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County Fermanagh (; Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach ('Men of Monach') in Irish
Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people....
), is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
, and is part of the Province of Ulster
Ulster

Ulster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster. The name is sometimes informally used as a synonym for Northern Ireland, one of the countries of the United Kingdom, although Northern Ireland covers only two thirds of Ulster....
. Fermanagh is often referred to as Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
's Lake District
Lake District

The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes and its mountains , and its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets....
, together with neighbouring County Cavan
County Cavan

File:Loughter.JPGCounty Cavan is a county in Republic of Ireland....
. The county is approximately 120 km (75 mi) from Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
 and 160 km (99 mi) from Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
.

The name Fermanagh is an Anglicization of Fhear Manach which means 'Men of the Manacháin tribe', so named after their chief O'Manacháin (Anglicized as O'Monaghan), the famous warrior monk.

The county borders County Tyrone
County Tyrone

County Tyrone is the second largest of the nine Irish county of Ulster and the largest of the six counties of Northern Ireland. It has an area of 3,155 square kilometres ....
 to the north-east, County Monaghan
County Monaghan

County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is one of three counties situated in the Province of Ulster which are in the Republic of Ireland. The name comes from the Irish, derived from Muine Cheain meaning the Land of the little hills....
 to the south-east, County Cavan
County Cavan

File:Loughter.JPGCounty Cavan is a county in Republic of Ireland....
 and County Leitrim
County Leitrim

County Leitrim is one of the Irish county of Republic of Ireland and is part of the province of Connacht. Its name derives from the Irish , meaning "grey ridge."...
 to the south-west and County Donegal
County Donegal

County Donegal is a county located in the west of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. It is one of three counties in the Province of Ulster that do not form part of Northern Ireland....
 to the north-west.






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County Fermanagh (; Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach ('Men of Monach') in Irish
Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people....
), is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
, and is part of the Province of Ulster
Ulster

Ulster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster. The name is sometimes informally used as a synonym for Northern Ireland, one of the countries of the United Kingdom, although Northern Ireland covers only two thirds of Ulster....
. Fermanagh is often referred to as Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
's Lake District
Lake District

The Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes and its mountains , and its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets....
, together with neighbouring County Cavan
County Cavan

File:Loughter.JPGCounty Cavan is a county in Republic of Ireland....
. The county is approximately 120 km (75 mi) from Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
 and 160 km (99 mi) from Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
.

The name Fermanagh is an Anglicization of Fhear Manach which means 'Men of the Manacháin tribe', so named after their chief O'Manacháin (Anglicized as O'Monaghan), the famous warrior monk.

The county borders County Tyrone
County Tyrone

County Tyrone is the second largest of the nine Irish county of Ulster and the largest of the six counties of Northern Ireland. It has an area of 3,155 square kilometres ....
 to the north-east, County Monaghan
County Monaghan

County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is one of three counties situated in the Province of Ulster which are in the Republic of Ireland. The name comes from the Irish, derived from Muine Cheain meaning the Land of the little hills....
 to the south-east, County Cavan
County Cavan

File:Loughter.JPGCounty Cavan is a county in Republic of Ireland....
 and County Leitrim
County Leitrim

County Leitrim is one of the Irish county of Republic of Ireland and is part of the province of Connacht. Its name derives from the Irish , meaning "grey ridge."...
 to the south-west and County Donegal
County Donegal

County Donegal is a county located in the west of the Province of Ulster, in the northwest of Ireland. It is one of three counties in the Province of Ulster that do not form part of Northern Ireland....
 to the north-west. Fermanagh is the only county of Northern Ireland that does not border Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh

Lough Neagh is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. With an area of 392 square kilometres , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty List of largest lakes of Europe....
.

