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Fermanagh Lakelands Attractions
Touring the Lakes & Islands
One of the best ways to explore Lough Erne is by boat. Erne Tours Ltd., Enniskillen (www.ernetoursltd.com; 028/6632-2882), operates 2-hour cruises on Lower Lough Erne aboard the MV Kestrel, departing daily May through September from the delightfully named Round “O” Jetty, Brook Park, Enniskillen. Tours include a 45-minute stop on Devenish Island ★★. They also run dinner cruises. Call for schedules. Upper Lough Erne cruises are operated on Sundays and bank holidays by Share Holiday Village, Smith’s Strand, Lisnaskea (www.sharevillage.org; 028/6772-2122). Fares for both cruises start at £10 adults, £9 seniors, or £6 for children under 16. Call for reservations and to confirm times.
Independent boatmen offer ferry crossings to some of the many islands in Lough Erne. Besides Devenish Island, White Island and Boa Island are rich in archaeological and early Christian remains. On White Island, seven stone figures remain from a vanished 10th-century monastery inside a ruined 12th-century church. (The ferry to White Island runs from Castle Archdale Marina in Irvinestown; 028/6862-1892; fare £5 round-trip.) Boa Island is connected to the shore by bridges; poke around the cemetery at the island’s west end to find two ancient idols of the god Janus (with faces looking both ways), thought to date from the 1st century.
Though it's possible to visit all three islands in a single day, it's a bit ambitious. Begin with Devenish, then visit White, and, if time permits, finish up with Boa.
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Belleek Visitor Center
The fine Parian china produced in the tiny village of Belleek is recognized worldwide for its quality. While you'll find pieces in shops all over the north of Ireland, this is the flagship store. In the visitor center, in a Victorian-era china-making factory, you can browse to your…- Historic Site
Castle Coole
Not really a castle at all, Coole is in fact a lavish stately home on the east bank of Lower Lough Erne. This quintessential neoclassical mansion was designed by James Wyatt for the Earl of Belmore and completed in 1796. Its rooms include a state bedroom hung with crimson silk, said… - Park/Garden
Crom Estate
On the east bank of Upper Lough Erne, this nearly 800-hectare (1,976-acre) nature reserve is a splendid National Trust–owned estate, with forest, parks, wetlands, fen meadows, and an award-winning lakeshore visitor center. The numerous trails have concealed places for observing birds… - Historic Site
Devenish Island
The most extensive of the ancient Christian sites in Lough Erne, Devenish Island is a marvelous mélange of remnants and ruins, providing a glimpse into the lake’s mystical past. In the 6th century, St. Molaise founded a monastic community here, to which the Augustinian Abbey of St.… - Historic Site
Enniskillen Castle
On the banks of Lower Lough Erne in Enniskillen, this impressive castle was built sometime around the first half of the 14th century, but significantly remodeled in the 17th. It’s unusual in that the design owes more to the Scottish Baronial style of castle—note the small round… - Cooking Class
Explore Erne
Just outside Belleek village, this exhibition offers an engaging multimedia introduction to Lough Erne. It covers its geologic formation and the lives, ancient and modern, lived along its reedy banks. Science, myth, and history blend to tell the story of this legendary, alluring lake. - Historic Site
Florence Court
Set among dramatic hills, 8 miles (13km) southwest of Lower Lough Erne and Enniskillen, this 18th-century Palladian mansion was originally the seat of the earls of Enniskillen. Its interior is rich in rococo plasterwork and antique Irish furniture, while outside is a fine walled… - Natural Attraction
Marble Arch Caves
Near the Florence Court estate, these UNESCO-listed caves are among the finest in Europe for exploring underground rivers, winding passages, and hidden chambers. Electrically powered boat tours take visitors underground, and knowledgeable guides explain the origins of the amazing…
Fermanagh Lakelands Shopping
Enniskillen has fine shops along its main street, which changes its name five times (East Bridge, Townhall, High, Church, Darling, Ann) as it runs the length of the town. Most shops are open Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 5:30pm.
The largest shopping complex in Enniskillen is the Erneside Shopping Centre (028/6632-5705; www.ernesideshopping.com), a modern bi-level mall on Shore Road, just off Wellington Road. It stays open until 9pm on Thursday and Friday. The other principal towns for shopping in the area are Irvinestown and Lisnaskea.
The town's former butter market offers a nifty shopping experience. Dating from 1835, it has been restored and transformed into the Buttermarket, Enniskillen Craft and Design Centre, Down Street. There are various craft stores and workshops here, with occasional traditional music, craft fairs, and street theater to enliven the atmosphere.
Buying Belleek
Perhaps the most famous Irish homeware brand in the world after Waterford Crystal, Belleek Pottery has been making fine china since 1864. The Belleek Visitor Centre, Belleek, County Fermanagh (www.belleek.ie; 028/6865-9300) is the world headquarters of the brand. You can look around their museum—which displays unique objects of Belleek pottery, such as the extraordinary International Centre Piece vase they created for the 1900 Paris Expo—and also take factory tours. But of course, the reason most people come is to visit the enormous gift shop.
If you’re not a china expert, but you still want to bring back some Belleek pieces from your trip, here are a few tips to ensure that your purchases become heirlooms:
- The Belleek Heirloom Centre has the best selection of patterns from which to choose, giving you lots of options and a wide price range.
- At the center, all the china is displayed around the room. You walk around looking at all the pieces, and then note the item numbers of those pieces you like. You take the numbers to the central counter, and they bring boxed china pieces to you.
- Make sure they pull the pieces out of the boxes so you can be sure they are what you expected.
- Take the pieces from the sales assistant and look at them closely. This is delicate china, and it can have tiny imperfections that you can only see by getting up close and personal.
- Be particularly conscious of the bottom of the piece—look for tiny hairline cracks. We bought a lovely Belleek vase once that looked perfect, but leaked through a nearly invisible crack.
- The center will ship internationally if you don’t want to risk taking your purchases on a plane.
- If it looks good to you and you love it—buy it! You may not get the chance again.
The Belleek Centre is open July to September, weekdays 9am to 6pm, Saturdays 10am to 6pm, and Sundays 2 to 5pm; March to June, weekdays 9am to 5:30pm, Saturdays 10am to 5:30pm, Sundays noon to 5:30pm; October to December, weekdays 9am to 6pm, Saturdays 10am to 5:30pm, Sundays noon to 5pm; and January to February, weekdays 9am to 5:30pm, closed weekends.
On weekdays, factory tours run every half-hour from 9:30am to 12:15pm and 1:45 to 4pm (last tour 3pm on Friday). From June to September, there are also Saturday tours from 10:30am to 12:15pm and 2 to 4pm. Tour tickets cost £5 adults, £3 seniors and students, £10 families, and free for children age 11 and under.
Fermanagh Lakelands Nightlife
Many or even most of the pubs and hotels in the area offer live entertainment, especially in the summer and on weekends.
If you're looking for Victorian style, try Blakes of the Hollow, 6 Church St., Enniskillen (tel. 028/6632-2143). The pub opened in 1887 and has been in the Blake family ever since, retaining its original Victorian decor and ambience, with a long marble-topped mahogany bar and pinewood alcoves.
Check out what's on at the Ardhowen Theatre, Dublin Road, Enniskillen (tel. 028/6632-5440; www.ardhowentheatre.com). Also known as the Theatre by the Lakes because of its enviable position overlooking Upper Lough Erne, this 300-seat theater presents a varied program of concerts, drama, cabaret, jazz, gospel, blues, and other modern music. Tickets run from around £10 to £20 for most performances; curtain time is usually 8pm.
