Fermanagh

 

(fərmăn'ə) , district (1991 pop. 50,250), 656 sq mi (1,699 sq km), SW Northern Ireland. Enniskillen is the major town, but the district council meets at Ardhowen. The Erne River, which widens into the extensive and beautiful Lough Erne, divides Fermanagh into two roughly equal parts. A hilly terrain, rising to more than 2,000 ft (610 m) in the south, is devoted largely to grazing. Farming (potatoes, beef and dairy cattle) is important to the local economy. Pottery (see Belleek ware) and linen are made, and some limestone and sandstone are quarried. Fermanagh is a popular tourist area.

County Fermanagh Contae Fhear Manach
Location
Statistics
Province:	Ulster
County Town:	Enniskillen
Area:	1,691 km²
Population (est.)	57,527[1]

County Fermanagh (Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach in Irish), is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Ireland, and the westernmost part of the United Kingdom. It is part of the province of Ulster. Fermanagh is often referred to as Ireland's Lake District. The county is approximately 120 km (75 mi) from Belfast and 160 km (99 mi) from Dublin.

The name Fermanagh has been variously translated as the 'district of the Monks' or as the 'place of the men of the Manaigh tribe' so named after their chief.

In Northern Ireland the county borders County Tyrone to the north-east, and in the Republic of Ireland the county borders County Monaghan to the south-east, County Cavan and County Leitrim to the south-west and County Donegal to the north-west. Fermanagh is the only county of Northern Ireland that does not border Lough Neagh.

Administration

Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas.

Fermanagh is part of the Fermanagh and South Tyrone Parliamentary Constituency, renowned for high levels of voting and for electing Provisional IRA hunger-striker Bobby Sands as a Member of Parliament in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, April 1981 shortly before his death.

Geography

County Fermanagh is a predominantly rural region with its geography dominated by two lakes: Upper Lough Erne and Lower Lough Erne. This 70 km (40 mi) stretch of lakes, known collectively as Lough Erne, is now linked to the River Shannon and its waterways via the Shannon-Erne Waterway canal, making the entire system the longest navigable inland waterway in Europe. Smaller lakes in the county include Lough Scolborn. In addition, Fermanagh shares many lakes: Lough Melvin (with the Republic of Ireland), Lough Macnean Upper and Lough Macnean Lower (both lying on the Cavan border).

There are also a large number of small rivers running through Fermanagh, generally these will enter the Erne system. Some notable examples are the Arney River, Sillees River, Owenbrean River, Cladagh River, Sruh Croppa, Aghinrawn and the Colebrooke River.

The peak of Cuilcagh, part of the Cuilcagh Mountains range, on the Fermanagh/Cavan border is the highest point in Fermanagh (665 metres, 2,182 feet). Other mountains/ranges include Belmore Mountain, Tappghan Mountain (on the border with Tyrone), Brougher Mountain (on the border with Tyrone), Molly Mountain, Benaughlin Mountain, Slieve Rushen (on the border with Cavan), Derrin Mountain and Slieve Beagh (on the Tyrone border). Much of the western and eastern areas of the county are forested.

Media

Newspapers

• The Fermanagh Herald
• The Fermanagh News
• The Impartial Reporter

Radio

• Q101.2

Industry and tourism

Agriculture and tourism are two of the most important industries in Fermanagh. The main types of farming in the area are beef, dairy, sheep, pigs and some poultry. Most of the agricultural land is used as grassland for grazing and silage or hay rather than for other crops.

The waterways are extensively used by cabin cruisers, other small pleasure craft and anglers. The main town of Fermanagh is Enniskillen (Inis Ceithleann, Ceithleann's island). The island town hosts a range of attractions including the Castle Coole Estate and Enniskillen Castle, which is home to the museum of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards.

