ENNISKILLEN CASTLE
North Ireland History and Activities in Fermanagh
Enniskillen
has played a significant part in the story of Northern
Ireland. First established as a strategic stronghold
of the Gaelic Maguire clan on an island formed from the river waters
passing between the two main bodies of Upper and Lower Lough Erne,
lakes of many islands formed by the River Erne. The original stone castle,
a square tower house built in the 1400s by Hugh Maguire “the Hospitable” to
guard the few passes into Fermanagh from attack by the O’Rourke
and O’Donnell clans
to the south and west, replaced an earlier earthwork, parts of which can
still be seen in the moatwork along the lake shore. Maquire’s castle
was expanded in 1580 with the addition of the Watergate tower, which
is now the most recognizable feature of the castle structure with its
twin towers overlooking the waters of the River Erne which have receded
over time, away from the gate, forming a flood plain where cruise boats
motor past in the channel.
Beginning
with a strategic campaign of the British in 1594 to control the northern
province of Ulster, the English under a Captain McDowel
captured the castle, then was recaptured by Connacht Maguire and eventually
retaken by the British in 1607. The Protestant English King James I,
from whom we get the King James Bible, taking the throne after his cousin
Queen Elizabeth, declared the Earls of Ulster as traitors and seized
their land. James appointed William Cole to establish an English settlement
at Enniskillen, beginning what is known as the Plantation of Ulster,
when the lands of the native Irish lords and farmers were seized and
granted to planters who would be loyal to the Protestant English crown,
many coming from Scotland and northern England (see Ulster American Folk Park), which is why today Northern Ireland is part
of the United Kingdom, and the source of 400 years of conflict between
Protestants and Catholics. Enniskillen is important in the northern Ireland
story as both where the conflict known as the “troubles” began, 
and where on November 8th, 1987, the explosion of an IRA bomb during
the WWI Remembrance Day ceremony which killed 11 and wounded another
64, turned the tide toward peace. The bomb, planted behind the wall of
a pub across from the Enniskillen War Memorial was intended as an attack
on
British Soldiers, but 10 of the killed were civilians and many of the
wounded were children, which horrified both sides to say “enough”, eventually
leading to the current state of reconciliation. Today, the casual tourist
will hardly notice any of the past conflict, though small birds on the
rebuilt War Memorial commemorate the victims of the bomb and hope for
continued peace.
In 1611, William Cole had the entire town of Enniskillen rebuilt to his
specifications and much of it remains according to his plans, though
traffic through town can get very congested at times due to its old
layout. By 1689 the town had grown significantly and during the arising of renewed
conflict from the ousting of Catholic King James II by his Protestant
rival, William III, Enniskillen and Derry were the focus of the Williamite
resistance in Ireland (see Battle
of the Boyne and St
Columbs Cathedral Derry). For much
of its history Enniskillen Castle has been the regimental station of
the
British
Royal
Dragoons
and Fusiliers.
Inniskillings Regimental Museum
The
square keep of Enniskillen Castle houses a museum of the Royal Inniskilling
Fusiliers and 6th Dragoon Guards of the British Army “The
Inniskillings” (from
where the town gets its name), with displays of weapons and vehicles
along with uniforms and medals of the regiments. The castle also
house the Fermanagh County Museum. Behind the keep overlooking the
River
Erne is the regimental firing range where bullets would be fired
into sand
bags on the wall to capture bullets from flying into the countryside,
but the sound would resonate in an intimating raucous of regularity
in more
tense times.
Check out the German Mortar captured in WWI and dedicated to the
bravery of one Lieutenant J. A. O. Brook. One
of several free public car parks for Enniskillen is directly next
to the
castle
along
the
river
front.
The
castle and
museums
are
open
all year 2-5pm on Mondays and Saturdays, 10-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays
and Bank Holidays. Admission is £3.50 for Adults, £2.50
for Children, Students and Seniors. A family ticket is available.
Fermanagh Activities
There
are few other attractions for visitors in the village of Enniskillen
itself. Across the street and up a hill is the impressive Cathedral
and nearby meat butcher shops and Coles Monument column tower allows
for
a panoramic view over Enniskillen and the Fermanagh countryside up
108 spiral steps. However, Fermanagh and counties surrounding Enniskillen
offers some of the broadest variety of activities you’ll find
in Northern Ireland - the National Trust sites of Castle Coole and
Florence
Court (see Great
Mansions of Fermanagh),
Championship Golf and luxury resort on Lough Erne (see Lough
Erne Golf Resort) as well Castle Hume Golf Club and more
the casual Enniskillen Golf Club - the Cookery School at Belle Isle
(see Belle
Isle Country Castle Lodgings) and underground caverns
of Marble Arch Geopark (see Underground
River Caverns) – some
of Europe’s best fishing on the islands of Lough Erne, hiking
up the craggy Cuilcagh Mountain Peak, crafts workshop shopping, historic
walks
and cruising the waterways. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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Fermanagh Tourism
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