Now our town will be known for more than just the bomb
In Enniskillen
“PEOPLE know Enniskillen as the town where the bomb went off and all those people died. This will give them something else to remember us by. Something positive.” Those were the words of one trader in the Co Fermanagh town minutes after the announcement that the G8 summit will take place there next June.
Sonya Millar’s shop, Diamonds and Pearls, is just yards away from the cenotaph in the centre of Enniskillen at which the lives of dozens of local families were ripped apart 25 years ago.
The scars of the Remembrance Sunday bomb — which killed 11 and injured more than 60 people — still run deep in Enniskillen.
But yesterday there was widespread joy, pride and excitement on its streets as the town prepares to create a new legacy.
Judging by the mood of those in its streets yesterday, the welcome mat will be rolled out emphatically for the most high profile event ever staged in Northern Ireland.
“This will be great for the town and Fermanagh,” said Ms Millar.
“Not only will it bring so many people into Enniskillen, it will show off our town and county to the world. Enniskillen will now be seen in a positive light.”
Work is currently being carried out on Enniskillen’s festive decorations. Yesterday’s early Christmas gift was considered by many to be an opportunity to create a new legacy, far removed from En- niskillen’s darkest hour.
“It’s very good news,” said Darren Ferris, of J Trimble Meats, based in the town centre. “This will put us on the map.”
Patricia Stenson, of Sew it Seams, added: “It’s fantastic. This will give us the chance to show Enniskillen off to the world.”
Hotel rooms and guest houses are filling up fast, with the proprietors of Enniskillen’s vast array of eateries and pubs licking their lips at the prospect of an influx of visitors, both during the summit and from the predicted spin-off it will have for the local economy.
It’s hard to envisage the highprofile guests who will be attending the summit not being taken with the character of the bustling town, nestled in Fermanagh’s spectacular patchwork countryside consisting of woodland, parkland and, most notably of all, its famed lakes.
In the past Fermanagh people have often complained about being Northern Ireland’s “forgotten county”.
But that will all change next June when for one remarkable week the eyes of the world will be on it, the luxurious Lough Erne Resort and nearby Enniskillen, where media from all corners of the globe will be camped.
Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday described the area as “one of the most beautiful places in the entire United Kingdom”, joking he may have trouble “keeping President Obama off the golf course”.
Shoppers were buoyed by the news, with Mr Cameron’s announcement spreading rapidly throughout the town centre yesterday afternoon.
Many said they were looking forward to spotting Mr Obama when he comes to town.
Student Amy Scullion said: “It would be great to see Barack Obama in our wee town. Everyone’s talking about it.”
Whether or not Enniskillen’s modest airport, St Angelo, is ready for Air Force One to touch down on its runway on the shores of Lough Erne remains to be seen.
And given the historic, narrow, winding streets of Enniskillen’s town centre, President Obama might be best leaving his car — known as The Beast — at home after it became stuck on a ramp during last year’s presidential visit to Dublin.