Built during the second half of the 15th century, this gatehouse once served as the primary southern entrance to the town, complete with a small castle. Though Ennis was never formally walled, its natural island setting made this gateway a crucial control point for anyone entering from the south. Thomas Moland’s 1703 pictorial map of the Thomond estate depicts the structure as an imposing building with tall chimney gables, straddling what is now O’Connell Street with an archway allowing passage through its centre.

The gatehouse’s history extends well beyond its defensive origins. Records from 1595 mention a ‘lately erected’ gaol at this location, and by 1713, the building had been repurposed as the County Gaol. The Clare Freeman newspaper documented the former arch in January 1873, preserving details of its architectural features for posterity. Today, the structure has undergone yet another transformation, now serving as a bar and restaurant whilst retaining elements of its storied past.

Adjacent to the gatehouse, the Old Ground Hotel incorporates another piece of medieval Ennis; a tower house that forms the core of the modern establishment. Together, these buildings offer visitors a tangible connection to the town’s defensive architecture, demonstrating how medieval structures have been adapted and absorbed into the fabric of contemporary Irish town life rather than demolished or left to ruin.