Castle Coole is one of three National Trust managed properties in County Fermanagh and is located on the eastern outskirts of Enniskillen town. Its entrance is on the Dublin Road which rather amusingly, I always think, leads to Belfast! Continue reading “Castle Coole – Snubbed by the King”
First up, I will say that I harbour a great loathing for shopping centres. I find them sterile, soulless, tedious and depressing places only to be put up with for the minimum time necessary to get what one needs there-in and get out. Given the number of people that linger in these places as if they were houses of pleasure I am clearly in a minority in holding the view that I do.
That said, if you need some shopping therapy the Erneside Shopping Centre exists. Continue reading “Erneside Shopping Centre: “Fetch me a Brandy””
County Fermanagh, and indeed Enniskillen itself, was not immune from the effects of what is euphemistically referred to as “The Troubles” – an internal ‘war’ which tore the two communities in Northern Ireland apart from 1968 to 1998. Continue reading “Princess Diana Peace Cairn”
Enniskillen’s War Memorial at the intersection of Belmore Steet, the Queen Elizabeth Road and East Bridge Street was constructed in the aftermath of World War I to commemorate those who lost their lives in that war.
The Memorial stands about 6.5 metres high and is surmounted by a bronze figure of a lone private soldier in war kit, head bowed and leaning on his reversed rifle. I was particularly taken by the 1932 picture of the War Memorial (picture 2 above) taken by Fr.Francis Browne MC, former Chaplin to the Irish Guards. Continue reading “Enniskillen War Memorial”
A rather formal name for a very pretty little park worthy an hour or so of your time. Locals refer to it as Forthill Park or simply Cole’s Monument. You might secure a rather strange look about town if you enquire as to the whereabouts of the Pleasure Park! Continue reading “The Forthill Promenade and Pleasure Park”
The Sisters of Mercy, a Roman Catholic order founded by Catherine McAuley in Baggot Street, Dublin, in 1831, arrived in Enniskillen on 27 May, 1856 with the purpose of establishing a school for girls. This they quickly did. The ground floor of their living quarters served as a classroom until a separate school building was erected in 1887. Continue reading “The Sisters of Mercy & Their Convent Chapel”
The Town Hall is located in the centre of Enniskillen (at the Diamond) and on one of two hills on the Island. Atop the other hill, a couple of hundred metres away, is St Macartin’s Cathedral. Continue reading “Enniskillen Town Hall”
What would a series of reviews on an Irish town be without a review on at least one pub?
Lacking to say the least, so here goes:- Continue reading “Blake’s of the Hollow: “A Classic Victorian Pub””
Much of the original Old Buttermarket, built in 1835, was carefully restored in 1990. The renovated buildings now house around sixteen art & craft units, a general gift shop and a coffee shop. Continue reading “The Old Buttermarket: “Quality Local Arts and Crafts””
Built in 1875, shortly after the current incarnation of its Protestant neighbour across the street (St Macartin’s Cathedral ), St Michael’s was designed by John O’Neill a very distinguished 19th century Ulster Catholic architect. His design had included a belfry and spire but these could not be built at the time because of soft foundations. A unique but necessary feature of St Michael’s are the flying-buttresses which were added in 1921 to reinforce the west wall. The current spire was added in later years. Continue reading “St Michael’s Roman Catholic Church”
