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Pettigo, also spelt Pettigoe ( ; ), is a small village and
townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
on the border of
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 ...
,
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
, and
County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...
,
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 ...
. It is bisected by the Termon River, which is part of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The portion of the village in
County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the ...
is officially called Tullyhommon but is locally known as 'High Street' because of its hillside position overlooking the remainder of the village. The rest of the village in the Republic includes Main Street, Mill Street and Station Street, all of which meet in The Diamond at the centre of the village. There are also two relatively modern housing estates on the northern outskirts, Termon Villas and St. Patrick's Terrace, along with new developments such as Mill Grove. Until the late 1700s, the area was known as ''An Tearmann'', meaning 'a place of sanctuary'. The modern Irish (''Paiteagó'') and English (Pettigo) names derive from the Latin (protection), a translation of the Irish ''An Tearmann''.


Population

For the purpose of data collection, the Census of Ireland regards the Pettigo area as three separate electoral divisions, Pettigo (396), Grousehall (76) and Templecarn (128), with a total population of 600 in 2011. The portion of the village in County Fermanagh was recorded as having a population of 63, in the 2011 census. The population of the village has decreased in recent years, the preliminary results from the 2016 census gave the three electoral divisions a total population of 590 and the results of the 2022 census gave the three Electoral Divisions a total population of 557. The 2021 census for the portion of the village in Co. Fermanagh gave a population of 76.


Economy

Once a thriving market village on the Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway, the village suffered from partition in 1922, the closure of the railway in 1957 and from the closure of numerous cross-border roads by the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
at the height of
the Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
in Northern Ireland. The latter had the effect of cutting Pettigo off from much of its rural hinterland in counties
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 Tyrone. In recent years, economic prospects have improved with the reopening of many of the cross-border roads, improving access for tourists and locals alike. Agriculture, particularly the rearing of sheep and cattle, forms the mainstay of the local economy. The quality of the local land (marshy, with much
blanket bog Blanket bog or blanket mire, also known as featherbed bog, is an area of peatland, forming where there is a climate of high rainfall and a low level of evapotranspiration, allowing peat to develop not only in wet hollows but over large expanses ...
) renders it largely unsuitable for grain crops. There are also expansive forestry plantations in the surrounding townlands, owned and operated by Coillte Teoranta, the Republic's Forestry Service. Many of the plantations occupy land unsuitable for other commercial uses or where
peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...
extraction has been completed, leaving poor quality thin soil cover behind. The
Sitka Spruce ''Picea sitchensis'', the Sitka spruce, is a large, coniferous, evergreen tree growing to just over tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height that can exceed 5 m (16 ft). It is by far the largest species of spruce and the fifth- ...
and
Lodgepole Pine ''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpin ...
softwood Scots pine, a typical and well-known softwood Softwood is wood from gymnosperm trees such as conifers. The term is opposed to hardwood, which is the wood from angiosperm trees. The main differences between hardwoods and softwoods is that the sof ...
varieties comprise 90% of the canopy. Pettigo has traditionally been the 'gateway' to St. Patrick's Purgatory, a
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
site, situated on an island in Lough Derg. During the mid-late 20th century, the popularity of the pilgrimage brought a significant boost to the local economy as tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over Ireland and abroad travelled through the village on their way to and from Lough Derg. Although the popularity of the pilgrimage has dwindled in recent years, it is still an important driver of tourism in the area.


History

In June 1922, at the tail end of the
Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...
, Pettigo in what became the new
Irish Free State The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...
, and Belleek, which was now in
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 ...
were occupied by a 100-strong
Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...
unit who had arrived there from Donegal. They were attacked first by a party of 100
Ulster Special Constabulary The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC; commonly called the "B-Specials" or "B Men") was a quasi-military Military reserve, reserve special constable police force in what would later become Northern Ireland. It was set up in October 1920, short ...
, who crossed Lough Erne, but they were beaten off, losing one killed. Two companies of
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
troops, along with 6 field guns, along with the USC, were then sent to take the villages. In the ensuing fighting, in which the British bombarded the village and then stormed it, the IRA lost three men killed, six wounded and four captured before being forced to retreat back to Donegal. One British soldier was killed in the fighting. Two civilians were also shot dead by the USC in nearby Lettercan. Other reports put the IRA casualties at seven killed and the total death toll as high as 30. A memorial was erected in 1953 to commemorate the four men who died in the invasion of Pettigo on 4 June 1922. Owing to its numerous Protestant inhabitants and awkward position astride the border, Pettigo would have been transferred to Northern Ireland had the recommendations of the
Irish Boundary Commission The Irish Boundary Commission () met in 1924–25 to decide on the precise delineation of Republic of Ireland – United Kingdom border, the border between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland. The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, which ended the I ...
been enacted in 1925.


