Ennis, Marcus Patterson

ENNIS, agreeably situated on the FERGUS (in the Barony of ISLANDS) may be justly call’d the Metropolis of this County; it’s a Rich, Inland, Assizes Town, and a Borough, handsome and uniform, the Streets are well pav’d and regular, the Shops neat and well furnish’d; here are a magnificent Court-House with a stately Exchange: a grand Academical School, an Infirmary, a House of Industry with many more excellent Buildings, and two Religious Houses, all which are extremely well Executed; here are likewise, Bolting Mills, &c. &c. which for Execution and Elegance of Construction are not inferior to any of the Kind in this Kingdom, this Town in general is populous, the Inhabitants are liberally humane and laudably Accomplish’d with the praise-worthy Notions of Industry——here are two plentiful Markets held on Tuesday and Saturdays.

The School-House here was founded by two Honourable Patrons, to Wit, Lord Chief Justice PATERSON and Sir LUCIUS O’BRIEN Bart. as Executors of the Will of ERASMUS SMYTH, Esq. To form an Idea of the Lord Chief Justice’s happy Character, the Reader is refer’d to the following

ACROSTIC.

M y courteous Lord from Goodness can’t decline,
A Branch extracted from a fragrant Vine;
R eplete with Honor, Knowledge and good Sense,
C ompleatly grac’d with easy Eloquence.
U nto each Object lib’ral of his Store,
S o strong his Feelings to relieve the Poor:

P ray, who can Law or Justice sweetly scan,
A t Bar or Bench like this illustrious Man?
T he Wreaths of Orat’ry and it’s gold’n Gown,
E ach Rival yields, our worthy Chief to crown.
R ejoice North Munster, loudly roar and ring,
S ince your faint Arts can have a second Spring;
O ur Patron’s Works and Monuments of Fame,
N ow grandly shine to eternize his Name.

Ennis, 12th Aug. 1774.