan Order in 1969.
Today the friary remains in a ruined state but is open to the public. It is a National Monument of Ireland. The Franciscan friars have moved their community to a new friary and place of worship, the Gothic Revival Church of the Immaculate Conception, nearby.
The old Ennis Friary is located on Abbey Street near the river Fergus in Ennis.
Donnchadh Cairprech Ó Briain (Dermot O'Brian), son of Domnall Mór Ua Briain, High King of Ireland, became King of Thomond after a bloody feud with his brother, Muircheartach Finn Ó Briain. Reportedly in order to do penance, he decided to built a friary on an island in the River Fergus Cluain Ramhfhada (meadow of the long rowing), which may have been the site of an earlier church. After the Normans occupied Limerick, Donnchadh submitted to King John and moved his seat of power to Clonroad (Ennis) in 1216. He is reported to have "offered shelter" to the Franciscan Order in Ennis in 1241/2.
Donnchadh financed three monasteries: he rebuilt the Cistercian abbey at Inislounaght (Tipperary), built a house for the Dominicans at Limerick and a Franciscan friary at Ennis, which would also serve as the family place of burial. Donnchadh died in 1244. He was buried at the Dominican house at Limerick, suggesting that the friary at Ennis was not yet close to being finished at that point.
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