Attractions outside Enniskillen include:

• Belleek Pottery
• Castle Archdale
• Crom Estate
• Devenish Island
• Florence Court
• Loughnavar Forest Park
• Marble Arch Caves

History

Fermanagh was a stronghold of the Maguire clan before the confiscation of lands relating to Hugh Maguire.

The Annals of Ulster were written at Belle Isle on Lough Erne.

Notable people

Famous people born, raised in or living in Fermanagh.

• John Armstrong, (1717-1795), born in Fermanagh, United States Congressman^[2]
• Samuel Beckett, (1906-1989) author and playwright (educated in Portora Royal School)
• Denis Parsons Burkitt, (1911-1993) doctor - discoverer of Burkitt's lymphoma
• Roy Carroll, (1977- ) footballer
• Father Brian D'Arcy C.P. Passionist Priest and Media Personality
• Adrian Dunbar, (1958- ) actor
• Neil Hannon, (1970- ) musician
• Bobby Kerr, (1882-1963) athlete & Olympic Gold Medalist
• Ciarán McMenamin, (1975- ) actor
• Hugh Maguire (died 1600), Lord of Fermanagh during the reign of Elizabeth I of Great Britain
• Fr Salvian Maguire C.P. Former Head of Mt Argus
• Sean Quinn, (1947- ) entrepreneur
• Sinéad Quinn, (1980- ) singer (BBC Fame Academy runner up 2003)
• Gordon Wilson, (1927-1995) Peace campaigner and Irish senator
• Oscar Wilde, (1854-1900) author and playwright (educated in Portora Royal School)

References

• Clogher Record
• "Fermanagh" A Dictionary of British Place-Names. A. D. Mills. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Northern Ireland Public Libraries. 25 July 2007 <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t40.e5419>
• "Fermanagh." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition. 25 July 2007 <http://library.eb.co.uk/eb/article-9034047>.
• Fermanagh: its special landscapes: a study of the Fermanagh countryside and its heritage /Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. - Belfast: HMSO, 1991 ISBN 0-337-08276-6
• Friel, Charles P.. - Fermanagh's railways : a photographic tribute / Charles P. Friel, Norman Joh. - Newtownards, Co. Down: Colourpoint Press, 1998. ISBN 1-898392-39-0
• Livingstone, Peadar. - The Fermanagh story :a documented history of the County Fermanagh from the earliest times to the present day - Enniskillen: Cumann Seanchais Chlochair, 1969.
• Lowe, Henry N. - County Fermanagh 100 years ago: a guide and directory 1880. - Belfast: Friar's Bush Press, 1990. ISBN 0-946872-29-5
• Parke, William K. - A Fermanagh Childhood. Derrygonnelly, Co Fermanagh: Friar's Bush Press, 1988. ISBN 0-946872-12-0

• ^ http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/ni/popul.htm Background Information on Northern Ireland Society - Population and Vital Statistics
• ^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 

• http://www.impartialreporter.com/archive/2002-04-04/frontpage.html - Impartial Reporter
• http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/FH/fhhomepage.php/

See also

• Towns in County Fermanagh
• Villages in County Fermanagh
• List of places in County Fermanagh
• People from County Fermanagh
• Castles in County Fermanagh

External links

• Clogherhistory.ie
• Photos of Enniskillen
• Fermanagh GAA

Counties of Ireland
Connacht	Galway (Galway City) · Leitrim · Mayo · Roscommon · Sligo
Munster	Clare · Cork (Cork City) · Kerry · Limerick (Limerick City) · Tipperary (North Tipperary • South Tipperary) · Waterford (Waterford City)
Leinster	Carlow · Dublin (Dublin City • Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown • Fingal • South Dublin) · Kildare · Kilkenny · Laois · Longford · Louth · Meath · Offaly · Westmeath · Wexford · Wicklow
Ulster	Cavan · Donegal · Monaghan · Antrim · Armagh · Down · Fermanagh · Londonderry · Tyrone
Italics denote non-administrative counties  ·   (Parentheses) denote eponymous cities or non-traditional counties

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