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FERMANAGH

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Originally appearing in Volume V10, Page 275 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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FERMANAGH , a See also:

county of See also:Ireland, in the See also:province of See also:Ulster, bounded N.W. by See also:Donegal, N.E. by See also:Tyrone, E. by See also:Monaghan and S.W. by See also:Cavan and See also:Leitrim. The See also:area is 457,369 acres or about 715 sq. m. The county is situated mostly in the See also:basin of the See also:Erne, which divides the county into two nearly equal sections. Its See also:surface is hilly, and its See also:appearance (in many parts) somewhat sterile, though in the See also:main, and especially in the neighbourhood of Lough Erne, it is picturesque and attractive. The See also:climate, though moist, is healthy, and the See also:people are generally tall and robust. The See also:chief mountains are Cuilcagh (2188 ft.), partly in Leitrim and Cavan, Belmore (1312), Glenkeel (1223), See also:North Shean (1135), Tappahan (1110), Carnmore (1034). Tossett or Toppid and Turaw mountains command extensive prospects, and See also:form striking features in the scenery of the county. But the most distinguishing features of Fermanagh are the Upper and See also:Lower Loughs Erne, which occupy a See also:great extent of its surface, stretching for about 45 M. from S.E. to N.W. These lakes are expansions of the See also:river Erne, which enters the countyfrom Cavan at Wattle See also:Bridge. It passes Belturbet, the Loughs Erne, See also:Enniskillen and Belleek, on its way to the See also:Atlantic, into which it descends at See also:Ballyshannon. At Belleek it forms a considerable See also:waterfall and is here well known to sportsmen for its See also:good See also:salmon fishing. See also:Trout are taken in most of the loughs, and See also:pike of great See also:size in the Loughs Erne.

There are several See also:

mineral springs in the county, some of them chalybeate, others sulphurous. At Belcoo, near Enniskillen, there is a famous well called Daragh Phadric, held in repute by the peasantry for its cure of paralytic and other diseases; and 4 M. N.W. of the same See also:town, at a See also:place called " the Daughton," are natural caves of considerable size. This county includes in the north an area of the See also:gneiss that is discussed under county Donegal, and, See also:west of See also:Omagh, a metamorphic region that stretches in from the central See also:axis of Tyrone. A See also:fault divides the latter from the See also:mass of red-See also:brown Old Red See also:Sandstone that spreads See also:south nearly to Enniskillen. Lower Carboniferous sandstone and See also:limestone occur on the north of Lower Lough Erne. The limestone forms See also:fine scarps on the See also:southern See also:side of the See also:lake, capped by beds regarded as the Yoredale See also:series. The scenery about the two Loughs Macnean is carved out in similarly scarped hills, rising to 2188 ft. in Cuilcagh on the south. The " See also:Marble See also:Arch " See also:cave near See also:Florence-See also:court, with its emerging river, is a characteristic example of the subterranean waterways in the limestone. Upper Lough Erne is a typical meandering lake of the limestone See also:lowland, with outliers of higher Carboniferous strata forming See also:highlands north-See also:east and south-west of it. With the exception of the pottery See also:works at Belleek, where iridescent See also:ware of good quality is produced, Fermanagh has rio distinguishing manufactures. It is chiefly an agricultural county.

The proportion of tillage to pasture is roughly as 1 to 22. See also:

Cattle and poultry are the See also:principal classes of live stock. Oats and potatoes are the crops most extensively cultivated. The north-western See also:division of the Great See also:Northern railway passes through the most populous portion of the county, one See also:branch connecting Enniskillen with See also:Clones, another connecting Enniskillen with See also:Londonderry via Omagh, and a third connecting Bundoran Junction with Bundoran, in county Donegal. The See also:Sligo, Leitrim & Northern Counties railway connects with the Great Northern at Enniskillen, and the See also:Clogher Valley See also:light railway connects southern county Tyrone with the Great Northern at Maguiresbridge. The See also:population (74,170 in 1891; 65,430 in 19o1; almost wholly rural) shows a decrease among the most serious of the county populations of Ireland. It includes 55% of See also:Roman Catholics and about 35% of See also:Protestant Episcopalians. Enniskillen (the county town, pop. 5412) is the only town of importance, the See also:rest being little more than villages. The principal are Lisnaskea,Irvinestown(f ormerly Lowt herst ow n) ,M aguires bridge, Tempo, Newtownbutler, Belleek, Derrygonnelly and Kesh, at which fairs are held. See also:Garrison, a fishing station on the See also:wild Lough Melvin, and Pettigo, near to the lower Lough Erne, are See also:market villages. Fermanagh returns two members to See also:parliament, one each for the north and south divisions.

It comprises eight baronies and nineteen See also:

civil parishes. The assizes are held at Enniskillen, See also:quarter sessions at Enniskillen and See also:Newtown-See also:butler. The headquarters of the constabulary are at Enniskillen. Ecclesiastically it belongs to the Protestant and Roman See also:Catholic dioceses of Clogher and Kilmore. By the See also:ancient Irish the See also:district was called Feor-magh-Eanagh, or the " See also:country of.the lakes " (lit. " the See also:mountain-valley See also:marsh district "); and also Magh-uire, or " the country of the See also:waters." A large portion was occupied by the Guarii, the ancestors of the MacGuires or Maguires, a name still See also:common in the district. This See also:family was so influential that for centuries the county was called after it Maguire's Country, and one of the towns still existing bears its name, Maguiresbridge. Fermanagh was formed into a county on the shiring of Ulster in 1585 by See also:Sir See also:John See also:Perrot, and was included in the well-known See also:scheme of colonization of See also:James I., the See also:Plantation of Ulster. In 1689 battles were fought between See also:William III.'s See also:army and the Irish under Macarthy (for James II.), Lisnaskea (26th See also:July) and Newtownbutler (3oth July). The chief place of See also:interest to the See also:antiquary is Devenish See also:Island in Lough Erne, about 22 M. N.W. from Enniskillen (q.v.), with its ruined See also:abbey, See also:round See also:tower and See also:cross. In various places throughout the county may be seen the ruins of several ancient castles, Danish raths or encampments, and tumuli, in the last of which urns and See also:stone coffins have sometimes been found.

The round tower on Devenish Island is one of the finest examples in the country.

End of Article: FERMANAGH

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