Save The Cloister Facebook Page
The Cloister is one of Ennis' most important historic buildings.

When Clare County Council secured €7 million in THRIVE funding, the project was presented as a community and cultural hub that would include artist studios, exhibition space, educational facilities and community uses. The project was described publicly as a multi-use community space that would support culture, learning and community engagement.

Today, a revised planning proposal has been submitted that represents a significant change from that original vision.

The new proposal almost doubles the scale of intervention, increasing from approximately 860sqm to 1,445sqm. Yet despite this substantial increase in scale, the emphasis appears to have shifted away from artist studios and community cultural space and towards visitor reception areas, retail functions, tourism infrastructure and managed visitor experiences.

We support investment in Ennis.

We support heritage regeneration.

We support tourism.

But we also believe that public investment in heritage buildings should deliver lasting benefits for the communities that live, work and create here every day.

The Cloister should not become primarily a visitor destination at the expense of the community and cultural purpose that was originally presented to the public and that helped secure funding for the project.

We are calling on Clare County Council to:

• Retain and protect artist studio space within the development.

• Guarantee meaningful community and cultural uses within the building.

• Reconsider the extent of tourism and retail-focused functions.

• Reduce unnecessary alterations to the historic fabric of The Cloister.

• Ensure the final project remains consistent with the original THRIVE vision of a community-centered cultural hub.

The Cloister belongs to the people of Ennis.

Sign this petition to support a future that places community, creativity and heritage at the heart of this important building.

#CommunityBeforeTourism
#SaveTheCloister