County: Clare Site name: The Cloister Bar, Abbeybridge, Ennis
Sites and Monuments Record No.: CL033–082 Licence number: C172; E2840
Author: Frank Coyne, Aegis Archaeology Ltd, 32 Nicholas St, King’s Island, Limerick.
Site type: Franciscan friary
Period/Dating: —
ITM: E 533913m, N 677808m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 52.847148, -8.981073
The site is located in the centre of Ennis and consists of a gravel yard to the rear of the former Cloister Bar. The gravel yard is located within the eastern side of the north range of the Franciscan friary (National Monument No. 170). The site of the west side of the range is occupied by later buildings (the former Cloister Bar). A number of lean-to extensions previously formed the rear of the property. This site was previously tested by Christine Grant (04E0780). Part of the brief for the present test-trenching was to establish the extent of the cobbles found during the earlier testing.
Ten test-trenches were opened on the site. The cobbles were found to be concentrated on the northern side of the north range of the Franciscan friary and are located almost immediately below the present ground surface. It is likely that they are evidence of more recent use of the building, perhaps as stables or sheds, although they cannot be dated on the evidence of the testing alone. A mortared surface was encountered c. 0.55m below present ground level and corresponds to a floor level previously identified by Grant in her testing. A layer was encountered in two of the trenches c. 0.7m below present ground level and appears to be archaeological in nature. This site was subsequently excavated (see No. 170, E3383, below).
