Enniskillen

Enniskillen is the site of the foundation of two British Army regiments:

• Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
• The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons)

The town's name (with the archaic spelling) continues to form part of the title to The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment). Enniskillen Castle features on the cap badge of both regiments.

Enniskillen was the site of several events during The Troubles, the most notable being the Remembrance Day bombing in which 11 people were killed. Bill Clinton opened The Clinton Centre in 2002 on the site of the bombing. The Provisional Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility for the attack.

In 2019, at least nine men reported to the police and the press and said in public forums that, in the 1980s and 90s, when they were children, they were repeatedly molested and raped by a paedophile ring of at least 20 men in the Enniskillen area.[9][10][11][12] Investigations are continuing.

• The Enniskillen Dragoon is a famous Irish folk song associated with the Inniskilling Dragoons Regiment. Tommy Makem wrote additional verses and renamed the song Fare Thee Well, Enniskillen.
• The Chieftains sing a song that mentions Enniskillen titled "North Amerikay".
• Jim Kerr of Simple Minds was so moved by the horror of the Enniskillen bombing in 1987 that he wrote new words to the traditional folk song "She Moved Through The Fair" and the group recorded it with the name "Belfast Child". The recording reached No. 1 in the UK Charts, Ireland and several other countries in 1989. The single was taken from the album Street Fighting Years; the single version was released on the "Ballad of the Streets" EP. The video of the song was shot in black and white and displays poignant footage of children and the destruction of the bombing. Similarly, U2 held a concert the same day as the bombing; during a performance of their song "Sunday Bloody Sunday", singer Bono passionately condemned the bombing, stating "fuck the revolution" in his mid-song speech. The footage is included in U2's rockumentary Rattle and Hum.[13]
• Neil Hannon also mentions Enniskillen in his song "Sunrise".
• Bill Fay also mentions Enniskillen in his song In Human Hands.
• The Guardian noted that residential areas including Cooper Crescent and Chanterhill Road - inner suburbs just North of the town centre - were the 'poshest' with much of the fine housing stock located outside of the town centre.[14]
• The Irish language novel Mo Dhá Mhicí by Séamus Mac Annaidh is set in Enniskillen.

On Census day 2021 there were 14,086 people living in Enniskillen.[3] Of these:

• 61.52% (8,666) belong to or were brought up in the Catholic Christian faith and 29.09% (4,097) belong to or were brought up in various 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' denominations. 2.2% (310) belong to other religions and 7.19% (1,013) had no religious background.[18]

• 22.8% (3,212) indicated that they had a British only identity, 34.68% (4,885) had an Irish only identity and 26.4% (3,179) had a Northern Irish only identity (respondents could indicate more than one national identity)[19]

On Census day (27 March 2011) there were 13,823 people living in Enniskillen (5,733 households),[20] accounting for 0.76% of the NI total and representing an increase of 1.6% on the Census 2001 population of 13,599.[21] Of these:

• 19.76% were aged under 16 years and 15.59% were aged 65 and over;
• 51.80% of the usually resident population were female and 48.20% were male;
• 61.62% belong to or were brought up in the Catholic Christian faith and 33.55% belong to or were brought up in various 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' denominations
• 35.59% indicated that they had a British national identity, 33.77% had an Irish national identity and 30.35% had a Northern Irish national identity (respondents could indicate more than one national identity)
• 39 years was the average (median) age of the population
• 13.03% had some knowledge of Irish (Gaelic) and 3.65% had some knowledge of Ulster-Scots

There are four churches in the town centre. These are:

• St. Macartin's Cathedral (Church of Ireland) - This church dates from 1840. It was built on the site of an earlier Plantation church.[22]
• St. Michael's Church (Catholic) - This church dates from 1875 although an earlier church on the site dates from 1803.[23]
• Enniskillen Methodist Church - This church opened in 1867. It has a Palladian facade.[24]
• Enniskillen Presbyterian Church - The current church was erected in 1897 although there is evidence of a building dating back to 1700.[25]

There are several other churches outside the town centre.

Some of these buildings are outside the town.

• Castle Coole
• Colebrooke House, Brookeborough - eleven miles east of Enniskillen; built 1820
• Cole's Monument
• Enniskillen Castle
• Enniskillen Town Hall
• Enniskillen Courthouse - built 1785
• Florence Court - eight miles outside Enniskillen; 18th century
• Monea Castle
• Portora Castle
• The Regimental Museum of the Inniskilling Regiment

• The Marble Arch Caves
• Cuilcagh Mountain Global Geo-Park
• Lough Navar and the Cliffs of Magho

• Ardhowen Theatre[26]
• The Clinton Centre
• The Round O
• William Blake's pub - historic public house[27]

The town has two association football teams called Enniskillen Rangers and Enniskillen Town United F.C.

Enniskillen Rangers are the current holders of the Irish Junior Cup, defeating Hill Street 5–1 on Monday, 1 May 2017. The match was played at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park in Belfast.[28] They play their home games at the Ball Range.[29]

Enniskillen Rangers have several notable former players including Sandy Fulton and Jim Cleary.

Enniskillen Town United F.C. currently play in the Fermanagh & Western 1st Division. Their most notable former player is Michael McGovern who currently plays for Norwich City F.C. At the moment, Enniskillen Town play their home games at The Lakeland Forum playing fields in Enniskillen.