History

Fermanagh was made into a county by statute of Elizabeth I but it was not till the time of the Plantation of Ulster
Plantation of Ulster

The Plantation of Ulster was planned in 1598 with the process of colonisation taking place in 1609. All the estates of the O'Neills, the Earls of Tyrone, the O'Donnells of Tyrconnell and their chief supporters were confiscated....
 that it was finally brought under civil government. Fermanagh was a stronghold of the Maguire clan
Maguire of Fermanagh

List of the Macguires of Fermanagh .See also*County FermanaghReferences...
 before the confiscation of lands relating to Hugh Maguire
Hugh Maguire

Hugh Maguire was the Lord of Fermanagh in Ireland during the reign of Elizabeth I and leader of the ancient Maguire clan; he died fighting crown authority during the Nine Years War ....
. It was divided in like manner with the other five escheated counties among Scottish and English undertakers and native Irish. The baronies of Knockinny and Maghenaboy were allotted to Scottish undertakers: those of Clankelly, Magherastephana, and Lurg, to English undertakers; and those of Clanawley, Coole, and Tyrkennedy, to servitors and natives. The chief families to benefit under the new settlement were the families of Cole, Blennerhasset, Butler, Hume, and Dunbar.

It is one of four counties
Counties of Ireland

In a process that began following the Norman invasion, and was completed in 1606, the island of Ireland was divided into thirty-two county ....
 of Northern Ireland presently to have a majority of the population from a Catholic
Catholic

Catholic is an adjective derived from the Greek language adjective , meaning "whole" or "complete". In the context of Christianity ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages....
 background, according to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th Census in the United Kingdom....
.

The Annals of Ulster
Annals of Ulster

The Annals of Ulster are a chronicle of Middle Ages Ireland. The entries span the years between Anno Domini 431 and AD 1540. The entries up to AD 1489 were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhr? ? Luin?n, under his patron Cathal ?g Mac Maghnusa on the island of Belle Isle on Lough Erne in the province of Ulster....
 were written at Belle Isle on Lough Erne
Lough Erne

Lough Erne refers to two lakes in Northern Ireland, which are in effect widened sections of the River Erne. The waterway is mostly situated in County Fermanagh....
.

Administration

Fermanagh District Council
Fermanagh District Council

Fermanagh District Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. The borders of the district are very similar to those of the traditional County Fermanagh, containing all of that county plus a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore Road and Kilskeery Road areas....
 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
County Tyrone

County Tyrone is the second largest of the nine Irish county of Ulster and the largest of the six counties of Northern Ireland. It has an area of 3,155 square kilometres ....
 in the Dromore
Dromore, County Tyrone

Dromore is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated nine miles south west of Omagh on the A32 road and sixteen miles from Enniskillen....
 and Kilskeery
Kilskeery

Kilskeery is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, between Ballinamallard and Trillick. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 57 people....
 road areas.

Fermanagh is part of the Fermanagh and South Tyrone Parliamentary Constituency
Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)

Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a Parliamentary constituency in the British House of Commons....
, renowned for high levels of voting and for electing Provisional IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army

The Provisional Irish Republican Army , is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that considers itself a direct continuation of the Irish Republican Army that fought in the Irish War of Independence....
 hunger-striker
Hunger strike

A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fasting as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change....
 Bobby Sands
Bobby Sands

Robert Gerard Sands , commonly known as Bobby Sands, , was an Irish people Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer and member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom who died on hunger strike whilst in Maze ....
 as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators....
 in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, April 1981 shortly before his death.

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
Enniskillen

Enniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne....
 (Inis Ceithleann, Ceithleann's island). The island town hosts a range of attractions including the Castle Coole
Castle Coole

Castle Coole is a late-eighteenth-century Neoclassical architecture mansion situated in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.Set in a 1200 acre wooded estate, it is one of three properties owned and managed by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty in County Fermanagh, the others being Florence Cou...
 Estate and Enniskillen Castle
Enniskillen Castle

Enniskillen Castle is situated in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The first castle was built on this site by Hugh Maguire in the 16th century....
, which is home to the museum
Museum

A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment, for the purposes of education, study, and entertainment", as defined by the International Coun...
 of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Ireland infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot ....
 and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards

The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army of the British Army in existence from 1922 to 1992, when it was amalgmated into the Royal Dragoon Guards....
.

