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This is one of Ireland's smallest counties, but nonetheless very interesting and it abounds with superb scenery.
Bisected by the River Erne, which runs into 50-mile-long Lough Erne, it's also known as Ireland's own Lakeland
District with nearly 2/5ths of the county covered by the enormous lake system of the Erne, the MacNean Loughs,
and Lough Melvin shared with County Leitrim in the west. Remarkably, it's still quite traditional "old world"
Ireland and nowhere near as intensely settled as other counties in Ireland. It also has two of the most
wonderful Georgian mansions in Ireland - Castle Coole and Florence Court. County Fermanagh is wonderful for
exploring by water with a hired houseboat or cabin cruiser, and has great coarse fishing, with the county
hosting the Guinness Classic Fishing Festival in May every year.
The town of Enniskillen ("Inis Ceithleann" in Gaelic) is built on a spit of land between upper and lower Lough
Erne. Inniskilling is an old alternative way of spelling the town name, somehow more appropriate to military
purposes! Although medieval, the town is famous for its military history and was a bastion of British colonial
power, boasting two Royal Regiments here. Enniskillen Castle houses the Regimental Museum of the Royal
Inniskilling Fusiliers. Medals, guns, uniforms - plenty of material here to thrill military enthusiasts
It is also famous as the home of the rather well known American (ahem!) tune the "Star Spangled Banner", with the
tune "borrowed" from the military tune "The Air of the Iniskillings". The county museum is housed in Maguire's
Keep, a 15th century building with the picturesque fairy tale "look-alike" Water Gate towers adjacent to it.
The Fermanagh History and Heritage Centre, (also within the castle), provides a non-military alternative, with
exhibits on local farming.
On the outskirts of Enniskillen is the early 16th century Portora Royal School. - It must be doing something
right when it comes to teaching literature - it turned out both Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett!
Outside Enniskillen, two mansions of beckon. Castle Coole is actually a splendid 18th-century mansion. Guided
tours are available between May and August. Florence Court is an 18th-century Palladian mansion, now
unfortunately badly damaged by fire, but is has some beautiful rococo plasterwork. It's open daily except
Tuesday May to August, and more sporadically at other times.
Marble Arch Caves are open mid-March to September. There's a boat trip and the caves are very well patronised.
Lough Erne itself is plied by the MV Kestral, which sets off from a point about 4 miles north of Enniskillen and
drops in at Devenish Island. In 837AD, the Vikings paid a less-than-cordial visit to Devenish Island,
murdering the inhabitants and sacking the monastery there, which St Molaise had established in the 6th
century. You can stroll the ruins and inspect the high cross and round tower. Look out for the peculiar
Bishop's Stone in the local graveyard. White Island, with its little 12th-century church, lies near the
Lough's eastern shore. Eight strange little carved stone figurines on the island date from an ancient
monastic settlement or earlier. Some believe they may be connected with a fertility cult, other scholars
feel they may have an ecclesiastical significance. The figurines appear to be trying to communicate
something - see if you can figure it out.
Boa Island is connected to the lakeshore by bridges at both ends. The mysterious carved Janus figure here
(also known as the Lusty Man) could be 2000 years old and also baffles scholars. It's located in the Caldragh
Graveyard.
Belleek is home of the renowned Belleek pottery works. This fine pottery with its little shamrock decorations
has been made here since 1857. Two notable local castles in this area are Tully Castle and Monea Castle. More
remains of the former.
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