Enniskillen Rugby Football Club was founded in 1925 and plays its home games at Mullaghmeen. The club currently fields 4 senior men's teams, a senior ladies' team, a range of male and female youth teams, a vibrant mini section and a disability tag team called The Enniskillen Elks. Enniskillen XV won the Ulster Towns Cup in the 2018/19 season, defeating Ballyclare 19–0. The team currently play in Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship Division 1.[30]

The rugby club was formed on 28 August 1925, when 37 attended a meeting in Enniskillen Town Hall. The name Enniskillen Rugby Club was agreed and the club adopted the rules of the Dublin University Football Club. The first match was played on 30 September 1925 against Ballyshannon in County Donegal.[31]

Enniskillen Gaels is a Gaelic Athletic Association club founded in 1927. It is based at Brewster Park, Enniskillen. The club has had success in both Gaelic football and hurling winning in both county and provincial competitions.

• Samuel Beckett, playwright, educated at Portora Royal School[36]
• Nathan Carter, singer[37]
• Charles Duff, Irish author of books on language learning and other subjects[38]
• Adrian Dunbar, actor, born and brought up in Enniskillen[39]
• Nial Fulton, film and television producer, educated at Portora Royal School[40]
• Neil Hannon, lead singer/composer of the pop band The Divine Comedy, educated at Portora Royal School[41]
• Charles Lawson, most notable for playing Jim McDonald in Coronation Street[42]
• Lisa McHugh, country music singer; born in Glasgow, Scotland, she moved to Enniskillen as an adult.[37]
• Fearghal McKinney, journalist, former UTV broadcaster and member of the Northern Ireland Assembly[43]
• Nigel McLoughlin, poet, editor of Iota poetry journal and Professor of Creativity and Poetics, University of Gloucestershire[44]
• Ciarán McMenamin, television actor and author[45]
• Frank Ormsby, poet[46]
• David Robinson, photographer and publisher, educated at Portora Royal School[47]
• William Scott, artist[48]
• Mick Softley singer and songwriter for Bob Dylan and Donovan, lived in the town at the time of his death[49]
• Joan Trimble, pianist and composer[50]
• Oscar Wilde, satirist and playwright, educated at Portora Royal School[36]
• Ron Wilson, a news anchor with Network Ten in Australia[51]

• James Gamble, co-founder of Procter & Gamble, educated at Portora Royal School[52]

• Denis Burkitt, FRS, surgeon and epidemiologist[53]

• Eric Bell, recipient of the Victoria Cross[54]
• Henry Hartigan, recipient of the Victoria Cross[55]
• James McGuire, recipient of the Victoria Cross[56]
• George Nurse, recipient of the Victoria Cross[57]

• Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, brought up at the family's estate at Ely Lodge[58]
• Gordon Wilson, Irish senator and peace campaigner, who lived on Cooper Crescent[59]

• Edward Cooney, evangelist and early leader of the Cooneyite and Go-Preacher sects, educated at Portora Royal School[60]
• Edward Kernan, a Roman Catholic bishop[61]
• Henry Francis Lyte, hymn composer, most notably of "Abide with Me", educated at Portora Royal School[62]
• John McElroy (1782–1877), Jesuit priest, founder of Boston College[63]

• Declan Burns, Irish kayaking athlete, three-time Irish Olympic representative and former World Superstars runner-up[64]
• Roy Carroll, goalkeeper who plays for Dungannon Swifts F.C. and who has been capped by Northern Ireland[65]
• Timothy Cathcart, rally driver
• Harry Chatton, football player, from the 1920s and 1930s, who was a dual international for both the IFA and FAI Irish international teams[66]
• Jim Cleary, former Glentoran footballer and member of Northern Ireland's 1982 World Cup squad[67]
• William Emerson, football player who won 11 caps for Ireland between 1919 and 1923[68]
• Gordon Ferris, Northern Irish former heavyweight boxer who was both Irish and British champion in the early 1980s[69]
• Frank Hoy, professional wrestler, was born in the town[70]
• Robert Kerr, Olympic 100m gold medalist in the 1908 Olympics for Canada[71]
• Kyle Lafferty, striker, professional football player for Anorthosis Famagusta FC and Northern Ireland international[72]
• Andrew Little, former professional football player and Northern Ireland international, educated at Portora Royal School[73]
• Michael McGovern, Northern Ireland international goalkeeper, currently with Norwich City F.C.[74]
• Gavin Noble, Irish international triathlete, educated at Portora Royal School[75]
• Dick Rowley, football player who won six caps for Ireland between 1929 and 1931[76]

• Enniskillen Integrated Primary school
• Model primary school
• Holy Trinity Primary School
• Jones Memorial Primary School
• Mullnaskea Primary School

• Erne Integrated College
• Devenish College
• Enniskillen Royal Grammar School
• Mount Lourdes Enniskillen; convent girls' grammar school
• St Michael's College; boys' grammar school
• St Fanchea's College
• St Joseph's College

• Enniskillen Campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)
• Enniskillen Campus South West College

Railway lines from Enniskillen railway station linked the town with Derry from 1854, Dundalk from 1861, Bundoran from 1868 and Sligo from 1882.[77] 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 to continue and forced it also to close.[78]

The nearest railway station to Enniskillen is Sligo station which is served by multiple trains to Dublin Connolly and is operated by Iarnród Éireann. The Dublin-Sligo railway line has a two-hourly service run by Iarnród Éireann. A connecting bus from Sligo via Manorhamilton to Enniskillen is operated by Bus Éireann.

Bus service to Enniskillen is provided by both Ulsterbus and Bus Éireann, from Enniskillen bus station. Number 261, 261b and X261 Goldline buses run from Belfast to Enniskillen. Bus Éireann Route 30 runs from Donegal to Dublin Airport/Dublin City via Enniskillen.

Enniskillen has a World War II-era airport, Enniskillen/St Angelo Airport. The airport had scheduled flights in the past but now serves mainly private traffic.

The town is on the main A4/N16 route linking Belfast and Sligo, and on the main Dublin to Ballyshannon route, the N3/A46/A509.