County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, one of the nine counties of

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

and one of six counties of

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021.

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 14,086 at the 2011 censu ...

is the

county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...

and largest in both size and population. Fermanagh is one of four counties of Northern Ireland to have a majority of its population from a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

background, according to the 2011 census.

Geography

Fermanagh spans an area of 1,851 km² (715 sq; mi), accounting for 13.2% of the landmass of Northern Ireland. Nearly a third of the county is covered by lakes and waterways, including Upper and Lower

Lough Erne Lough Erne ( , ) is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster, and the fourth biggest in Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River E ...

and the

River Erne The River Erne ( , or ''An Éirne'') in the northwest of the island of Ireland, is the second-longest river in Ulster, flowing through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and forming part of their border. Course The Erne rises on ...

. Forests cover 14% of the landmass (42,000 hectares). It is the only county in Northern Ireland that does not border

Lough Neagh Lough Neagh ( ; ) is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake on the island of Ireland and in the British Isles. It has a surface area of and is about long and wide. According to Northern Ireland Water, it supplies 4 ...

. The county has three prominent upland areas: * the expansive West Fermanagh Scarplands to the southwest of Lough Erne, which rise to about 350m, * the

Sliabh Beagh Slieve Beagh () is a mountainous area straddling the border between County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland and County Fermanagh and County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. A point just east of its summit is the highest point in Monaghan; however ...

hills, situated to the east on the Monaghan border, and * the Cuilcagh mountain range, located along Fermanagh's southern border, which contains

Cuilcagh Cuilcagh () is a mountain on the border between County Fermanagh (in Northern Ireland) and County Cavan (in the Republic of Ireland). With a height of it is the highest point in both counties. It is also the 170th highest peak on the island of ...

, the county's highest point, at 665m. The county borders: *

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. Its county town is Omagh. Adjoined to the south-west shore of Lough Neagh, the cou ...

to the north-east, *

County Monaghan County Monaghan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of Border Region, Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town ...

to the south-east, *

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is based on the hi ...

to the south-west, *

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...

to the west, and *

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...

to the north-west. Fermanagh is by far the least populous of Northern Ireland's six counties, with just over one-third the population of Tyrone, the next least populous county. It is approximately from

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

and from

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. The county town, Enniskillen, is the largest settlement in Fermanagh, situated in the middle of the county. The county enjoys a

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(''Cfb) with cool winters, mild humid summers, and a lack of temperature extremes, according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

. The

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

manages three sites of historic and natural beauty in the county:

Crom Estate The Crom Estate (pronounced ''K-ROM) 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 in County Fermanagh, ...

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. The nearby village is distinguished by the one-word name Flo ...

, and

Castle Coole Castle Coole (from Logainm
– Castle Coole – scanned record 2) is a

red beds Red beds (or redbeds) are sedimentary rocks, typically consisting of sandstone, siltstone, and shale, that are predominantly red in color due to the presence of ferric oxides. Frequently, these red-colored sedimentary strata locally contain t ...

were formed approximately 550 million years ago. Extensive

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

can be found in the eastern part of the county, laid down during the

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...

, 400 million years ago. Much of the rest of the county's sediments are

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...

and

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

dating from the

Carboniferous The Carboniferous ( ) is a Geologic time scale, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era that spans 60 million years, from the end of the Devonian Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the ...

, 354 to 298 million years ago. These softer sediments have produced extensive cave systems such as the

Shannon Cave Shannon may refer to: People * Shannon (given name) * Shannon (surname) * Shannon (American singer), stage name of singer Brenda Shannon Greene (born 1958) * Shannon (South Korean singer), British-South Korean singer and actress Shannon Arrum Will ...

, the

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. The caves are named after the nearby Marble Arch, a natural limestone Natural arch, arch at the upstr ...

and the

Caves of the Tullybrack and Belmore hills The Caves of the Tullybrack and Belmore hills are a collection of caves in southwest County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The region is also described as the West Fermanagh Scarplands by environmental agencies and shares many similar karst feature ...

