Ennis Friary

A Franciscan friary in the heart of the county town, founded in the thirteenth century under the patronage of the O'Brien kings of Thomond. It became a renowned centre of learning, reputedly housing hundreds of friars and students at its height. The church preserves outstanding fifteenth-century carvings, including a sculpted Ecce Homo and scenes from the Passion set into the tomb of the MacMahon family. Surrounded now by the modern town, the friary remains a quiet enclosure of medieval stonework.