ENNISKILLEN

In 1868, the parish of Enniskillen contained the following places:

"ENNISKILLEN, a parish, market town, and parliamentary borough in the baronies of Magheraboy and Tirkennedy, county Fermanagh, province of Ulster, Ireland. It is the county town of Fermanagh, and 102 miles N.W. of Dublin. It is a station on the Irish North-Western railway. Enniskillen is a place of comparatively modern origin, having been previous to the rein of James I. only a stronghold of the Maguires, which was taken by Sir Richard Bingham in 1594. In 1612 William Cole, the ancestor of the Earls of Enniskillen, obtained a charter from James I. for the foundation of the town, which speedily rose into importance. At the Revolution the Enniskilleners declared for William III., and twice defeated the besiegers. The parish is partially mountainous, and is very picturesque. The average quality of the soil is good. The living is a rectory and vicarage forming the corps of the Precentorship of Clogher Cathedral, in the diocese of Clogher, net value £430, in the patronage of Trinity College, Dublin. The church stands in the town; it is a plain building, with tower and spire, erected in 1637. There is also a church at Tempo, and a school-room licensed for Church of England worship at Dengeehan; there are, besides, a Roman Catholic, a Presbyterian, and two Methodist chapels. There are, under the National Board, two Roman Catholic schools and one Church of England school, besides five Sunday-schools. The Royal School, founded by Charles I., is conspicuously situated on the skirts of the town, the greater part of which stands upon an island lying between the N. and S. expansion of Lough Erne. It is connected with its suburbs by a bridge at either end of the principal street, which is rather irregular, with smaller streets and lanes branching off on either side. Part of the town extends into the parish of Rossory. Its general appearance is cheerful, clean, and prosperous. Enniskillen is an assize and sessions town, also a chief police station and head-quarters of the county militia. The corporation, styled "the portreeve, free burgesses, and commonalty of the borough of Enniskillen," is now extinct, and its property vested in town commissioners, under the Act 9 George IV. Its population in 1861 was 5,701 against 6,094 in 1851, showing a decrease of 393 in the decennial period. It returns one member to the imperial parliament, and had in 1860 a constituency of 256. In the town are situated the townhall, in which are preserved the banners borne by the Enniskilleners at the battle of the Boyne; the county prison, the county court-house, a fever hospital, infirmary, infantry and artillery barracks, dispensary, linen-hall (now used as a schoolroom), tanneries, three banks, market-house, butter market, corn market, and gas-works. The principal trade is in corn and linen. The newspapers published are the Fermanagh Mail and the Fermanagh Reporter. The Poorlaw Union has 20 electoral divisions in Fermanagh, Cavan, and Tyrone, with 30 guardians. The poorhouse affords room for 1,270 paupers. Thursday is market day; butter markets are held on Mondays and Tuesdays. Fairs are held on the 10th of every month, and on the 26th May and 26th October."

"TEMPO, a post office village in the parish of Enniskillen, barony of Tyrkennedy, county Fermanagh, province of Ulster, Ireland. It is situated on the road from Enniskillen to Five-mile-town. There are a chapel-of-ease, and a meeting-house for Presbyterians. In the village are a police station and post office. A customary market is held on the 28th of every month."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018