County Fermanagh
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Template:Infobox Irish Place County Fermanagh (Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach in Irish), is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Ireland. It belongs to the province of Ulster. Fermanagh is often referred to as Ireland's Lake District. The county is approximately 120 km from Belfast and 160 km from Dublin.
In Northern Ireland the county borders County Tyrone to the north-east, and in the Republic of Ireland the county borders County Monaghan to the south-east, County Cavan and County Leitrim to the south-west and County Donegal to the north-west. Fermanagh is the only county of Northern Ireland not to border Lough Neagh.
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Administration
Fermanagh District Council is the one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after, plus a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas.
Fermanagh is part of the Fermanagh and South Tyrone Parliamentary Constituency, renowned for high levels of voting and for electing Provisional IRA hunger-striker Bobby Sands as a Member of Parliament in a by-election shortly before his death in 1981.
Geography
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County Fermanagh is a predominantly rural region with its geography dominated by two lakes: Upper Lough Erne and Lower Lough Erne. This 70-km stretch of lakes, known collectively as Lough Erne, is now linked to the River Shannon and its waterways via the Shannon-Erne Waterway canal, making the entire system the longest navigable inland waterway in Europe. Smaller lakes in the county include Lough Scolborn. In addition, Fermanagh shares many lakes: Lough Melvin (with the Republic of Ireland), Lough Macnean Upper and Lough Macnean Lower (both lying on the Cavan border).
The peak of Cuilcagh, part of the Cuilcagh Mountains range, on the Fermanagh/Cavan border is the highest point in Fermanagh (665 metres, 2,182 feet). Other mountains/ranges include Belmore Mountain, Tappghan Mountain (on the border with Tyrone), Brougher Mountain (on the border with Tyrone), Molly Mountain, Slieve Rushen (on the border with Cavan), Derrin Mountain and Slieve Beagh (on the Tyrone border). Much of the western and eastern areas of the county are forested.
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.
Attractions outside of Enniskillen include:
- The Belleek Pottery
- Crom Estate
- Devenish Island
- Florence Court
- Loughnavar Forest Park
- The Marble Arch Caves
- Necarne Castle
Notable People
Famous people born, raised in or living in Fermanagh.
- John Armstrong, US congressman
- Denis P Burkitt, doctor - discoverer of Burkitt's lymphoma
- Roy Carroll, footballer
- Nigel Dodds, politician
- Adrian Dunbar, actor
- Neil Hannon, musician
- Bobby Kerr, athlete & Olympic Gold Medalist
- Ciarán McMenamin, actor
- Sean Quinn, entrepreneur
- Sinead Quinn, singer (Fame Academy runner up 2003)
- Gordon Wilson, Peace campaigner and Irish senator
- Oscar Wilde, author and playright (educated in Enniskillen)
- Samuel Beckett, author and playright (educated in Enniskillen)
References
- Fermanagh: its special landscapes: a study of the Fermanagh countryside and its heritage /Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. - Belfast: HMSO, 1991 ISBN 0337082766
- Friel, Charles P.. - Fermanagh's railways : a photographic tribute / Charles P. Friel, Norman Joh. - Newtownards, Co. Down: Colourpoint Press, 1998. ISBN 1898392390
- Livingstone, Peadar. - The Fermanagh story :a documented history of the County Fermanagh from the earliest times to the present day - Enniskillen: Cumann Seanchais Chlochair, 1969.
- Lowe, Henry N. - County Fermanagh 100 years ago: a guide and directory 1880. - Belfast: Friar's Bush Press, 1990. ISBN 0946872295
- Parke, William K. - A Fermanagh Childhood. Derrygonnelly, Co Fermanagh: Friar's Bush Press, 1988. ISBN 0946872120
External links
See also
Template:Ireland countiesast:Condáu de Fermanagh ca:Comtat de Fermanagh de:Fermanagh (County) es:Condado de Fermanagh fr:Comté de Fermanagh ga:Contae Fhear Manach nl:County Fermanagh no:Fermanagh (grevskap) ru:Фермана (графство) fi:Fermanagh sv:Fermanagh (grevskap)