Embrace the spirit of Fermanagh through the ages

Northern Ireland’s County Fermanagh is loved for its shimmering lakes, rolling hills, gorgeous gardens and wide open spaces – but it is also a place where centuries of history are written in stone. 

To journey into its past begin by hiring a boat and cruise to the islands that dot expansive Lough Erne, where traces of the county’s early settlers are to be found. 

On Boa Island you will find two unique stone carvings standing in Caldragh Cemetery. The larger two-faced one is known as the Janus figure and both hark back to pagan times. Stop off too at White Island, where the remnant wall of a church presents carvings of eight enigmatic figures dating to the ninth or tenth century. 

Onward then to Devenish Island to stroll through the atmospheric ruins of the monastic site first founded in the sixth century and still in use a millennium later. The site has ruins from many time periods and includes an imposing sixteenth-century round tower.

Moor at Enniskillen, the county’s island capital, and visit historic Enniskillen Castle, once the stronghold of the Gaelic Maguire chieftains. The castle now houses fascinating museums that display the history of the region from prehistoric to modern times.

Make your overnight stay part of your experience of bygone days by booking into magnificent Belle Isle. The seventeenth-century castle sits on a 400-acre estate and can be hired for large groups. Smaller groups and couples can choose from a range of self-catering accommodation on the estate including courtyard apartments that date from 1860.

On day two of your Fermanagh odyssey, make for splendid eighteenth-century Florence Court. When open, guided tours of the Georgian manor transport you back through 250 years, while the gardens of the estate also harbour elements of times past in the shape of a water-powered sawmill and blacksmith’s forge.   

A trip to embrace the giant spirit of Fermanagh must include seeing Belleek Pottery, where for over 160 years master craft workers have been producing the world-renowned fine china. Normally, daily tours reveal the intricate work involved in producing the beautiful homeware, and pieces dating back to 1857 can be viewed in the museum.  

Fermanagh is also renowned for the Marble Arch Caves, regarded as one of the finest show caves in Europe. Here you can marvel at glistening stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and waterfalls, wander through winding passages and high chambers and embark on a trip along a subterranean river. 

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