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 1,691 km2 and had a population of 63,585 as of 2021. Enniskillen is the county town 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 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 and the River Erne. Forests cover 14% of the landmass (42,000 hectares). It is the only county in Northern Ireland that does not border Lough Neagh. The county has three prominent upland areas: The county borders: 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 120 km from Belfast and 160 km from Dublin. The county town, Enniskillen, is the largest settlement in Fermanagh, situated in the middle of the county. The county enjoys a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb') with cool winters, mild humid summers, and a lack of temperature extremes, according to the Köppen climate classification. The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty manages three sites of historic and natural beauty in the county: Crom Estate, Florence Court, and Castle Coole.

Geology

The oldest sediments in the county are found north of Lough Erne. These so-called red beds were formed approximately 550 million years ago. Extensive sandstone can be found in the eastern part of the county, laid down during the Devonian, 400 million years ago. Much of the rest of the county's sediments are shale and limestone dating from the Carboniferous, 354 to 298 million years ago. These softer sediments have produced extensive cave systems such as the Shannon Cave, the Marble Arch Caves and the Caves of the Tullybrack and Belmore hills. The carboniferous shale exists in several counties of northwest Ireland, an area known colloquially as the Lough Allen basin. The basin is estimated to contain 9.4 trillion cubic metres of natural gas, equivalent to 1.5 billion barrels of oil. 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's 150 AD map of Ireland, where they located their first colony—Menapia—on the Leinster coast c. 216 BC. They later settled around Lough Erne, becoming known as the Fir Manach, and giving their name to Fermanagh and Monaghan. Mongán mac Fiachnai, a 7th-century King of Ulster, is the protagonist of several legends linking him with Manannán mac Lir. They spread across Ireland, evolving into historic Irish (also Scottish and Manx) clans. The Annals of Ulster which cover medieval Ireland between AD 431 to AD 1540 were written at Belle Isle on Lough Erne near Lisbellaw. In the early 9th century, the Erne was considered to be the boundary of Connacht and Ulster, specifically the over-kingdom of Airgíalla. The Fir Manach proper, Tirkennedy and Magherastephana, along with Clankelly were part of the western Airgíalla group-kingdom of Uí Creamthainn with its seat at Clogher, whereas Lurg was associated with the northern Airgíalla branch of Uí Fiachrach centred at Ardstraw. 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 and Magheraboy 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. Fermanagh was made into a county by a statute of Elizabeth I, but it was not until the time of the Plantation of Ulster that it was finally brought under civil government. The closure of all the lines of Great Northern Railway (Ireland) 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 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 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, 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 hunger-striker Bobby Sands as a member of parliament in the April 1981 Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 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:

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:

Community background and religion

Ethnicity

Country of birth

Main languages

Knowledge of Irish

Knowledge of Ulster Scots

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 Enniskillen (Inis Ceithleann, 'Ceithleann's island'). The island town hosts a range of attractions including the Castle Coole Estate and Enniskillen Castle, which is home to the museum of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. Fermanagh is also home to The Boatyard Distillery, a distillery producing gin. Attractions outside Enniskillen include:

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)

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)

Intermediate settlements

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

Villages

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

Small villages or hamlets

(population of less than 1,000 at 2011 Census) • Aghadrumsee • Arney • Ballycassidy • Belcoo • Bellanaleck • Belleek • Boho • Brookeborough • Carrybridge • Clabby • Coa • Derrygonnelly • Derrylin • Donagh • Ederney • Florencecourt • Garrison • Killadeas • Killesher • Kinawley • Lack • Letterbreen • Lisnarick • Magheraveely • Monea • Newtownbutler • Pettigo (partially) • Rosslea • Springfield • Tamlaght • Teemore • Tempo • Wattlebridge

Population of Settlements

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

Subdivisions

Baronies Parishes Townlands

Media

Newspapers

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 • Aghadrumsee Primary School • Ballinamallard Primary School • Belleek Primary School • Brookeborough Primary School • Bunscoil an Traonaigh, Lisnaskea-The only Irish Medium School in the county • Derrygonnelly Primary School • Enniskillen Integrated Primary School • Enniskillen Model Primary School • Florencecourt Primary School • Holy Trinity Primary School -Amalgamation of St. Theresa's and St. Michael's PS • Irvinestown Primary School • Jones Memorial Primary School • Kesh Primary School • Killyhommon Primary School, Boho • Lack Primary School • Lisbellaw Primary School • Maguiresbridge Primary School • Moat Primary School, Lisnaskea • St Columban's Primary School, Belcoo • St Davog's Primary School, Belleek • St John the Baptist Primary School, Roscor • St Joseph's Primary School, Donagh • St Joseph's Primary School, Ederney • St Macartan's Primary School, Aghadrumsee - Amalgamation of Cornagague PS, Magheraveely and Corranny PS • St Martin's Primary School, Garrison • St Mary's Primary School, Brookeborough • St Mary's Primary School, Killesher • St Mary's Primary School, Maguiresbridge • St Mary's Primary School, Arney • St Mary's Primary School, Newtownbutler • St Mary's Primary School, Teemore • St Mary's Primary School, Tempo • St Naile's Primary School, Kinawley • St Ninnidh's Primary School, Derrylin • St Patrick's Primary School, Derrygonnelly • St Patrick's Primary School, Mullanaskea • St Paul's Primary School, Irvinestown • St Ronan's Primary School, Lisnaskea • St Tierney's Primary School, Roslea • Tattygar Primary School, Lisbellaw • Tempo Primary School Secondary Schools • Devenish College, Enniskillen - Amalgamation of Ballinamallard Duke of Westminster, Kesh Duke of Westminster and Lisnaskea High School • Enniskillen Royal Grammar School - Amalgamation of Potora Royal School and Collegiate Grammar School • Erne Integrated College, Enniskillen • Mount Lourdes Grammar School, Enniskillen - Girls Catholic Grammar • Saint Kevin's College, Lisnaskea- Amalgamation of St Eugene's College, Roslea and St. Comhghall's College, Lisnaskea • St Aidan's High School, Derrylin • St Fanchea's College, Enniskillen • St Joseph's College, Enniskillen • St Mary's College, Irvinestown • St Michael's College, Enniskillen - Boys Catholic Grammar Further Education College Special School Closed Schools

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. All other Fermanagh clubs play in the Fermanagh & Western FA league systems. Fermanagh Mallards F.C. 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 –

Notable people

Famous people born, raised in or living in Fermanagh include:

Surnames

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

Railways

The railway lines in County Fermanagh connected Enniskillen railway station with Derry from 1854, Dundalk from 1861, Bundoran from 1868 and Sligo from 1882. The railway companies that served the county, prior to the establishment by the merger of Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway, Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway which was later named the Irish North Western Railway, thus forming the Great Northern Railway (Ireland). By 1883 the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) absorbed all the lines except the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway, which remained independent throughout its existence. In October 1957 the Government of Northern Ireland 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 which is served by trains to Dublin Connolly and is operated by Iarnród Éireann. The Dublin-Sligo railway line has a two-hourly service run by Iarnród Éireann. The connecting bus from Sligo via Manorhamilton to Enniskillen is route 66 operated by Bus Éireann.