Things to do in Enniskillen
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Enniskillen
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Quietest, wettest and cheapest, with reduced boat sailings. The St Patricks Day parade and flotilla are the bright spike.
The season opens. Boats and houses return without summer crowds, and often the best hotel value of the year.
Best boating months and full schedules, with wedding peak prices. The Feast and Folk Festival lands in early August.
Crowds thin, light turns golden and golf and walking are often at their best. Schedules contract late in the month.
Autumn colour in the estates and the town Halloween programme, with reduced cave and boat schedules.
Dark, cheap and local. Festive theatre, town shopping and spa weekends are the deliberate product.
What's on
- St Patrick's Day Parade and Flotilla 17 March
A town parade plus illuminated boats on the Erne, the bright spike of the quiet season.
- Fermanagh Feast & Folk Festival Early August
Artisan food stalls, folk music and chef demonstrations in the grounds of Enniskillen Castle.
- Enniskillen Halloween Late October
A town parade, fireworks and a family fun day around the Diamond and the Buttermarket.
Best things to do in Enniskillen
Enniskillen Castle
Two museums in a Maguire castle by the Erne, covering county history and the Inniskilling regiments.
Headhunters Barber Shop & Railway Museum
A working barber shop hiding a dense, joyful railway museum about the lines that once served Enniskillen.
The Buttermarket
A restored market courtyard of Fermanagh craft shops and galleries, best for a browse and a cafe stop.
The Diamond
The small central square at the heart of the island town walk, with the town hall and memorial nearby.
Ardhowen Theatre
The town theatre on the Erne shore for touring drama, comedy and music, with a cafe bar over the water.
Cole's Monument
A tall column in Forthill Park with the best town panorama when open, and a fine park view when it is not.
St Macartin's Cathedral
The Church of Ireland cathedral on Church Street, with regimental colours linking it to the castle story.
St Michael's Church
The Catholic church beside the cathedral, noted by visitors for its paintings and calm interior.
Where to stay in Enniskillen
Town centre: the Island and the Diamond
first trip, walk everything stays
The castle, pubs, small restaurants and theatre within walking distance, in the historic island centre.
Tempo Road, east of town
value and practicality for drivers
The best rated mid range and budget properties side by side, with free parking and an easy walk to the centre.
The lough shore north-west: Belleek Road and Killadeas
resort stays and occasions
Grand lakeside hotels with spas, golf and sunsets, a short drive from town with nothing to walk to at night.
The lough shore south-east: Killyhevlin and the Dublin Road
families and groups
Lakeside rooms, lodges and studios on one site with a pool, close enough to town for a short drive.
Think twice about
- Isolated rural lets down lough shore lanes without a car
Unlit lanes, no taxi rank and no evening options nearby. Fine with a car and a plan, stranding without one.
- Roadside accommodation far out on the Belfast, Dublin or Sligo roads
Neither town nor lake. You will drive to everything, including breakfast, and gain nothing for it.
- Church Street front rooms on weekend nights
Lively until pub closing. A noise consideration for light sleepers, not a safety problem.
Best restaurants in Enniskillen
28 At The Hollow
A small candle lit dining room at Blakes serving the finest seasonal cooking in Fermanagh.
The Catalina Restaurant
The resort fine dining room over the water, serving modern Irish cooking in a formal setting.
Dollakis
A family run Greek restaurant built around sharing mezze, with strong vegetarian options.
Kamal Mahal
The town Indian institution by East Bridge, generous and properly spiced, with diet aware options.
The Firehouse
A buzzy bar restaurant on Townhall Street for wood fired pizza, grills and group dinners.
Franco's Restaurant
A family run Italian by the Erne for over 35 years, the local default for family occasions.
Horseshoe and Saddlers
A family run pub bistro for hearty Irish cooking, steaks and a well regarded lunch.
Tully Mill Restaurant
A converted mill beside Florence Court serving seasonal Irish cooking, the southern day dinner.
Outdoor things to do in Enniskillen
Erne Tours
The MV Kestrel sailing from Brook Park to Devenish Island, with live commentary on the lough and its wildlife.
Erne Water Taxi
Small boat trips with a local skipper to Devenish and around the islands, at your own pace.
Devenish Island
An island monastic site with a near perfect round tower, priory ruins and water on every side.
White Island
A ruined island church holding a set of enigmatic carved stone figures, reached by ferry from Castle Archdale.
Castle Archdale Country Park
A lakeside park with woodland and shore trails, a marina and wartime history on Lower Lough Erne.
Marble Arch Caves
A guided underground tour through a living cave system of rivers, chambers and flowstone.
Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail
The Stairway to Heaven walk across blanket bog and up steep steps to a summit viewing platform.
Castle Coole
A neo classical mansion in 1200 acres of parkland, best as a house tour plus the walk around Lough Coole.
Best hotels in Enniskillen
Lough Erne Resort
A five star resort on a 600 acre peninsula with two golf courses, a Thai spa and lakeside dining.
Manor House Country Hotel
An 18th century manor on the shore at Killadeas with a pool, spa and Rosette dining.
Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel & Lodges
A lakeside hotel with lodges and studios, a spa and a pool, the family all rounder in Fermanagh.
Westville Hotel
A polished boutique leaning town hotel on the Tempo Road, a short walk from the Diamond.
The Enniskillen Hotel
A characterful small town hotel with a lively local bar, an easy walk from the centre.
Belmore Court & Motel
The highest rated stay in town, a spotless motel format property with free parking and a strong breakfast.
Finn Lough
A small luxury lakeside hideaway known for forest bubble domes and a quiet, adults leaning calm.
Is Enniskillen expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | £55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | £110 a person |
| Splurge | £250 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Ardhowen Theatre: a few days ahead
- Erne Tours: a few days ahead
- Erne Water Taxi: a few days ahead
- Marble Arch Caves: a few days ahead
- Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail: a few days ahead
- The Faldo Course: weeks ahead
- Lough Erne Canoe Trail: a few days ahead
- Lough Erne Resort: weeks ahead
- Book Marble Arch Caves online ahead from spring to autumn, and check for flood curtailment after rain.
- Pre book Cuilcagh car parking in peak months and start the walk early.
- Book Faldo tee times and Lough Erne Resort spa appointments when you book the room.
- Reserve 28 At The Hollow and Dollakis ahead, and boats a day or more ahead in summer.
Is Enniskillen safe?
- Behave at the Diamond war memorial as at any place of mourning, not as a photo backdrop.
- Swim only at recognised spots. The Erne is cold with currents, and hire centre weather advice is binding.
- Drive rural and island roads at the speed the road allows, and book a taxi for country dinners.
- Keep valuables out of parked cars at beauty spot car parks.
Enniskillen travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Chaining caves, boardwalk and Florence Court into half a day. Pick two and do them slowly.
- Expecting nightlife beyond pubs and the theatre. The town sleeps earlier than party cities.
- Driving the lough shore instead of sailing it. No boat in the trip means the main experience missed.
- An itinerary with no wet weather swap in one of Ireland wettest counties.
Getting around Enniskillen: public transport and more
- Walk the town. The castle, Church Street, the Diamond and both jetties are a compact, mostly flat cluster.
- You need a car for the county sights, or one booked southern day by taxi or tour.
- Boats are transport here. Devenish and White Island are reachable only by water and sailings are seasonal.
- Enniskillen has a bus centre but no railway station. Belfast is about two and a half hours by bus.
Who Enniskillen suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Enniskillen your trip
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