Religion

The local area has a mixed religious composition, with the village having
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
,
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
,
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
and
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
Churches. It is the site of one of two
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...
s in Ireland, St Patrick's Purgatory.


Public transport


Bus services

Ulsterbus Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside Belfast. It is part of Translink (Northern Ireland), Translink, the brand name for the subsidiary operating companies of the Northern Ireland Transpor ...
route 194 provides several daily journeys to and from
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 ...
via
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 ...
whereas route 195 provides one journey each way to Bundoran via Castlecaldwell and Belleek. Pettigo is not served by Ulsterbus on Sundays, though is served by McGeehan Coaches-
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 ...
Expressway route 30, providing one journey in each direction to/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 ...
via
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 ...
,
Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road (Ireland), N3 road that links Dublin ( ...
and Dublin Airport.
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 ...
seasonal route 486 provides links to and from
Ballyshannon Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 road (Ireland), N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 road (Ireland), N15 crosses the River Erne. The town was inc ...
and
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 ...
for pilgrims to and from Station Island but also serves Pettigo.


Railway

Pettigo railway station once served the village, the Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway opened from on the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway near Kilskeery, Co. Tyrone to Pettigo on 13 June 1866. It was extended to , County Donegal in 1868 and intended to continue to but failed to do so. The Great Northern Railway ran the E&BR from 1876 and took it over in 1896. The railway greatly aided the movement and export of agricultural produce such as sheep and cattle and the import and distribution of coal, building materials and imported food. Livestock were loaded onto the train from the nearby Pettigo Market Yard. Both the
partition of Ireland The Partition of Ireland () was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (UK) divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland (the area today known as the R ...
in 1922 and increasing road transport weakened the railway. 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 ...
made the GNR close nearly all of its cross-border lines, including the Bundoran branch, on 1 October 1957.


Notable people

* General Charles Barton (1760–1819) lived at his Pettigo estate known as the Waterfoot * Sir Sidney Barton, British Minister to Ethiopia * Moya Doherty, co-founder of ''
Riverdance ''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions J ...
'' * John Kells Ingram, poet * Sir John Leslie, 4th Baronet, 4th baronet, Glaslough and Pettigo * The Most Rev. Miler Magrath,
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
Archbishop of Cashel The Archbishop of Cashel () was an archiepiscopal title which took its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. Following the Reformation, there had been parallel apostolic successions to the title: one in the Catholic Church ...
* Seán McGinley, actor *
Basil McIvor William Basil McIvor OBE, PC (NI) (17 June 1928 – 5 November 2004) was an Ulster Unionist politician, a minister in Northern Ireland's first power-sharing Executive, a barrister and a pioneer of integrated education. Early life and educati ...
, politician and pioneer of integrated education


Termon McGrath Castle

Termon McGrath Castle, also known as Castle McGrath, was probably built in the early seventeenth century, probably being built ''circa'' 1611, at the start 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 ...
. Brian Lac (editor), ''Archaeological Survey of County Donegal'', pp. 350 and 351. Donegal County Council,
Lifford Lifford (, historically anglicised as ''Liffer'') is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding this ...
, 1983.
The '
castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
' (in reality a Gaelic
towerhouse A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...
) was built for either The Most Rev. Miler McGrath,
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
Archbishop of Cashel The Archbishop of Cashel () was an archiepiscopal title which took its name after the town of Cashel, County Tipperary in Ireland. Following the Reformation, there had been parallel apostolic successions to the title: one in the Catholic Church ...
, or, more likely, his son, James McGrath. During the campaign of 1649-1650, the castle was bombarded by Cromwellian troops, which severely damaged the structure; it seems that the castle was abandoned around this time. A small village, no longer in existence, seems to have grown up immediately outside the castle walls. Brian Lac (editor), ''Archaeological Survey of County Donegal'', p. 353. Donegal County Council,
Lifford Lifford (, historically anglicised as ''Liffer'') is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland, the administrative centre of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken as holding this ...
, 1983.
There was an escape tunnel from the castle to the Belaut River. The castle and lands were sold to the Leslie family of County Monaghan, who controlled the Pettigo estate until the early 20th century.