. The carboniferous shale exists in several counties of northwest Ireland, an area known colloquially as the

Lough Allen Lough Allen () is a lake on the River Shannon in northeastern Connacht, Ireland. Most of the lake is in County Leitrim, with a smaller part in County Roscommon. The lake lies to the south of the River Shannon's source, near the Iron Mountains ...

basin. The basin is estimated to contain 9.4 trillion cubic metres of

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

, equivalent to 1.5 billion

barrels of oil A barrel is one of several units of volume applied in various contexts; there are dry barrels, fluid barrels (such as the U.K. beer barrel and U.S. beer barrel), oil barrels, and so forth. For historical reasons, the volumes of some barrel unit ...

. The county is situated over a sequence of prominent faults, primarily the Killadeas – Seskinore Fault, the Tempo – Sixmilecross Fault, the Belcoo Fault and the Clogher Valley Fault which cross-cuts Lough Erne.

History

The Menapii are the only known Celtic tribe specifically named on

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...

's 150 AD map of

, where they located their first colony—Menapia—on the

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

coast . They later settled around

, becoming known as the Fir Manach, and giving their name to

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh (), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of alleged Laigin or ...

and

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It also provides the name of its Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish and Monaghan (barony), Monaghan barony. The population of the town as of the 2022 cen ...

. Mongán mac Fiachnai, a 7th-century King of

, is the protagonist of several legends linking him with

Manannán mac Lir or , also known as ('son of the Sea'), is a Water deity, sea god, warrior, and king of the Tír na nÓg, otherworld in Irish mythology, Gaelic (Irish, Manx, and Scottish) mythology who is one of the . He is seen as a ruler and guardian of t ...

. They spread across

, evolving into historic Irish (also Scottish and Manx) clans. The

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luin� ...

which cover medieval Ireland between AD 431 to AD 1540 were written at Belle Isle on

near

Lisbellaw Lisbellaw () is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, about east of Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, betwee ...

. In the early 9th century, the Erne was considered to be the boundary of

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

and

, specifically the over-kingdom of

Airgíalla Airgíalla (; Modern Irish: Oirialla, English: Oriel, Latin: ''Ergallia'') was a medieval Irish over-kingdom and the collective name for the confederation of tribes that formed it. The confederation consisted of nine minor kingdoms, all indepen ...

. The Fir Manach proper,

Tirkennedy Tirkennedy () is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. To its west lies Lower Lough Erne and south Upper Lough Erne, and it is bordered by seven other baronies: Clanawley and Magheraboy to the west; Lurg and Omagh East to the nort ...

and

Magherastephana Magherastephana is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. To its south-west lies Upper Lough Erne, and it is bordered by five other baronies: Tirkennedy to the west; Knockninny to the south-west; and Coole to the south; Clankelly to ...

, along with

Clankelly Clankelly ( Irish: ''Clann Cheallaigh'', meaning Clan Kelly or, more literally, 'Offspring of Ceallaigh' Brian G. Scott (General Editor), Claire Foley and Ronan McHugh, ''An Archaeological Survey of County Fermanagh: Volume 1 - Part 1: The Prehis ...

were part of the western Airgíalla group-kingdom of Uí Creamthainn with its seat at

Clogher Clogher (; , ) is a village and civil parish in the border area of south County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Blackwater, 5.8 miles from the border crossing to County Monaghan. It stands on the townlands of Clogher Demesne ...

, whereas

Lurg Lurg () is a barony situated in the north of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. To its south lies Lower Lough Erne, and it is bordered by four other baronies in Northern Ireland: Magheraboy to the south; Tirkennedy to the south-east; Omagh W ...

was associated with the northern Airgíalla branch of Uí Fiachrach centred at

Ardstraw Ardstraw (from (hill or height of the holm or strath)) is a small village, townland and civil parish in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, three miles northwest of Newtownstewart. In the 2001 census, it had a population of 222 people (in 81 hous ...

. Fermanagh was a stronghold of the Maguire clan and Donn Carrach Maguire (died 1302) was the first of the chiefs of the Maguire dynasty. However, on the confiscation of lands relating to Hugh Maguire, Fermanagh was divided in a similar manner to the other five escheated counties among Scottish and English undertakers and native Irish. The baronies of

Knockninny Knockninny () is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. To its east lies Upper Lough Erne, and it is bordered by four other baronies in Northern Ireland: Clanawley to the north-west; Tirkennedy to the north; Magherastephana to the n ...

and

Magheraboy Magheraboy () is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. To its east lies Lower Lough Erne, and it is bordered by three other baronies in Northern Ireland: Lurg to the north; Tirkennedy to the east; and Clanawley to the south It also ...

were allotted to Scottish undertakers, those of

and

to English undertakers and those of

Clanawley Clanawley () is a barony in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. To its east lies Upper Lough Erne, and it is bordered by three other baronies: Magheraboy to the north; Tirkennedy and Knockninny to the east. It also borders three baronies in t ...

