Enniskillen – Co. Fermanagh is the county town, and also the largest town in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. It is the current seat of local government for Fermanagh District Council.

Enniskillen is situated on an island between Upper and Lower Lough Erne in Northern Ireland’s Lake District, and it is an important tourist center. Attractions near to Enniskillen include Florencecourt House which is a National Trust Property, Marble Arch Caves which are a series of natural limestone caves, and Belleek Pottery where world famous and collectible fine parian china is produced.

Upper and Lower Lough Erne are justly famous for their natural beauty. The two loughs are dotted with many small islands. One of the best preserved old monastic sites in the island of Ireland can be seen at Devenish Island. The monastery there was founded in the sixth century by St Molaise. Some of the best preserved remains there are the round tower built in the twelfth century and the oratory of St Molaise. The two loughs are also ideal for boating activities.

Enniskillen itself was established by William Cole as a town during the Plantation of Ulster in the early seventeenth century (reign of James I). Before that Enniskillen castle had been the stronghold of the Gaelic Maguire family. The town’s oldest building is Maguire’s castle built by Hugh Maguire in the fifteenth century. The castle was captured by the English in 1593, but was regained by the Maguires before being finally taken by the English in 1607.

The importance of Enniskillen was greatly increased by William Cole. He rebuilt the castle, built two bridges, built himself a family house nearby, built the public buildings needed by an important Plantation town, and built many of the houses as well. Cole introduced settlers and their families from England and Scotland to do this work, and to live in the town. Mainly thanks to Cole the town had grown into an important center by 1688 when the Williamite Wars started.

During the war between the two kings (William III and James II) Enniskillen sided with William, and led resistance to James. Troops raised in the town gained an important victory at the Battle of Newtonbutler. Those Enniskillen troops eventually became two British Army regiments, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Sixth (Inniskilling) Dragoons. The regimental museum is now in Enniskillen castle.

Note that Inniskilling is an old spelling of Enniskillen. Both Inniskilling and Enniskillen are Anglicized versions derived from the Irish name Inis Ceithleann which means “Ceithlenn’s island”.