A 13th-century Franciscan friary in the heart of Ennis town, home to an outstanding collection of 15th- and 16th-century limestone carvings — including the exquisite MacMahon tomb and rare depictions of St Francis and the Man of Sorrows.
The friary's greatest treasure is its wealth of Renaissance sculptures carved in local hard limestone. Look for the remarkable panel of St Francis displaying the stigmata and the haunting image of Christ as the Man of Sorrows — a skeletal figure surrounded by the Instruments of the Passion, a rare Irish example of this devotional motif.
Commissioned around 1470 by Máire O'Brien, this exceptional tomb features five sculpted panels narrating the Passion of Christ — from the Arrest to the Resurrection. The original tomb now sits in the restored nave alongside individual display cases explaining each panel, while a replica stands in the chancel.
The chancel is the oldest part of the friary, dating to the mid-13th century. Its magnificent east window — a group of five tall lancets — once held painted blue glass, described in a 14th-century poem. The light pouring through these lancets makes this the most atmospheric corner of the church.
Don't miss the sacristy, an impressive structure with a ribbed, barrel-vaulted ceiling. Its walls house some of the best-preserved gravestones on site, with inscriptions dating from the 1600s onwards — telling the stories of friars, tobacconists, soldiers and public officials across the centuries.
The cloister garth is among the largest of any surviving Franciscan friary in Ireland, about 14m in length. Stroll the cloister walk and the graveyard, which contains over 300 inscribed stones. A beautiful copper beech tree provides a striking focal point and great photo opportunities.
Among the many carved details supporting the central tower, look for the ram's head corbel — a motif that symbolised Christ as the leader of the flock. Also watch for crowned figures, bishops flanked by angels, and playful mythical beasts with intertwined tails high up at the springing of the tower vault.
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