Ennis Courthouse ( ga, Teach Cúirte na hInse) is a judicial facility in Gort Road,
Ennis,
County Clare
County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...
, Ireland.
History
The courthouse, which was designed by
John Keane and
Henry Whitestone in the
neoclassical style
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing sty ...
and built in
ashlar stone, was completed in 1852.
The design involved a symmetrical main frontage facing the junction of Gort Road and New Road; there was a flight of steps leading up to a large
hexastyle
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
portico with
Ionic order columns supporting an
entablature and a
modillioned
pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedim ...
.
[ A Russian ]artillery piece
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, ...
, which had been used in the Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...
, was brought back to Ireland and placed on the lawn outside the building.[ A statue of ]Michael O'Loghlen
Sir Michael O'Loghlen, 1st Baronet (6 October 1789 – 28 September 1842) was a distinguished Irish judge and politician.
He was born at Port Ruan, Ennis, County Clare, the third son of Colman O'Loghlen and his second wife, Susannah Finucane ...
, former Master of Rolls in Ireland, by the sculptor Joseph Robinson Kirk
Joseph Robinson Kirk (1821 – 30 August 1894) was a noted Irish sculptor.
Life
He was born in Dublin in 1821, the fifth child and eldest son of Thomas Kirk and Eliza Robinson. He lived in Jervis Street and studied with his father and at th ...
was installed in the courthouse in the mid-19th century.
The building was originally used as a facility for dispensing justice but, following the implementation of the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, ...
, which established county councils in every county, it also became the meeting place for Clare County Council
Clare County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae an Chláir) is the authority responsible for local government in County Clare, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and ...
. A monument to Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of govern ...
, former President of Ireland, was designed by the sculptor Jim Connolly and erected outside the courthouse in 1981. The county council moved to the Áras Contae an Chláir in New Road in May 2008.
References
{{reflist
Buildings and structures in County Clare
Courthouses in the Republic of Ireland