Attractions outside Enniskillen include:
  • Belleek Pottery
    Belleek Pottery Ltd

    Belleek Pottery Ltd is a porcelain company that began trading in August 1884 as the Belleek Pottery Works Company Ltd in Belleek, County Fermanagh, County Fermanagh, in what was to become Northern Ireland....
  • Castle Archdale
    Castle Archdale

    Castle Archdale in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland is the home of Castle Archdale Country Park, situated near Irvinestown and owned and run by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency....
  • Crom Estate
    Crom Estate

    The Crom Estate is a nature reserve located in the south of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland along the shores of Upper Lough Erne. It is one of three estates owned and managed by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty in County Fermanagh, the others being Florence Court and Castle Coole mansions....
  • Devenish Island
    Devenish Island

    Devenish Island is an island in Lower Lough Erne, north of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Aligned roughly north-south, it is about one and a quarter miles long and two-thirds of a mile wide....
  • Florence Court
    Florence Court

    Florence Court is a large 18th century house and estate located 8 miles south-west of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is set in the foothills of Cuilcagh Mountain....
  • Loughnavar Forest Park
  • Marble Arch Caves
    Marble Arch Caves

    The Marble Arch Caves are a series of natural limestone caves located near the village of Florencecourt in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. They run under Cuilcagh mountain....
  • Garrison
    Garrison

    Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, of more than 50 men, but now often simply using it as a home base....


Settlements


Large towns

(population of 18,000 or more and under 75,000 at 2001 Census)
  • none

Medium towns

(population of 10,000 or more and under 18,000 at 2001 Census)
  • Enniskillen
    Enniskillen

    Enniskillen is the county town in County Fermanagh. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne....

Small towns

(population of 4,500 or more and under 10,000 at 2001 Census)
  • none

Intermediate settlements

(population of 2,250 or more and under 4,500 at 2001 Census)
  • Lisnaskea
    Lisnaskea

    Lisnaskea is a small town and the second largest settlement in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, and is the former seat of the ancient Maguire Kings....

Villages

(population of 1,000 or more and under 2,250 at 2001 Census)
  • Ballinamallard
    Ballinamallard

    Ballinamallard is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland to the north of Enniskillen. It had a population of 1,340 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
  • Irvinestown
    Irvinestown

    Irvinestown is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, near Lower Lough Erne. It had a population of 1,801 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
  • Lisbellaw
    Lisbellaw

    Lisbellaw is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, about 5 miles east of Enniskillen. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 1,046 people....

Small villages or hamlets

(population of less than 1,000 at 2001 Census)
  • Belcoo
    Belcoo

    Belcoo is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 12 miles from Enniskillen. It is situated on the Fermanagh/County Cavan border beside the village of Blacklion in the Republic of Ireland....
  • Bellanaleck
    Bellanaleck

    Bellanaleck is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It lies just south of Enniskillen In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 213 people....
  • Belleek
    Belleek, County Fermanagh

    Belleek is a very small market town in the west of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland on the River Erne. It straddles the border with County Donegal, the majority of Belleek being in Fermanagh, but a small part is in the Republic of Ireland....
  • Brookeborough
    Brookeborough

    Brookeborough pronounced is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It was formerly known as Aghalun and lies between Enniskillen and Belfast just off the A4 road , approximately five miles from the County Tyrone boundary....
  • Derrygonnelly
    Derrygonnelly

    Derrygonnelly is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Situated beside Lower Lough Erne the village is home to 594 people and dates back to the Plantation era....
  • Derrylin
    Derrylin

    Derrylin is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, near the border with the Republic of Ireland. It is on the A509 roads in Ireland between Enniskillen and the border with County Cavan ....
  • Ederney
    Ederney

    Ederney is a small village in County Fermanagh located on the edge of two townlands Ederney and Drumkeen, Northern Ireland, just over 2 miles from Lower Lough Erne....
  • Garrison
    Garrison, County Fermanagh

    Garrison is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 5 miles south of Belleek, County Fermanagh, at the eastern end of Lough Melvin....
  • Kesh
    Kesh, County Fermanagh

    Kesh is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the Kesh River just a mile from Lower Lough Erne. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 972 people....
  • Maguiresbridge
    Maguiresbridge

    Maguiresbridge is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The town is named after the bridge first built by the local Maguire family....
  • Newtownbutler
    Newtownbutler

    Newtownbutler is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the southeast corner of the County, close to the border with County Monaghan and the town of Clones....
  • Rosslea
    Rosslea

    [Image: Roslea parish church.jpg|thumb|left| Roslea parish church in Irish language) is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, close to the border with County Monaghan....
  • Tempo
    Tempo, County Fermanagh

    Tempo is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, to the northeast of Enniskillen at the foot of Brougher Mountain. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded a population of 533 people....