, 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. Fermanagh was made into a county by a statute of Elizabeth I, but it was not until the time of the

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...

that it was finally brought under civil government. The closure of all the lines of

Great Northern Railway (Ireland) The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) (GNR(I), GNRI or simply GNR) was an Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland. It was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway (INW), Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. Th ...

within County Fermanagh in 1957 left the county as the first non-island county in the UK without a railway service.

Administration

The county was administered by

Fermanagh County Council Fermanagh County Council was the authority responsible for local government in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, between 1899 and 1973. It was originally based at the Enniskillen Courthouse, but moved to County Buildings in East Bridge Street ...

from 1899 until the abolition of county councils in Northern Ireland in 1973. With the creation of Northern Ireland's district councils,

Fermanagh District Council Fermanagh District Council was a local council in Northern Ireland. It was created out of Fermanagh County Council and later merged with Omagh District Council in April 2015 under local government reorganisation to become Fermanagh and Omagh Di ...

became the only one of the 26 that contained all of the county from which it derived its name. After the re-organisation of local government in 2015, Fermanagh was still the only county wholly within one council area, namely

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (; Ulster-Scots: ''Districk Cooncil o Fermanagh an Omey'') is a local authority in Northern Ireland and was established on 1 April 2015. It replaced Fermanagh District Council and Omagh District Council an ...

, albeit that it constituted only a part of that entity. For the purposes of elections to the UK Parliament, the territory of Fermanagh is part of the Fermanagh and South Tyrone Parliamentary Constituency. This constituency elected

Provisional IRA The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...

hunger-striker

Bobby Sands Robert Gerard Sands (; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze in Northern Ireland. Sands helped to plan the 1976 Balmoral Furnit ...

as a member of parliament in the

April 1981 Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election The 1981 by-election held in Fermanagh and South Tyrone on 9 April 1981 is considered by many to be the most significant by-election held in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. It saw the first electoral victory for militant Irish republicani ...

, shortly before his death.

Demographics

2011 census

On Census Day (27 March 2011), the usually resident population of Fermanagh Local Government District, the borders of the district were very similar to those of the traditional County Fermanagh, was 61,805. Of these: This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under th
Open Government Licence v3.0
© Crown copyright. *0.93% were from an ethnic minority population and the remaining 99.07% were white (including Irish Traveller) *59.16% belong to or were brought up in the Catholic religion and 37.78% belong to or were brought up in a 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' religion *37.20% indicated that they had a British national identity, 36.08% had an Irish national identity and 29.53% had a Northern Irish national identity

2021 Census

On Census Day (2021), the usually resident population of Fermanagh Local Government District, the borders of the district were very similar to those of the traditional County Fermanagh, was 63,585. Of these: *58.8% belong to or were brought up in the Catholic religion and 35.5% belong to or were brought up in a 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' religion.

Community background and religion

Ethnicity

Country of birth

Main languages

Knowledge of Irish

* In County Fermanagh, 1.91% claim to use Irish daily and 0.22% claim that Irish is their main language.

Knowledge of Ulster Scots

* 0.99% claim to use Ulster Scots daily in County Fermanagh.

National identity

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

(, 'Ceithleann's island'). The island town hosts a range of attractions including the

Castle Coole Castle Coole (from Logainm
– Castle Coole – scanned record 2) is a

Enniskillen Castle Enniskillen Castle is situated in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It was originally built in the 16th century and now contains the Fermanagh County Museum and a museum for the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and Royal In ...

, which is home to the museum of The

Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Ireland, Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th (Ma ...

and the

5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. It served in the Second World ...

. Fermanagh is also home to The Boatyard Distillery, a distillery producing

gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients. Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe. The modern gin was modified in Flanders and the Netherlands ...

. Attractions outside Enniskillen include: *

Belleek Pottery Belleek Pottery Ltd is a porcelain company that began trading in 1884 as the ''Belleek Pottery Works Company Ltd'' in Belleek, County Fermanagh, Ireland in what was to later become Northern Ireland. The factory produces Parian ware that is cha ...

