Enniskillen

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Image:Coles monument.jpg Enniskillen (Inis Ceithleann in Irish) is the county town (and largest town) of Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county on the natural island which separates the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne.

With a population of 13,599 people in the 2001 Census, it is by far the largest settlement in the county and the main retail centre for the county. It is also the seat of local government for Fermanagh District Council.

1 The Troubles
2 Places of interest
3 2001 Census
4 Notable Residents/People From Enniskillen
5 See also
6 External links

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The Troubles

In recent years Enniskillen has become synonymous with the tragedy of the Northern Ireland conflict. Until 1987 the town had been relatively untouched by the conflict, but an IRA bomb on Remembrance Sunday, the Remembrance Day Bombing, killed eleven civilians (including nurse Marie Wilson, whose father Gordon Wilson went on to become a leading campaigner for an end to violence in Northern Ireland). The IRA later claimed that their target was a colour guard of British soldiers. At the same time as the Enniskillen bomb, the IRA also planted a bomb 20 miles away near Pettigo, where the Boys' Brigade were also taking part in a Remembrance service. The bomb failed to detonate, preventing the further loss of innocent life. The Enniskillen bomb is acknowledged by some as a turning point in the Northern Ireland peace process, although terrorist killings did continue in its aftermath. On Remembrance Day 1997 the leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams, formally apologised for the bombing.

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Places of interest

Image:Enniskillen Round O.jpg

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2001 Census

Enniskillen is classified as a Medium Town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 10,000 and 18,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 13,599 people living in Enniskillen.

23.2% were aged under 16 years and 17.4% were aged 60 and over
48.1% of the population were male and 51.9% were female
61.5% were from a Catholic background and 36.3% were from a Protestant background
5.2% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

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Notable Residents/People From Enniskillen

Henry Francis Lyte, hymn composer, most notably Abide With Me
Oscar Wilde, satirist and playwright, educated at Portora Royal School
Samuel Beckett, playwright, educated at Portora Royal School
Roy Carroll, former goalkeeper for Manchester United
Sean Quinn, entrepreneur and Irelands' richest man (originally from Derrylin)
Duke of Westminster, spent much of childhood at the families estate at Ely Lodge
Frank Ormsby, poet
Charles Lawson, actor (Coronation Street and other roles)
Gary Beckett