Clonmel's first citizen is saddened by departure of Franciscians from the town

The Mayor of Clonmel Cllr Pat English has expressed his sadness following the anouncement by the Irish Franciscian Order that the Friars are set to leave Clonmel after a presence of over 700 years.

"I am dearly saddened by the announcement of the Irish Franciscan Order that they have made the
decision to withdraw from Clonmel.
The Franciscans have served the Community in Clonmel with great dedication and service over the
last 700 years. The Friars have been such a positive spiritual force in our community. On behalf of
myself and my fellow Councillors and indeed the people of Clonmel I would like to give a heart felt
thank you to all who served us so well in the Friary since the Order first came to Clonmel.
I would also like to thank the amazing support staff for their loyal service to the Friary and the
people of Clonmel and the wider community.
It was a very difficult decision for the Franciscans to make but due to an ageing and reducing
membership the Order had no other choice.
I would like to offer my support and help with whatever decision is made by the Franciscan Order on
the possible future use of the historical building and I know that decision will be made in the interest
of the people of Clonmel," said  Cllr English.
Cllr Michael Murphy, in reaction to the news, said "Just want to express my shock and deep sadness on hearing the breaking news that the Friary Clonmel is to close it's doors for good on e 6th January 2023. The Friars have been such a positive spiritual force in our community for over 700 years. I just want to simply say THANK YOU and express my sincere appreciation to our extraordinary Friars that have served Clonmel so well, special mention also of the amazing support staff and volunteers. We must all work together to secure the future of the Friary, also home to a very special place, "St Anthony's Altar"