According to researcher Ó Dálaigh’s 2017 study, the structure likely stood in what was Mill Street, now known as Parnell Street, sometime before the 17th century. This western gatehouse would have formed part of a defensive network that included other gatehouses around the town, whilst natural features like rivers and marshes provided additional protection where built defences weren’t needed.

The evidence for this lost gatehouse comes from the Corporation Book of Ennis, which in 1752 recorded an order to demolish dangerous ruins in Mill Street. The document describes ‘old ruined houses’ near the residence of Mr Francis Kent, a member of the Corporation who had lived in Ennis since at least 1683. The order states that these ruins posed such a danger to both neighbours and passing travellers that the hazardous portions needed immediate demolition at the expense of Mill Street’s inhabitants. Ó Dálaigh suggests the plural references to ‘houses’ and ‘buildings’, combined with concerns about falling masonry, indicate people once lived in chambers above a gatehouse arch; a common arrangement in medieval and early modern town defences.

The precise location can be pinpointed thanks to additional records from 1756 mentioning repairs to ‘Connell’s Lane’, now Fahy’s Lane, which sat opposite Kent’s house. Whilst the exact nature of the structure remains uncertain, a gatehouse at this spot would make strategic sense, completing a defensive line between the known Gaol Street gatehouse on what’s now O’Connell Street and the natural barrier of the river. This western entry point would have been crucial for controlling access to medieval Ennis, particularly for travellers and traders arriving from the Atlantic coast.