Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [596]
Though neither was born here, both Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett were pupils at Enniskillen’s Portora Royal School (Wilde from 1864 to 1871, Beckett from 1919 to 1923); it was here that Beckett first studied French, a language he would later write in. The town’s name is also prominent in the history of the Troubles – on Poppy Day (11 November) in 1987 an IRA bomb killed 11 people during a service at Enniskillen’s war memorial.
Orientation
The main street changes name half a dozen times between the bridges at either end; the prominent clock tower marks the town centre. The other principal street is Wellington Rd, south of and parallel to the main street, where you’ll find the bus station, tourist office and car parking. If you’re driving, try to avoid rush hour – the bridge at the west end is a traffic bottleneck.
Information
Bank of Ireland ( 6632 2136; 7 Townhall St) ATM.
Eason ( 6632 4341; 10 High St; 8am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun) Local-interest books and maps.
Enniskillen Library ( 6632 2886; Hall’s Lane; 8.30am-5.15pm Mon & Fri, 8.30am-8pm Tue-Thu, 9am-1pm & 2-5pm Sat) Internet access £1.50 per 30min.
Post office (3 High St) In Dolan’s Centra grocery store.
Tourist Information Centre ( 6632 3110; www.fermanagh.gov.uk; Wellington Rd; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun Jul & Aug, 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun Easter-Jun & Sep, 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri & 10am-2pm Sat & Sun Oct, 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri Nov-Easter) Books accommodation, changes money, sells fishing licences and provides a postal and fax service.
Ulster Bank ( 6632 4034; 16 Darling St) ATM.
Sights
Enniskillen Castle ( 6632 5000; www.enniskillencastle.co.uk; Castle Barracks; adult/child £2.95/1.95; 2-5pm Mon & 10am-5pm Tue-Fri year-round, also 2-5pm Sat May-Sep & 2-5pm Sun Jul & Aug), a former stronghold of the 16th-century Maguire chieftains, guards the western end of the town’s central island, its twin-turreted Watergate looming over passing fleets of cabin cruisers. Within the walls you’ll find the Fermanagh County Museum, which has displays on the county’s history, archaeology, landscape and wildlife. The 15th-century keep contains the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Regimental Museum, full of guns, uniforms and medals – including eight Victoria Crosses awarded in WWI; it’s dedicated to the regiment that was raised at the castle in 1689 to support the army of William I.
In Forthill Park, at the eastern end of town, stands Cole’s Monument (admission free; 1.30-3pm mid-Apr–Sep). It commemorates Sir Galbraith Lowry-Cole (1772–1842), who was one of Wellington’s generals and the son of the first Earl of Enniskillen. Climb the 108 steps inside the column for a good view of the surrounding area.
Activities
The Kingfisher Trail is a waymarked, long-distance cycling trail that starts in Enniskillen and wends its way through the back roads of Counties Fermanagh, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan. The full route is around 370km long, but a shorter loop, starting and finishing in Enniskillen, and travelling via Kesh, Belleek, Garrison, Belcoo and the village of Florencecourt, is only 115km – easily done in two days with an overnight stay at Belleek. You can get a trail map from the Enniskillen Tourist Information Centre. There’s no bicycle hire available in Enniskillen, though; the nearest is in Castle Archdale Country Park.
You can hire canoes and kayaks from the Lakeland Canoe Centre ( 6632 4250; www.thehighpointgroup.com; Castle Island; per 2hr £20).
You can buy fishing permits and licences from the tourist information office, or Home, Field and Stream.
Click here and Click here for boat-hire options, and the boxed text, Click here, for information on cruising the lakes.
Tours
Blue Badge Tours ( 6862 1430; breegemccusker@btopenworld.com) offers guided tours of Enniskillen and the Lough Erne area with local historian Breege McCusker, a registered tourist guide. Special interest tours include prehistoric sites, monastic sites, carved stones and plantation castles.