Wall monument in Clonroad Beg

On the S wall of the chancel of Ennis Friary (CL033-082001-) in its original position. A tomb canopy of c. AD 1500 over the Inchiquin tomb, the burial place of Toirdelbach Ua Briain, the founder of the Friary, and his descendants. It protrudes 0.22m from the wall and the table is missing. The canopy has five groined vaults with floriated bosses and supports a pediment decorated with an arcade of cusped ogee-headed panels. Described by Westropp (1895, 150-51) as ‘not of very happy design, the sides being quite plain; the upper part has a series of heavy horizontal mouldings along a flat dovetailed arch; above these is a panelling of small trefoil-headed recesses, and a plain sloping roof, the whole much resembling a fireplace.’ Carvings of flowers and leaves decorate the miniature groinings of the canopy and the sides of the recesses. (Westropp 1895, 135-55; Gilmore 1981, 28-30; Bradley, Halpin and King 1988, 73) CL033-082017-_01.jpg attached. Compiled by: Mary Tunney Date of upload: 19 March 2014

Built in c. AD 1500, the wall monument in Clonroad Beg is part of Ennis Friary and marks the tomb of Toirdelbach Ua Briain, founder of the friary. It is significant as a medieval tomb canopy reflecting late Gaelic aristocratic funerary traditions.