Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [605]
Set in lovely wooded grounds in the shadow of Cuilcagh Mountain, and not to be confused with the nearby, single-worded village of Florencecourt, Florence Court ( 6634 8249; Swanlinbar Rd, Florencecourt; house tour adult/child £5/2, grounds £2.50/1; noon-6pm daily Jul & Aug, 1-6pm Wed-Mon Jun, 1-6pm daily early Sep, 1-6pm Sat, Sun & public hols Mar-May & late Sep-Oct) is famous for its rococo plasterwork and antique Irish furniture. The house was badly damaged by fire in 1955 and much of what you see on the one-hour guided tour is the result of meticulous restoration, but the magnificent plasterwork on the ceiling of the dining room is original.
Florence Court feels more homely and lived-in than the rather cold and austere Castle Coole, especially since the family belongings of the sixth earl were returned. (The earl had a falling out with the National Trust in 1974 and stomped off to Scotland with all his stuff; it was returned after the death of his widow in 1998.) The library, in particular, feels as if the last earl has just nipped out for a stroll and could return at any minute.
In the grounds ( 10am-8pm Apr-Oct, to 6pm late Feb-Apr, to 4pm Oct-early Feb) you can explore the walled garden and, on the edge of Cottage Wood, southeast of the house, admire an ancient Irish yew tree. It’s said that every Irish yew around the world is descended from this one.
The house is 12km southwest of Enniskillen. Take the A4 Sligo road and fork left onto the A32 to Swanlinbar. Ulsterbus service 192 from Enniskillen to Swanlinbar can drop you at Creamery Cross, about 2km from the house.
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CRUISING HOLIDAYS ON LOUGH ERNE
If you fancy exploring Lough Erne as captain of your own motor cruiser, well, you can – and without any previous experience or qualification. Several companies in Fermanagh hire out self-drive, live-aboard cabin cruisers by the week, offering a crash course (not literally, you hope) in boat-handling and navigation at the start of your holiday. Weekly rates in high season (July and August) range from about £800 for a two-berth to £1300 for a four-berth and £1800 for an eight-berth boat. Low- and mid-season rates are around 70% to 90% of the high-season rates.
The main cruiser hire companies in Fermanagh are:
Aghinver Boat Company ( 6863 1400; www.abcboats.com; Lisnarick, Lower Lough Erne)
Carrick Craft ( 3834 4993; www.cruise-ireland.com; Tully Bay, Lower Lough Erne)
Carrybridge Boat Company ( 6638 7034; Carrybridge, Lisbellaw, Upper Lough Erne)
Corraquill Cruising Holidays ( 6774 8712; www.corraquill.co.uk; Drumetta, Aghalane, Derrylin, Upper Lough Erne)
Manor House Marine ( 6862 8100; www.manormarine.com; Killadeas, Lower Lough Erne)
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Marble Arch Caves
To the south of Lower Lough Erne lies a limestone plateau, where Fermanagh’s abundant rainwater has carved out a network of subterranean caverns. The largest of these are the Marble Arch Caves ( 6634 8855; www.marblearchcaves.net; Marlbank Scenic Loop, Florencecourt; adult/child £8/5; 10am-5pm Jul & Aug, to 4.30pm Easter-Jun & Sep), first explored by the French caving pioneer Edouard Martel in 1895, but not opened to the public until 1985.
The 1¼-hour tour of the caves begins with a short boat trip along the peaty, foam-flecked waters of the underground River Cladagh to Junction Jetty, where three subterranean streams – the Owenbrean, the Aghinrawn and the Sluh Croppa, which drain the northern slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain – meet up. You then continue on foot past the Grand Gallery and Pool Chamber, regaled all the time with food-related jokes from your guide. An artificial tunnel leads into the New Chamber (pioneering cave explorers originally wriggled through a natural tunnel high above here), from which the route follows the underground Owenbrean River, through the Moses Walk (a walled pathway sunk waist-deep into the river) to the Calcite Cradle, where the most picturesque formations are to be found. The caves are very popular, so it’s wise to phone ahead and book a tour, especially if you’re in a group of four or more.