Drumcliffe Church and Round Tower

Located two miles north of Ennis, Drumcliffe church and its adjacent round tower is thought to be one of the earliest mission churches in Clare, dating from c.600 A.D. Drumcliffe was the site of a monastic settlement since early Christian times, until it was briefly transformed into a Protestant chapel during the reformation. Today, Drumcliffe contains the main cemetery for the town of Ennis, which includes the old graveyard located beside to the now ruined church and round tower. Very little is known of the history of the monastery, possibly because of Viking raids. This is evidenced by a nearby location known as Poulnaclug, where church bells were said to have been thrown in the event of an attack.

It is thought that the foundation of the church dates from the early 6th century, making it one of the oldest foundation churches in Clare. Although St. Brecon is generally associated with the foundation of early Christian churches in Clare, many believe Drumcliffe church may in fact be associated with St. Connell. After the reformation in the 16th century, the church was briefly used as a Protestant chapel, until a new chapel was built at the Friary in Ennis. The adjoining graveyard later became the main burial site for the town of Ennis, following the closure of the graveyard at Ennis Friary in the late 18^th century.

The present church structure, standing at 58ft long and 21ft wide, contains several different phases of construction, due to a number of renovations over the years. While most of the structure dates from the 15th century, features of the original pre-Norman church remain, as well as a round window dating from c.1200 which was used in a 15th century rebuild. The east gable also contains a late gothic window. The church served as the main parish church until the penal times, when it was used briefly as a protestant chapel, and is believed to have been abandoned sometime before 1734. Drumcliffe round tower, known as Clogas Droma Cleibh, is located 31ft from the church, and is believed to date back to the 10th century. The structure was in a good state of preservation in 1808, however it has long since deteriorated, possibly as the result of a lightning strike. Consequently, the doorway, which would have been located above ground level, is no longer present. Round towers, such as this one, are generally believed to have served as security lookouts, repositories for valuables, and as bell towers. The adjoining graveyard contains several burial vaults belonging to prominent families from the area. It is also believed that stones from the southwest face of the church were removed and used as grave markers. The graveyard also contains a famine plot, thought to contain 2000 people, and an adjacent cholera grave. A paupers grave, dating from the 1880s, is also present at the site, and was in use until the 1950s. In 2010, a monument was erected in the graveyard to commemorate the ‘many disadvantaged people’ interred in these plots.

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This national monument is protected in accordance with the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014