Border Lakeland Guide
sculpture on boa island
latest update February 2008
For over 80 years these three southern counties of the historic province of Ulster have been divided by the Northern Ireland Border, but their shared landscape of rounded drumlin hills meandering rivers and a maze of lakes joins them together. Now that the roads across the border have been resurfaced, the bridges have been rebuilt and the customs posts have been torn down the whole area can be enjoyed with a new freedom.
Fermanagh.
The county is split in two by Upper and Lower Lough Erne. Enniskillen is built at the bridging point between the two lakes. It is a lovely county town with it's historic centre on an island in the river and modern suburbs curving round hills overlooking small lakes. Historically this has been a British stronghold in an overwhelmingly Irish catholic county. Tourist Information Centre on Wellington Road. The substantial Enniskillen Castle houses the Fermanagh History and Heritage Centre, which deals with the civil history of the county, and the Regimental Museum of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, which celebrates military achievments. 028 6632 5000. On Church Street the soaring spire of St Macartin's Church of Ireland Cathedral faces the front of St Michael's Catholic Church. Water is never far away and there is equipment hire (includes bikes) at Lakeside Canoe Centre 028 6632 4250 which has its own island in the river. Erne Cruises 028 6632 2882, Round 'O' Jetty, run river cruises. The Crow's Nest Bar, 12 High Street has music every night. William Blake, 6 Church Street, preserves a late victorian bar. 1km east of town Ardhowen Theatre 026 6632 5440 has film, drama and music by the water. Opposite it on the Dublin road is the cool Georgian grandeur of Castle Coole and the expanse of its 600 acre grounds.
There are a range of places of interest between the A4 and A32 that head towards the border with Cavan. Florence Court is a Palladian mansion with a sizeable Forest Park. Visitors are given a boat ride through the spectacular Marble Arch Caves, 028 6634 8855..
The north of the county is dominated by boomerang shaped Lower Loch Erne. There are fine views over it from the remains of Tully Castle on its south side, which are safe to explore. 6km past its west end is the famous Beleek Pottery. On the lakes's north side Castle Cadwell Forest Park is a peninsula reaching out into the water. Boa Island has several sculptures of celtic gods. On the east side of the lake is the lovely Castle Archdale Forest Park. The Castle has long since burned down but its impressive courtyard buildings remain. There is good value boat hire nearby.
Contrasting to the clear expanse of the Lower Lough Upper Lough Erne has a convoluted waterline that becomes more and more complex as water and land intermingle further south. At the heart of this confusion is Crom Castle, a gloriously overblown victorian construction. Grounds open to Public. Nearer Enniskillen Carrothers Family Heritage Museum, Carrybridge Road, Lisbellaw preserves the history of this family who have farmed here for over 200 years.
Cavan
The beautiful chaos of Upper Lough Erne spills over the border with Cavan and transmutates into the fragmented form of Lough Oughter which divides the panhandle of West Cavan, which rises from lakestrewn lowland to wild hill country, from the rolling hills of east Cavan.
Much of present interest in the county centres on the panhandle area. The Shannon-Erne Waterway cuts through the county with the small town of Ballyconnell serving as a berthing point for boats.. Over the hills is a pretty valley area where the Cavan Way meanders south from Blacklion and on the west side of the Cuilcagh Mountains water falls into a 15 metre wide pool called the Shannon Pot - Source of Ireland's longest (400km) and most famous river.
Cavan town divides its activities into two. Main street is lined with shops and bars while Farnham Strret has the courthouse and the fine neo classical Catholic Cathedral, a building of early italian rennaissance purity. Louis Blessing's, 92 Main Street, preserves a now fast dissappearing irish institution, the combined bar and grocery shop. The Imperial, Main Street, is large, modern and has music from Wednesdays to Sundays.
East Cavan's rolliing farmland has several fine plantation towns. The wide main street of Virginia is used by traffic on the main Dublin road, but a long straight drive leads off Main Street towards the banks of Lough Ramor and a grassy picnic area. Baileborough was build by the Scottish Bailie family with a Church of Ireland at one end of its main street and a court house at the other. Ballyjamesduff is another small but spaciously laid out town. Home to the Ballyjamesduff International Pork Festival in early June Info 087 419 1859. I kid you not. Near the border with Monaghan Coothill sits prettily at the end of a string of lakes that spread east across the next county.
Monaghan
At the other end of the string of lakes Ballybay was a prosperous linen town in the 18th and 19th centuries, today cloth has given way to fishing 12 km east Castleblaney is an unremarkable small town with a beautiful Leisure Park overlooking Loch Muckno. To the south is Carrickmacross, another fine little country town but with the added interest of Lough Fea House, a sinister looking Victorian gothic pile with wooden beamed baronial hall and chapel. To gain access ask the agent on Main Street.
Monaghan itself has a severe atmosphere, it is a tightly packed planters town that feels something like an inhabited fortress. However its not all Scots Irish here and the most impressive building is the Catholic Cathedral with it's elegant front and tall spire which survey the town from the hill above. At the heart of the town are three squares. The Diamond is the old marketplace with the classical 1792 Market House. Church Square is early 19th century Regency with the classical Courthouse and gothic Church of Ireland. Old Cross Square is in an earlier part of town. Monaghan County Museum and Gallery, Hill Street, is one of the best county museums in the country . There are exhibitions of local and national artists in the Art Gallery wing. Come to An Poc Fada Bar, North road for the craic and rock music. Trad music can be found on thursdays at Traynor's, 30 Park Street. The Squealing Pig Bar and Restaurant, The Diamond, attracts the local young crowd with well priced diner style food.
To the west of town near Newbliss Annaghmakerrig House is now an artists retreat, The Tyrone Guthrie Foundation, general visitors can enjoy the 400 acre estate .To the north Glaslough is a charming village beside the large Castle Leslie estate centre on Glaslough lake. The Scottish baronial style house and the gardens can be seen by appointment 047 88100
The Ulster Way
The Ulster Way winds an 800 km course, mainly around the edge of Northern Ireland and follows the border closely in this area. The combination of the landscape and the often torturous lines of the border itself mean that it is a walk with plenty of variety and interest as it follows rivers, climbs up hills with fine views and picks a way around drumlin hills and the lakes between them.