Castle Archdale Castle Archdale in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, is a former estate on the shores of Lough Erne Lower, the key feature of which today is Castle Archdale Country Park. There is also a caravan park. The former estate is situated near Lisnari ...

* Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail *

Devenish Island Devenish or Devinish () is an island in Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Aligned roughly north–south, it is about long and wide. The island is the site of an early Christian monastery and round tower. It is historicall ...

* Tempo Manor

Settlements

The classification of settlements by NISRA defines six categories following the 2011 census (ignoring Belfast and Derry City which have their own separate categories), namely; Large towns, Medium towns, Small towns, Intermediate settlements, Villages and Small villages or hamlets. The majority of the settlements in County Fermanagh lie within the final category, five within the village category and one each in the intermediate settlements and medium towns categories. No settlements in the county are classified as Large towns or Small towns.

Large towns

(population of 18,000 or more and under 75,000 at 2011 Census) * none

Medium towns

(population of 10,000 or more and under 18,000 at 2011 Census) *

Small towns

(population of 5,000 or more and under 10,000 at 2011 Census) * none

Intermediate settlements

(population of 2,500 or more and under 4,500 at 2011 Census) *

Lisnaskea Lisnaskea () is the second-biggest settlement in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is situated mainly in the townland of Lisoneill, with some areas in the townland of Castle Balfour Demesne, both in the civil parish of Aghalurcher and th ...

Villages

(population of 1,000 or more and under 2,500 at 2011 Census) *

Ballinamallard Ballinamallard or Bellanamallard (Flanagan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 172. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a small village and townland in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,364 people in the 2021 C ...

Irvinestown Irvinestown is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. At the 2021 census it had a population of 2,325 people. The most notable buildings are Necarne Castle, formerly known as Castle Irvine, and Castle Archdale. Irvinestown is situated ...

* Kesh *

Maguiresbridge Maguiresbridge is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The village is named after the bridge over the Colebrooke River, first built by the local Maguire family about 1760. The village is 8 miles from Enniskillen and 3 miles fr ...

Small villages or hamlets

(population of less than 1,000 at 2011 Census)

Population of Settlements

Population statistics were not made available from the 2001, 2011 and 2021 censuses, where noted with an "N/A".

Subdivisions

Baronies

* Coole *

Parishes Townlands

Media

Newspapers * '' The Fermanagh Herald'' * ''

The Impartial Reporter ''The Impartial Reporter'' is a newspaper based in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland which is circulated in Fermanagh, South Tyrone and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland. It is the third-oldest newspaper in Ireland, ...

Education

There are 41 primary schools currently in operation in County Fermanagh, 10 secondary schools, one special school and one further education college. Primary Schools Secondary Schools Further Education College * ''South West College, Enniskillen Campus'' Special School * ''Willowbridge Special School'' Closed Schools * ''St Mary's High School, Belleek'' -Brollagh Closed 2021 * ''St. Eugene’s College, Roslea'' - Closed 2017 * ''St. Eugene’s Primary School, Knocks'' - Closed 2013 * ''Lisnaskea High School'' - Closed 2013 * ''Corranny Primary School'' - Closed 2012 * ''Cornagague Primary School''- Closed 2012 * ''Duke of Westminster High School, Ballinamallard'' - Closed 2004 * ''Kesh Duke of Westminster'' - Closed 2004 * ''Ashwoods Primary School'' - Closed 1968 * ''St Mary's Primary School, Bannagh'' - Closed 1960/70s

Sport

Fermanagh GAA has never won a Senior Provincial or an All-Ireland title in any Gaelic games, it is only one of two counties to win neither title. There are 22 GAA clubs in the county, this is the second least of all 32 counties (Longford now has the least, with 21 GAA clubs). Only Ballinamallard United F.C. take part in the

Northern Ireland football league system The Northern Ireland football league system is categorised into three levels: senior, intermediate and junior. Clubs attain intermediate status by fulfilling certain criteria (e.g. owning or leasing its own enclosed ground). Senior status requires ...

