Parking in Ennis can often be a tricky situation, especially if you are new to the town. Most of the people who do my Ennis walking tour are from the US and for many of them, driving on the other side of the road is traumatic enough without the struggle of finding a parking space. The biggest reason for people showing up late to my walking tours of Ennis is “I was trying to find parking”.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Ennis has pedestrianised the two main streets during the day, Abbey Street and O’Connell Street. This measure was put in place to allow for social distancing in a town already famous for its very narrow streets.
That being said, there is still lots of parking available in the town if you know where to find it! Here are the top 5 places to park in Ennis, Co. Clare:
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Abbey Street Carpark
This Carpark is located just off the pedestrianised Abbey Street in Ennis. It is ideal for visiting the town centre to jump into a shop real quick or even for a stroll around the town.
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Behind the Cloister
Between the Garda station and the Cloister restaurant is a hidden gem of a car park. Only recently open to the public, this car park is located directly in the town centre.
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Temple Gate Carpark
The Temple Gate Hotel is in the centre of the town and although they have a private car park for their guests, there is also a rather large public carpark which can be used by anyone. This carpark is particularly useful as it caters for large busses and coaches too!
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Ennis Multi-Story Carpark
A multi story car park is not everybody’s cup of tea but with its location in the Ennis market, it is perfect for anyone who wants to visit the town for a few hours.
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College Road
This is my personal favourite and although its completely out in open, I consider it my hidden gem. This road is right around the corner (maybe a 4 minute walk) from the town centre and is often empty, particularly during the summer months. The parking is also much much cheaper on this street. I love to park here but be warned, its located beside a secondary school so school times can often be chaotic.
