Enniskillen

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Introducing Enniskillen

Perched amid the web of waterways that link Upper and Lower Lough Erne, Enniskillen (Inis Ceithleann, meaning Caitlin’s Island) is an appealing town with a mile-long main street that rides the roller-coaster spine of the island’s drumlin. (The locals say you’re only a true Enniskilliner if you were born ‘between the bridges’; that is, on the town’s central island.) Its attractive waterside setting, bustling with boats in summer, plus a range of lively pubs and restaurants, make Enniskillen a good base for exploring Upper and Lower Lough Erne, Florencecourt and the Marble Arch Caves.

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Though neither was born here, both Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett were pupils at Enniskillen’s Portora Royal School (Wilde from 1864 to 1871, Beckett from 1919 to 1923); it was here that Beckett first studied French, a language he would later write in. The town’s name is also prominent in the history of the Troubles – on Poppy Day (11 November) in 1987 an IRA bomb killed 11 innocent people during a service at Enniskillen’s war ­memorial.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009

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