Knockmore () is an upland area and
townland situated in
County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland.
The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 a ...
,
Northern Ireland outside the village of
Derrygonnelly, in the historical barony of
Magheraboy. This area, together with the adjacent Barrs of Boho and most of the uplands in
Boho parish, are described as the Knockmore Scarplands.
The focal point of the area is Knockmore summit at .
This area is notable for its flora and geology which is protected under an
areas of special scientific interest (ASSI) designation, namely the West Fermanagh Scarplands ASSI and West Fermanagh Scarplands
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
(SAC).
There are also a number of sites of archaeological significance, which have been recorded since the late 19th century.
Geology
The Knockmore area is known for its dramatic cliffs. It also gives its name to a type of limestone described as Knockmore Limestone
[ which contains a number of caves.]
Flora and fauna
The flora and fauna in this area are largely as a result of the underlying limestone and sandstone geology, consisting of upland heath mixed with calcareous grassland
Calcareous grassland (or alkaline grassland) is an ecosystem associated with thin basic soil, such as that on chalk and limestone downland. Plants on calcareous grassland are typically short and hardy, and include grasses and herbs such as clover ...
.[ The area is especially noted for the appearance of Irish eyebright (), which is considered a priority species in Northern Ireland.
]
History
There is a mention in old tales of a castle belonging to the Flannagan Clan which was located on Knockmore.
Cave archaeology
The summit of Knockmore contains at least 15 small caves which have been the subject of archeological visits since the late 19th century. The most significant of these is "Lettered Cave" (or Inscribed Cave), situated 50 m from Knockmore summit, which is partially man-made.
The cave is named for the art and writing of varying age inscribed on the walls, ranging from early celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foo ...
and Christian designs to simple marking of names and dates. It was investigated by William Wakeman (1866–70)
and Thomas Plunkett (1870, 1878 and 1898)[Burns, G. et al (ed.) (1997), p.16]
and is now a scheduled ancient monument.
Among the other caves studied on Knockmore is Gillie's Hole, located part-way up the southern cliff face of the summit. Named for its 18th-century occupants, reportedly a young couple ostracised by their families, the cave was discovered by Wakeman (1870) to contain further inscriptions of ancient celtic origin.
See also
* List of townlands in County Fermanagh
* List of archaeological sites in County Fermanagh
* Caves of the Tullybrack and Belmore hills
Notes
References
*
Further reading
*
*
{{County Fermanagh
Mountains and hills of County Fermanagh
Townlands of County Fermanagh
Archaeological sites in County Fermanagh