Reflections on Enniskillen
It was scarred by The Troubles but this beautiful town on the lake is a haven of peace now
ITS very name conjures up a sadness because of its association with one of the worst atrocities of The Troubles.
And while it will never forget and will always honour the 11 victims of the Remembrance Day bombing on November 8, 1987, and has a memorial centre to them in the Clinton Centre, first impressions of Enniskillen are of a sleepy little town that sits on Lough Erne Fermanagh lakes.
Not too sleepy though because you can have a right good night here as I found to my delight, or should that be cost.
I have come to Enniskillen for some R&R and some G&Ts and of course to explore this enchanting town in a part of Ireland which is only two and a half hours up the road from my Dublin base.
Before I get to my reccie of the town, let me first take you to my night on the juniper at the Westville, and I must reveal at this point that this was one of the main attractions for heading up north from the Big Smoke of Dublin... the Dumshanbo Gunpowder gin-tasting event.
That will be five samples, you understand! And dare I mention that we’d had a Prosecco reception beforehand!
Of course this was all soaked up by the most appetising of meals.
IAM a coeliac, and had notified the hotel of this in advance of my arrival. They catered for me exceptionally well, with only a few differences between myself and my guest’s meal throughout the evening. I am certain that there was absolutely no compromise to the taste!
I would especially recommend the scallops with butternut squash orzo, pickled butternut squash and pancetta, and slow cooked pork shoulder with confit savoy cabbage and pea puree. Each dish was accompanied with a different Gunpowder Irish Gin cocktail.
Let me say too that the food was beautifully presented and the service was outstanding. There were a number of friendly, helpful waiters working on the night who delivered our dishes with impressive synchronicity.
There is live music in the hotel bar every weekend, an obvious hit with the locals, and afterwards, we made our way into the town to The Crowe’s Nest, a lively bar and nightclub with an impressive cocktail menu. (It’s safe to say the heads were a tad sore the following day!)
On the Saturday, we went for a walk around the town, stopping off at Headhunters Railway and Barber Shop. This popular attraction boasts one of the largest collections of railway memorabilia on display.
Here you can ‘step on board’ and imagine a railway journey through Fermanagh and the Bor- der counties before the lines closed in 1957.
We had lunch in the local Greek restaurant, Dollakis, where I tried traditional favourites including houmous, grilled prawns and halloumi and my guest enjoyed the chicken-filled flatbreads. The food was delicious and we were more than sufficiently full leaving!
We enjoyed a cosy night at the hotel and availed of the amazing breakfast the following morning. There is a buffet with a range of options and they also offer a cooked breakfast including Eggs Benedict and American-style pancakes. Again, my coeliac needs were well covered!
On Sunday we enjoyed a relaxing walk around the 16th-century castle and by the lake (the castle is open Monday to Saturday until June, when it opens on Sunday too.) There is a history and heritage centre and museum with collections reflecting Fermanagh’s history, culture and environment, so well worth a visit.
Freezing cold after our walk, we sought comfort and warmth in the Blakes of Hollow pub, home to the Game of Thrones ‘Door 4’ which depicts the story of an episode within Season 6. There are ten doors in various places throughout the North and fans of the show can collect a special passport to tick off each one they visit. One down nine to go for us!
Blakes of the Hollow is a wellknown and truly beautiful Victorian pub which is over 125 years old.
We found a cosy booth where the fire was blazing and warmed ourselves up with delicious Irish Coffees before heading back to catch our bus.
Well, it was that type of weekend and we just had to toast Enniskillen and its wonderful and resilient people.