. All other Fermanagh clubs play in the

Fermanagh & Western FA The Fermanagh & Western Football Association is one of four regional FAs within Northern Ireland and affiliated to the Irish FA, the others being the County Antrim FA (also known as the North East Ulster FA), the Mid-Ulster FA and the North-West FA ...

league systems.

Fermanagh Mallards F.C. Fermanagh Mallards Football Club is a women's association football club based in Ballinamallard, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. They play their home matches at Ballinamallard United F.C.'s Ferney Park. The club was founded in 2005 and i ...

played in the Women's Premier League until 2013. Enniskillen RFC was founded in 1925 and is still going. There is also a rugby league team, the Fermanagh Redskins Famous football players from Fermanagh include – *

Sandy Fulton Alexander 'Sandy' John Burns Fulton (1942–2001) was the first person from County Fermanagh to play representative football for Northern Ireland. Football Sandy Fulton made his debut in 1957 for Enniskillen Rangers at the age of 13 years an ...

* Jim Cleary *

Roy Carroll Roy Eric Carroll (born 30 September 1977) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is best known for his spells at Wigan Athletic, Manchester United (where he won a Premier League winners medal and the ...

Harry Chatton James Harry Chatton (23 April 1899 – 1983), was an Irish footballer who played for several clubs in the Scottish League, the American Soccer League and the League of Ireland. Chatton was a dual internationalist and played for both Ireland ...

* Barry Owens *

Kyle Lafferty Kyle Joseph George Lafferty (born 16 September 1987) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for side Johnstone Burgh. Lafferty began his professional career with English side Burnley, where he made 89 appearances ...

Notable people

Famous people born, raised in or living in Fermanagh include: * John Armstrong (1717–1795), born in Fermanagh, Major General in the Continental Army and delegate in the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

(1906–1989), author and playwright from

Foxrock Foxrock () is an affluent suburb on the southside of Dublin, Ireland. It is within the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, in the postal district of Dublin 18 and in the Catholic parish of Foxrock. History The suburb of Foxrock was developed ...

, educated at

Portora Royal School Portora Royal School located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, was one of the 'free schools' founded by the royal charter in 1608, by James I, making it one of the oldest schools in Ireland at the time of its closure. Origina ...

* Darren Breslin, traditional musician * The 1st Viscount Brookeborough,

Prime Minister of Northern Ireland The prime minister of Northern Ireland was the head of the Government of Northern Ireland (1921–1972), Government of Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. No such office was provided for in the Government of Ireland Act 1920; however, the L ...

, 1943–1963 *

Denis Parsons Burkitt Denis Parsons Burkitt, MD, FRCS(Ed), FRS (28 February 1911 – 23 March 1993) was an Irish surgeon who made significant advances in health, such as the aetiology of a pediatric cancer, now called Burkitt's lymphoma, and the finding that rate ...

(1911–1993), doctor, discoverer of

Burkitt's lymphoma Burkitt's lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, particularly B lymphocytes found in the germinal center. It is named after Denis Parsons Burkitt, the Irish surgeon who first described the disease in 1958 while working in equatorial Africa ...

(born 1977), association footballer *

Edward Cooney Edward Cooney (1867–1960) was an Irish evangelist from the 1890s to the 1950s. Cooney was born in Enniskillen, Ireland to William R. Cooney, a wealthy local merchant. He was the third of eight children and joined the family business after fin ...

(1867–1960), evangelist and early leader of the

Cooneyite The Cooneyites are a Protestant sect which split from the nameless church commonly known as Two by Twos; the church was originally called "the Tramps" or "the Go-Preachers" founded by William Irvine, often referred to today as "The Truth" or, c ...

and Go-Preachers *

Brian D'Arcy Brian D'Arcy CP OBE (born 1 June 1945) is an Irish Passionist priest, writer, newspaper columnist, broadcaster, and preacher. D'Arcy hosts a weekly radio programme each Sunday afternoon on BBC Radio Ulster. He is the author of several books, i ...

(born 1945), C.P., Passionist priest and media personality *

Brendan Dolan Brendan Gabriel Dolan (born 2 August 1973) is a Northern Irish professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. He was the first player to hit a nine-dart finish in a "double-to-start" event (where a pla ...

(born 1973), professional darts player for the PDC *

Adrian Dunbar Adrian Dunbar (born 1 August 1958) is an Irish actor, director, and singer from Northern Ireland, known for his television and theatre work. He co-wrote and starred in the 1991 film '' Hear My Song'', nominated for Best Original Screenplay at t ...

