Education and sport facilities

Ennis has a number of educational establishments, some being designed ahead of their time, such as the Holy Family School for young children. Other places of education in Ennis are some of the oldest school buildings in all Ireland. Ennis also has a number of sport facilities open to residents and visitors, with adaptations to ensure accessibility for those with disabilities. Here are just some of the education and sport facilities in Ennis.

Education

Ennis Community College

Ennis Community College was founded in 1938 and offers a full co-educational programme of secondary education for Junior and Senior Cycle. The College is co-located with Ennis College of Further Education which provides a range of certified training courses for adult learners with regular, special and adult evening courses. Gaelcholáiste an Chláir, Clare’s only Irish-medium secondary school is also in the grounds of Ennis Community College.

St Flannan’s College

A church establishment founded in 1859, St Flannan’s College is one of the oldest school buildings in Ireland. The most famous graduate from the college was Tomás MacGiolla, Leader of Sinn Féin 1962–1970 and Mayor of Dublin 1993-1994. St. Flannan’s is a co-educational college, catering for boys and girls and today is run by a lay principal, under the supervision of a Board of Management, and with the active involvement of a clerical president who represents the interests of the Diocese.

Colaiste Muire / Sisters of Mercy

Coláiste Muire opened as a school for girls in Ennis on 5 September 1860 and transferred it to its present location on College Road in 1941. It accommodated boarders from 1865-1984. Today, Coláiste Muire is a vibrant school renowned for innovation and curriculum development as well as providing a holistic education in a supporting and caring environment.

Rice College

The Christian Brothers’ School in Ennis is a Catholic school for boys that endeavours to educate its pupils in accordance with Christian principle. In 1990, a board of management was established which led to the appointment of lay principals in the college for the first time

Sport Facilities

Active Ennis Leisure Complex

The Active Ennis Leisure Complex is an indoor health and fitness complex with a 25m swimming pool and gym-based activities used by clubs individuals in Ennis. There is a state of the art gym and a children’s swimming pool. There are also saunas and steam rooms as well as halls for classes and meeting rooms.

The complex has designated lockers at wheelchair height, wheelchair accessible gym equipment, poolside hoist, wheelchair ramp allowing access to the sauna and steam room on poolside, wheelchair shower chair, an Anti-Gravity Treadmill, Motomed Machine, Aerobic classes tailored towards those with disability, plus other services.

Ennis Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club

Established in 1887, the Club has more than 300 members and an active calendar in both Tennis and Badminton with many junior internationals over the years. The club has five state-of-the-art, all-weather, floodlit tennis courts with full length international size run-back. There are also two sprung maple-floored, championship, indoor badminton courts.

Ennis Golf Club

Ennis GC is an immaculately manicured 18-hole, Par 70, parkland course with tree lined fairways and tight greens which present a considerable challenge, while it's relatively even terrain of 5724m make it an ideal course for the holiday and society golfer.

Ennis Rugby Football Club

Ennis Rugby Football Club is the largest rugby club in Clare and is based next to the Ennis Showground on Drumbiggle Road. The club has more than 400 mini and youth players and fields teams of under-7s to under-19s. The teams compete in several North Munster competitions.