Fermanagh, inland county of Ulster, Ireland; is surrounded by counties Donegal, Tyrone, Monaghan, Cavan, and Leitrim; greatest length, NW. and SE., 45 miles; greatest breadth, NE. and SW., 27 miles; average breadth, 18 miles; area, 457,369 acres (46,431 water), or 2.2 per cent. of the total area of Ireland; population 84,879, of whom 55.8 per cent. are Roman Catholics, 36.4 Episcopalians, 2.0 Presbyterians, and 5.7 Methodists. The surface rises into numerous abrupt eminences of no great elevation; the chief summit is Belmore Mountain, altitude 1312 ft. The great feature of the county is Lough Erne, which (with the river Erne joining its lower and upper parts) bisects the county throughout its entire length. The loughs are studded with verdant islands, and the whole scenery is picturesque. There is abundance of sandstone and limestone; coal and iron occur. The soil is only of middling quality, and there is much bog. The manufacture of coarse linens is carried on. The county comprises 8 baronies – Clanawley, Clankelly, Coole, Knockinny, Lurg, Magheraboy, Magherastephana, and Tirkennedy; 23 parsishes; and the town of Enniskillen.
– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)
Castle Coole – National Trust
Castle Coole
Enniskillen BT74 6JY
028 6632 2690
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/castle-coole
Castle Coole is one of the finest neo-classical houses in Ireland and is surrounded by a stunning landscape park on the edge of Enniskillen. Built to impress by the first Earl of Belmore 1789- 97, it still has the ability to leave people in awe.
Devenish Monastic Site
Lower Lough Erne, near Enniskillen
The most important of Lough Erne’s many island church settlements, Devenish was founded in the 6th century by St Molaise. It was raided by Vikings in 837 and burned in 1157, but in the Middle Ages flourished as the site of the parish church and St Mary’s Augustinian Priory. There are extensive low earthworks on the hillside, but the earliest buildings are St Molaise’s House (a very small church) and the fine round tower close by, both with accomplished Romanesque decoration of the 12th century.
Fermanagh County Museum at Enniskillen Castle Museums
Enniskillen Castle, Castle Barracks
Enniskillen BT74 7HL
028 6632 5000
www.enniskillencastle.co.uk
Enniskillen Castle, situated beside the River Erne in County Fermanagh, was built almost 600 years ago by Gaelic Maguires. Guarding one of the few passes into Ulster, it was strategically important throughout its history.
Collections: The museum collects artefacts from Co. Fermanagh relating to archaeology, local history, folklife fine art, applied arts, oral history and photographs.
Florence Court – National Trust
Florence Court
Enniskillen BT92 1DB
028 6634 8249
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/florence-court
There is something for all the family at the warm and welcoming 18th-century former home of the Earls of Enniskillen. The house enjoys a peaceful setting in west Fermanagh, with a startlingly beautiful backdrop of mountains and forests.
Headhunters Barber Shop & Railway Museum
5 Darling Street
Enniskillen BT74 7DP
028 6632 7488
A trip to Headhunters Barber Shop & Railway Museum is like taking a remarkable journey into the past bringing the golden age of the railway vividly to life. Visitors start their journey of discovery at the reconstructed Railway Booking Office where the ticket collector invites you to step on board and enjoy the evocative nostalgia, social heritage and amazing artefacts associated with the railways which operated throughout Fermanagh and the Border Counties until their closure in 1957.
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum
The Castle
Enniskillen BT74 7HL
02866 323142
Enniskillen Castle is the splendid location of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum. The castle – once the medieval stronghold of the Maguires – is located on the banks of the picturesque River Erne and presents an array of 19th century barrack buildings surrounding the Keep.
Collections: The collections trace the history of the regiment from its formation in 1689 to amalgamation in 1968. It is illustrated by a large and well laid out collection of uniforms, weapons, medals, photographs, silver, standards, badges and other regimental memorabilia.
Sheelin Irish Lace Museum
Bellanaleck, Enniskillen
Enniskillen BT92 2BA
028 6634 8052
The Sheelin Antique Irish Lace Museum is located in the scenic village of Bellanaleck in Fermanagh’s Lakelands. The museum houses approximately 400 exhibits, illustrating all the five main types of lace made in Ireland. On display are an irish crochet wedding dress, wedding veils, shawls, parasols, collars, baby bonnets, christening gown, flounces, jackets and many more items.