(born 1958), actor * Arlene Foster, Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (born 1970), politician *

Neil Hannon Edward Neil Anthony Hannon (born 7 November 1970) is a singer and songwriter from Northern Ireland. He is the founder and frontman of the chamber pop group the Divine Comedy, and is the band's only constant member since its inception in 1989. H ...

(born 1970), musician * Robert Kerr (1882–1963), athlete and Olympic gold medalist *

(born 1987), Northern Ireland International association footballer *

Charles Lawson Quintin Charles Devenish Lawson (born 17 September 1959) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He is best known for playing Jim McDonald (Coronation Street), Jim McDonald on the long running ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street''. ...

(born 1959), actor (plays Jim McDonald in ''Coronation Street'') * Francis Little (1822–1890), born in Fermanagh, Wisconsin State Senator *

Terence MacManus Terence Bellew MacManus (born 1811 or 1823 – 15 January 1861) was an Irish rebel who participated in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848. Sentenced to death for treason, he and several other participants were given commuted sentences in ...

(c. 1823–1861), leader in

Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848 The Young Irelander Rebellion was a failed Irish nationalist uprising led by the Young Ireland movement, part of the wider Revolutions of 1848 that affected most of Europe. It took place on 29 July 1848 at Farranrory, a small settlement about ...

* Michael Magner (1840–97), recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

Peter McGinnity Peter McGinnity (born October 1953) is a Gaelic football manager and former player who hails from Roslea in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the ...

, Gaelic footballer, Fermanagh's first winner of an All-Star Award * Martin McGrath, Gaelic footballer, All-Star winner *

Ciarán McMenamin Ciarán McMenamin (born 1 October 1975) is a Northern Irish actor and author. Early life McMenamin was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, where he attended St Michael's College. He earned his B.A. from the Royal Scot ...

(born 1975), actor * Gilla Mochua Ó Caiside (12th century), poet * Aurora Mulligan, director * Barry Owens, Gaelic footballer, two-time All-Star winner *

Sean Quinn Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Hiberno-English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as '' Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; ang ...

(born 1947), entrepreneur *

Michael Sleavon Michael Sleavon VC (c. 1826 – 15 August 1902) was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross. Details Michael Sleavon was born in Magheraculmoney, County Fermanagh. At the age of 31, he was a corporal in the Corps of Royal Engineers during the ...

(1826–1902), recipient of the Victoria Cross *

Joan Trimble Joan Trimble (18 June 1915 – 6 August 2000) was an Irish composer and pianist, and one of the most distinguished musicians to come from Ulster in the 20th century. She studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music ...

(1915–2000), pianist and composer *

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

(1854–1900), author and playwright, educated at

* Gordon Wilson (1927–1995), peace campaigner and Irish senator

Surnames

The most common surnames in County Fermanagh at the time of the United Kingdom Census of 1901 were: #

Maguire The Maguire ( ) family is an Irish clans, Irish clan based in County Fermanagh. The name derives from the Goidelic languages, Gaelic , which is "son of Odhar" meaning 'Wikt:sallow, sallow' or 'pale-faced'. According to legend, this relates to the ...

McManus McManus is an Irish surname. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic "Mac Mághnais", in modern Irish "McMaghnuis" which means "Son of Magnus". Its earlier origin is from the Latin "magnus", meaning "great". The Normans used it to honour Charlemagne ...

Johnston Johnston may refer to the surname Johnston or people with that name. It may also refer to: Places Australia * Johnston, Northern Territory ** Electoral division of Johnston, an electoral division in the Northern Territory United Kingdom ...

# Armstrong # Gallagher # Elliott #

Murphy Murphy is an Irish surname meaning "Sea Warrior". Origins and variants The surname is a variant of two Irish surnames: "Ó Murchadha"/"Ó Murchadh" (descendant of "Murchadh"), and "Mac Murchaidh"/" Mac Murchadh" (son of "Murchadh") derived ...