The Mill

Pettigo Mill was built by the Leslie family, who owned the Pettigo estate. The Leslie family were originally from Monaghan town. Pettigo Mill was first on the map of Pettigo dated 1767 but is probably much older. The Mill got its power from the Termon river. It was described as a cloth mill, i.e. woolen cloth, but probably also ground oats and other grains. During the famine, maize or Indian meal, as it was called, was ground in the Pettigo Mill. This was then sent to the poor through the port of Ballyshannon in the year 1845–1846. After the arrival of the railway in Pettigo, which opened in 1860, Pettigo Mill was a saw mill as well as a grain mill. Timber for all the usual purposes was produced but the main product that was made was egg boxes, which held twelve eggs. Eggs were sent by train to the cities of Belfast and Dublin or on to England and Scotland. Egg boxes were in great demand as many people depended on their egg money to buy their groceries in the local shops.


The Termon Complex

The Termon Complex is a community initiative by ADoPT (Association for Development of Pettigo and Tullyhommon). It is a sports, leisure and entertainment complex located on the banks of the River Termon, opened in May 2014. The building project was a collaboration between the Planning & Economic Development Directorate of Donegal County Council, in partnership with Fermanagh District Council and the Association for the Development of Pettigo and Tullyhommon (ADoPT). The Termon Project has been awarded €8.3 million of EU support through the PEACE III Programme. The complex encompasses: * Different spaces within the building which facilitate indoor sports, large meetings/conferences, drama productions and concerts—including a main hall, conference room and meeting rooms. * ADoPT offices * A purpose-built gym * An outdoor multi-use games area (MUGA) * A new playschool with a secure private playground * A new public playground and community garden * Recycling space, car parking and horticultural tunnels


Walks

The mountains, hills and quiet country roads offer space for hill-walking, cycling and pony trekking. The Pettigo History trail, which is centred round the village, can be explored at the hiker's leisure. The trail entails the history and heritage of the Pettigo area. 30 plaques tell of the creator of Riverdance, Moya Doherty, "French" Tom Barton, "Banjo" Patterson, the Crimean War Tree and the Pettigo Connection to "The Quiet Man", among many other tales of the areas surrounded by lakes.


Lakes/angling

Lying between Lough Erne and Lough Derg, Pettigo is able to offer the visiting angler a full range of fishing opportunities. With over fifty lakes, salmon and native brown trout will keep the game angler happy, while the coarse angler will find specimen fish in Drumgun Lough. Fishing permits and boat hire are available from Brittons Bar, which is located in the village.


Lough Derg

Lough Derg, the biggest of the Pettigo lakes, is famous throughout the northwest for its
trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
-fishing. Covering 2,200 acres with a shore line of 13 miles, it offers opportunities for both boat and shore angling. It also offers excellent pike fishing. Lough Derg lies about four miles north of the village of Pettigo in
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 ...
. Station Island, the location of the Lough Derg
Pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
, is often referred to as Saint Patrick's Purgatory or simply Lough Derg. This small lake-island, renowned in Irish
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
tradition since the time of St. Patrick, has been receiving pilgrims continuously for well over 1000 years. In earlier times, the area around the lake was a place of protection for anyone in trouble. The monastery nearby offered hospitality to all.


See also

*
List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland This is a link page for cities, towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland, including townships or urban centres in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and other major urban areas. Cities are shown in bold; see City status in Ireland for a ...


Citations


General sources

* * * {{authority control Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border crossings Towns and villages in County Donegal Townlands of County Donegal Villages in County Fermanagh