Local Heroes

The Member of Parliament (or Dáil Éireann as it became known after independence) for Ennis has twice been a national leader at a time of great significance for Irish democracy, and each is commemorated by a town statue.

On a tall limestone column above a massive pediment in Ennis's town center stands a statue of Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847), "The Liberator," a member of Parliament for County Clare between 1828 and 1831 who was instrumental in bringing about Catholic Emancipation.

Outside the courthouse (in the town park, beside the River Fergus, on the west side of Ennis) stands a larger-than-life bronze statue of Eamon De Valera (1882-1975), who successfully contested the election here in 1917, thus launching a long political career.

He was the dominant figure in Irish politics during the 20th century, serving as prime minister for most of the years from 1937 until 1959, when he resigned as leader of Fianna Fáil, the party he founded, and went on to serve as president of Ireland until 1973.

Although De Valera was born in the United States, his maternal forebears were from County Clare.