Fermanagh

Fermanagh (fərmăn`ə), district (1991 pop. 50,250), 656 sq mi (1,699 sq km), SW Northern Ireland. Enniskillen is the major town, but the district council meets at Ardhowen. The Erne River, which widens into the extensive and beautiful Lough Erne, divides Fermanagh into two roughly equal parts. A hilly terrain, rising to more than 2,000 ft (610 m) in the south, is devoted largely to grazing. Farming (potatoes, beef and dairy cattle) is important to the local economy. Pottery (see Belleek ware) and linen are made, and some limestone and sandstone are quarried. Fermanagh is a popular tourist area.

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Fermanagh

District (pop., 2001: 57,527), extreme southwestern Northern Ireland. Located chiefly in the River Erne basin, it was established as a district within the boundaries of the traditional county in 1973; the district seat is Enniskillen. Settled from prehistory, Fermanagh has a scattering of megaliths, cairns, and early Celtic Christian antiquities. Devenish Island, in Lower Lough Erne, is the site of an ancient monastery. During the reign of James I (1603–25), many English Anglicans were settled there. It is one of the most important tourist areas in Northern Ireland.

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Fermanagh

a district and historical county of SW Northern Ireland: contains the Upper and Lower Lough Erne. Pop.: 58 705 (2003 est.). Area (excluding water): 1700 sq. km (656 sq. miles)