The stone bears the following inscription: "This Family vault was repai[red] / By Thomas Hallinan of Enn[is] / Merchant 1777 [or pos 1757] / May the souls of the faithful / rest in peace. Amen."

The inscription on this stone tells us that Thomas repaired the family vault in either 1757 or 1777 but unfortunately does not give the names of those interred either before that date or after. There are four other inscriptions in the friary where the term merchant is used and like this one all date to the 18th century. According to the Corporation Book of Ennis (O'Dalaigh B, 1990) Thomas Hallinan was admitted a freeman of the borough in 1740. At various times between 1740 and 1775, he or another of the same name served on the grand jury and was appointed an overseer and a scavenger. The role of the grand jury of the borough of Ennis included enacting bylaws, appointing officials and levying taxes and its members were drawn from the inhabitants of the town. From the same publication a presentment of the town dated 1765 refers to "the corner of Mr Thomas Hallinan's Lane", and another from 1774 refers to paving and repairing "Mr Thomas Hallinan's former lane in Mill Street". Lucas's Directory of 1788 lists Thomas Hallinan as a grocer, dealer in hardware, and haberdasher, on High Street. A brief death notice in The Limerick Chronicle of Wednesday, January 7, 1801 reads "Died. Sunday night, in Mill Street, Ennis, Mr. Thos. Hallinan".

References

O'Dalaigh, B (Ed.) The Corporation Book of Ennis. Irish Academic Press, Dublin,1990.

Obituaries Death Notices, Limerick City Library Local Studies http://www.limerickcity.ie/Library/LocalStudies/ObituariesdeathnoticesetcfromTheLimerickChronicle/