“I’m confident that I’m meant to continue on.” – Old Sean
Entering Ennis
After a long, soggy bike ride thorugh the Dingle Penninsula, I abandoned my attempt to visit Tralee and instead moved on to Ennis.
While visiting Ennis wasn’t planned, I’m glad I had the opportunity. I spent a full day in Ennis recovering from my rapid journeys in Kerry, checking out abandoned friary ruins throughout the city.
An Impression of Ennis
Firstly, Ennis is lovely and pristine.
Despite being an urban environment, the majority of the town feels like an immaculate college campus. The buildings are traditionally styled in certain zones while contemporary in others.
Since Ennis is somewhat removed from the other major urban centers of Ireland, it has its own distinct vibe. Everything feels tighter, cozier and more unified. Even the old ruins of the city are often accented with neat little hedges or smooth-flowing canals.
A Day in Ennis
Walking around the city is especially easy, since most of the foot traffic is swift and there are plenty of little shopping corners to veer into.
The town streets arch and double back strangely sometimes, since the majority of the roads follow the switchback river. But the town is small enough with enough distinct landmarks that navigation remains simple.
Aside from visiting Ennis Friary, which is a neat Franciscan ruin, I made sure to sample a few small restaurants. Irish-traditional meals are excellent, but quite heavy with lots of meat and stews. I filled up fast and had to walk around more to burn off some calories.
I continued to wander around town until reaching the Clare Museum which was filled with fascinating artifacts from prehistory, the Bronze age and Iron Age. Next, I followed the slightly-muddy Clareabbey River Walk to the a stark medieval ruins of Clare Abbey, a roofless series of stacked stones braced against a cloudy sky.
I quickly realized after visiting the Abbey that my energy reserves were running low. I returned to town and joined a couple of men on a pub crawl, following the bars along River Fergus for the rest of the night.
Sadly, I didn’t have time to visit the Burren, Ireland’s mythical limestone chasm landscapes. I’m making sure to allow time for it during my next visit.
For now, I’m off to Galway. I’ve never been to Galway before, but the city crops up in dozens of famous Irish songs, all recalling the city fondly. I’m excited to experience it firsthand.
So until Galway,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written July 16th, 2018
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