County Fermanagh, Administrative region in southwestern Northern Ireland
County Fermanagh is a historic county in southwestern Northern Ireland, threaded by the two parts of Lough Erne and surrounded by gentle hills and dense greenery. The water surfaces link through channels and narrow passages, so islands, bays and small peninsulas form a branching network through which boats and kayakers glide.
The area remained under the control of the Irish Maguire dynasty until the early 17th century, before English and Scottish settlers arrived as part of the Plantation of Ulster. The plantations changed ownership patterns fundamentally and led to the founding of new settlements along the lakeshores and inland.
The two lake systems shape daily life and draw boat owners who moor houseboats and spend summers on the water. Many settlements grew as landing points, so quays and waterfront promenades still form village centres and water sports remain a familiar sight.
Walking trails and cycling routes run through woodland and along shorelines, with some sections hilly and damp underfoot. Parking areas appear in most larger settlements, while minor roads stay narrow and winding.
Some of the islands in the lakes hold early medieval monastery ruins accessible only by boat, usually sitting empty on small rocky rises. Visitors find old round towers and stone crosses there, defying the waves for centuries and bearing witness to former religious life.
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