Fermanagh

Historic county of Northern Ireland; area 1,680 sq km/648 sq mi. It occupies the southwestern corner of Northern Ireland is characterized by hills in the west and Lough Erne, which has many wooded islands and is used for fishing and sailing. The principal towns are Enniskillen, Lisnaskea, and Irvinestown. Administrative responsibility for the county is held by Fermanagh council.

Upper and Lower Lough Erne bisect the county, the southwest portion of which consists of a series of scenic limestone hills that rise to 663 m/2,175 ft in Mount Cuilcagh, and contain several remarkable cave systems, notably at Marble Arch. In the centre of the county is broad trough of low-lying land, and in the east there are low hills.

Fermanagh has a number of fine castles and tower houses dating from the plantation period, most notably the well-preserved remains of Monea Castle (1616) near Enniskillen. On Devenish Island, Lower Lough Erne, are the extensive ruins of a monastery, originally founded in the 6th century by St Molaise. Florence Court, a Georgian mansion and forest park, was the home of Lord Mountflorence and the Earl of Enniskillen. Castle Coole is a neoclassical, late 18th-century house, and was the home of the Earls of Belmore. Tully Castle is a 17th-century fortified house, and White Island is the site of a 10th-century monastery and 12th-century church. Crom Estate, on the shores of Upper Lough Erne, is an important wetland conservation area and has 770 ha/1,903 acres of woodland and parkland; the ruins of a castle built in 1611 are on the grounds (now a private home).