Media

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

    The Impartial Reporter is a newspaper based in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland circulating in Co Fermanagh, South Tyrone and the Irish Border Region of the Republic of Ireland....


Radio
  • Q101.2
    Q101.2

    Q101.2 FM West is a radio station based in Market Street, Omagh, County Tyrone.It broadcasts on FM 101.2 to Counties County Tyrone and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland....


Notable people

Famous people born, raised in or living in Fermanagh.

  • John Armstrong, (1717-1795), born in Fermanagh, United States Congressman
  • Samuel Beckett
    Samuel Beckett

    Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish people writer, dramatist and poet. Beckett's work offers a bleak outlook on human culture and both formally and philosophically became increasingly minimalism....
    , (1906-1989) author and playwright (educated in Portora Royal School
    Portora Royal School

    Portora Royal School for boys, located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, is one of a number of 'free schools' founded by Royal Charter in 1608, by James I of England....
    )
  • Denis Parsons Burkitt
    Denis Parsons Burkitt

    Denis Parsons Burkitt , surgeon, was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland. He was the son of James Parsons Burkitt. Aged eleven he lost his right eye in an accident....
    , (1911-1993) doctor - discoverer of Burkitt's lymphoma
    Burkitt's lymphoma

    Burkitt lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system . It is named after Denis Parsons Burkitt, a surgeon who first described the disease in 1956 while working in equatorial Africa....
  • Wayne Mcgovern, (1977- ) association footballer
  • Father Brian D'Arcy C.P. Passionist Priest and Media Personality
  • Adrian Dunbar
    Adrian Dunbar

    Adrian Dunbar is a Northern Irish actor best known for his television and theatre work. Dunbar co-wrote and starred in the 1991 film, Hear My Song, nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the BAFTA awards....
    , (1958- ) actor
  • Neil Hannon
    Neil Hannon

    Neil Hannon is a singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the orchestral pop music band , The Divine Comedy . The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy will always be my band because......
    , (1970- ) musician
  • Kyle Lafferty
    Kyle Lafferty

    Kyle Lafferty is a professional association footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League side Rangers F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team....
    , (1987- ) Northern Ireland International association footballer
  • Bobby Kerr
    Bobby Kerr

    Robert Kerr was an Irish Canadian athletics . He won the gold medal in the 200 metres and the bronze medal in the 100 metres at the 1908 Summer Olympics....
    , (1882-1963) athlete & Olympic Gold Medalist
  • Sean Quinn
    Seán Quinn

    Se?n Quinn is an entrepreneur from Derrylin, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He was born 5 December 1947, the son of a small farmer, and left school at 14 years of age....
    , (1947- ) entrepreneur
  • Gordon Wilson
    Gordon Wilson (peace campaigner)

    Gordon Wilson was the father of Marie Wilson, one of 12 victims of the Enniskillen Remembrance Day Bombing by the Provisional IRA in 1987.He was born in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim several years after the partition of Ireland....
    , (1927-1995) Peace campaigner and Irish senator
  • Oscar Wilde
    Oscar Wilde

    Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish people playwright, Irish poetry and author of numerous short stories and one novel. Known for his biting wit, he became one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian era in London, and one of the greatest Celebrity of his day....
    , (1854-1900) author and playwright (educated in Portora Royal School
    Portora Royal School

    Portora Royal School for boys, located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, is one of a number of 'free schools' founded by Royal Charter in 1608, by James I of England....
    )


See also

  • Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland (County Fermanagh)
    Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland

    Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland is a link page for any abbey, priory, friary or other religious house in Northern Ireland....
  • List of places in County Fermanagh
    List of places in County Fermanagh

    This is a list of city, towns, villages and hamlets in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. See the list of places in Northern Ireland for places in other counties....
People from County Fermanagh Castles in County Fermanagh
  • Silver bands in Fermanagh
    Silver bands in Fermanagh

    Silver Bands in County FermanaghCo Fermanagh, in the south west of Northern Ireland, has a rich history of music, none more so than its long and proud association with silver bands....
  • List of townlands in County Fermanagh
    List of townlands in County Fermanagh

    In Ireland County are divided into Civil Parishes and Parishes are further divided into townlands. The following is a list of townlands in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland:...


External links