- Clare County Council allocated €7m in September 2025 for The Cloister conversion.
- Original plans featured six artist studios and exhibition spaces.
- Revised project directs the site towards tourism use.
- The former restaurant building lies in Ennis, Co Clare.
- Funding supports the shift from artistic community space to tourism endeavour.
Clare County Council has repurposed plans for a former restaurant building in Ennis. The space that Clare County Council once designated for an artistic community hub will now support a tourism project. Officials adjusted the vision for The Cloister following initial proposals in 2025.
In September 2025, almost €7 million in government funding went to the council for the conversion of the well known Ennis restaurant The Cloister. The original scheme included six artist studios, two classrooms, conference and exhibition spaces, and a café. The shift to a tourism endeavour replaces the community focused elements that featured in the first submission.
The council confirmed the change in direction for the site in Ennis, Co Clare. Work on the project proceeds under the revised tourism remit while retaining core structural elements from the restaurant era.
Clare County Council shared “the space will be used for a tourism endeavour, instead of the artistic community space originally put forward.”
