Towns in County Clare.

Ennis.

( Inis)
(River meadow)

Ennis is situated on the River Fergus about 30 km (19 mi) north-west of Limerick.The town grew around a castle built in the late 13th century by a chief of the powerful O’Brien family, which established its headquarters at nearby Clonroad. Nearby is Ennis Friary, founded by the O’Brien family in 1242 for the Franciscans, stands on a site close to the River Fergus. Ennis is the county’s administrative centre for commerce and industry. It is a market town, and the cathedral town of the diocese of Killaloe. Tourism is the main industry, there is some manufacturing industry. In 1997 the state telecommunications company, Telecom Éireann, invested £15 million to provide information and communication technologies for Ennis as part of its 'Information Age' program.

The county museum is housed in a converted church. Near the courthouse is a memorial to Eamon De Valera, the former Irish president who was a Member of Parliament for the county from 1917 to 1959. In the De Valera Library and Museum there is archive material in addition to archaeological and historical artifacts.