# Reilly # Cassidy # Wilson

Railways

The railway lines in County Fermanagh connected

Enniskillen railway station Enniskillen railway station served Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. History The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway opened the first station in the town on 19 August 1854. The Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway opened a statio ...

with

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

from 1854,

Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ) is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. The town is situated on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the north-east coast of Ireland, and is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to and south of the bor ...

from 1861,

Bundoran Bundoran () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. The town is located near the N15 road near Ballyshannon, and is the most southerly town in Donegal. The town is a tourist seaside resort, and tourism has been at the heart of the local economy s ...

from 1868 and

Sligo Sligo ( ; , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of 20,608 in 2022, it is the county's largest urban centre (constituting 2 ...

from 1882. The railway companies that served the county, prior to the establishment by the merger of

Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway (L&ER) was an Irish gauge () railway in Ireland. Construction and opening The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway was incorporated by the ( 8 & 9 Vict. c. xcviii). Construction began at Derry and fo ...

Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway The Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway (E&BR) was an Irish gauge railway company in north-west Ireland. It linked Bundoran and Ballyshannon on the coast of County Donegal with the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway (L&ER) at in County Ferma ...

the

Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway Irish North Western Railway (INW) was an Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland. Development The company was founded as the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway (D&ER) and opened the first section of its line, from to , in 1849. In Dundalk t ...

which was later named the

Irish North Western Railway Irish North Western Railway (INW) was an Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland. Development The company was founded as the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway (D&ER) and opened the first section of its line, from to , in 1849. In Dundalk t ...

, thus forming the

. By 1883 the

absorbed all the lines except the

Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway The Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway (SL&NCR) was a railway in counties Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim and Sligo in north-west Ireland. It consisted of one main line, with no branch lines and remained privately owned until its closure ...

, which remained independent throughout its existence. In October 1957 the

Government of Northern Ireland A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

closed the GNR line, which made it impossible for the SL&NCR continue and forced it also to close. The nearest railway station to Enniskillen is

Sligo station Sligo railway station, also known as MacDiarmada station (), is a mainline railway station which serves the town of Sligo in County Sligo, Ireland. It is a terminal station which now has two platforms and an intermediate carriage siding. The ra ...

which is served by trains to

Dublin Connolly Connolly station () or Dublin Connolly is the busiest railway station in Dublin and Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. On the North side of the River Liffey, it provides InterCity, Enterprise and commuter services to ...

and is operated by

Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann, () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national Rail transport in Ireland, railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of CIÉ, Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal I ...

. The Dublin-Sligo railway line has a two-hourly service run by Iarnród Éireann. The connecting bus from

via

Manorhamilton Manorhamilton () is the second-largest town in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the N16 from Sligo and from Enniskillen. History Before the Plantations of Ireland, the settlement was known, and continues to be known in the ...

to Enniskillen is route 66 operated by

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with the exception of Dublin, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidiary of C ...

Notes

References

Clogher Record ''Clogher Record'' is a local history journal published annually since 1953 by the Clogher Historical Society ( Irish: ''Cumann Seanchais Chlochair''). It covers the history of Counties Fermanagh, Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town ...

* "Fermanagh" A Dictionary of British Place-Names. A. D. Mills. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Northern Ireland Public Libraries. 25 July 2007 * "Fermanagh" Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Library Edition. 25 July 2007
Britannica Library
. * Fermanagh: its special landscapes: a study of the Fermanagh countryside and its heritage /Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. – Belfast: HMSO, 1991 * Livingstone, Peadar. – The Fermanagh story:a documented history of the County Fermanagh from the earliest times to the present day – Enniskillen: Cumann Seanchais Chlochair, 1969. * Lowe, Henry N. – County Fermanagh 100 years ago: a guide and directory 1880. – Belfast: Friar's Bush Press, 1990. * Parke, William K. – A Fermanagh Childhood. Derrygonnelly, Co Fermanagh: Friar's Bush Press, 1988.
Impartial Reporter

Fermanagh Herald

External links

Fermanagh on the interactive map of the counties of Great Britain and Ireland
– Wikishire
A folk history of Fermanagh
{{Authority control

Geography

History

Administration

Demographics

2011 census

2021 Census

Community background and religion

Ethnicity

Country of birth

Main languages

Knowledge of Irish

Knowledge of Ulster Scots

National identity

Industry and tourism

Settlements

Large towns

Medium towns

Small towns

Intermediate settlements

Villages

Small villages or hamlets

Population of Settlements

Subdivisions

Media

Education

Sport

Notable people

Surnames

Railways

See also

Notes

References

External links