EXPLORING A SMALL SECTION OF ENNIS ROAD – IT’S A LONG WAY TO ENNIS
I had two reasons for visiting Ennis Road. The first was to photography Our Lady Of The Rosary which is a unique freestanding single-cell timber clad Roman Catholic church, built in 1951, facing east with belfry to northeast. The second reason was to photograph Ardhu Lodge only to discover that it no longer exists. I walked from the city centre to The Gaelic Grounds known, for sponsorship reasons as the TUS Gaelic Grounds, which I did not photograph as my spare battery was not charged [I picked up the wrong one] and the two in the camera grip were exhausted as was I.
I had planned to visit Ennis but the train schedule did not suit me.
The name Ennis comes from the Irish word “Inis”, meaning “island”. This name relates to an island formed between two courses of the River Fergus on which the Franciscan Friary was built. The history of Ennis is closely associated with the O’Brien dynasty, who were descendants of Brian Boru. In the 12th century, the O’Briens, who were Kings of Thomond, left their seat of power in Limerick and built a royal residence at Clonroad on what was then an island. In 1240, King Donnchadh O’Brien ordered the construction of an extensive church which he later donated to the Franciscans. In the centuries that followed there was great activity. The Friary was expanded and students came in great flocks to study at the theological college. The Friars, who were free to move about, met the spiritual needs of the local population. It was a religious centre until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
A QUICK TOUR OF THE NORTH CIRCULAR ROAD LIMERICK APRIL 2022
I have photographed many of the locations/features mentioned below and will publish the photographs before the end of April 2022, if I have not already done so]
The North Circular Road , often referred to locally as NCR, is a residential road on the northside of Limerick, Ireland. Historically one of the more sought-after addresses in the city, house prices on the North Circular Road have declined since the Celtic Tiger though it remains one of the more prosperous areas of the city.
The west end of the North Circular Road contains mostly large detached houses. This stretch of the road and its surroundings are among the most affluent areas in Limerick. It is linked to the Ennis Road by Fortmary Park and borders Bracken Gardens and Ashbrook. The east end of the road is predominantly middle class and contains mostly semi-detached houses alongside some apartment blocks. At this end, the North Circular Road is linked to Roses Avenue, the Lower Shelbourne Road and Clanmaurice Avenue.
The Ardhú Bar is [was, as it has closed] the local pub, situated at the top of Roses Avenue near the Ennis Road. Westfield Park is a public park next to the housing estate of the same name which is located off the North Circular Road. The park’s walkways are linked by road crossing to the pathway along the River Shannon. There is a Roman Catholic church, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, situated between the North Circular Road and the Ennis Road.
John F. Kennedy Memorial School, a primary school for boys, and Salesian Infant School Fernbank for girls are located on the east side of the North Circular Road, as is the large public secondary school for boys Ardscoil Rís. Salesian Secondary School was a public secondary school for girls previously situated on the North Circular Road. However, in 2015, Salesian merged with St Nessan’s Community College and formed Thomond Community College, based at St Nessan’s former location in Woodview, Caherdavin.
The North Circular Road is also home to Villiers School, a private, Protestant secondary school.
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