Enniskillen

We said goodbye to Alan and Caroline and headed off to the Giants Causeway the morning of September 11, 2024.   We were in for a pretty long day of driving and had our first experiences with some fairly narrow roads, although they were tame in comparison to roads we traveled in Wales and the south west of England. 

The Giants Causeway was one of the things that M wanted to see so we took the scenic route to Enniskillen and drove north. The Giants Causeway would be the most northerly point we’d travel on this trip. We parked down a short hill from the main visitors center and paid £10 instead of the £14 per person charged at the visitors center. It was a short walk up the hill and then a walk down a paved road to get to the Giants Causeway – the area with basalt columns. It was a windy day with intermittent showers. We waited one out in the car before we started walking, got caught in a short-lived shower, and got back to the car before another squall passed through.

After the Giants Causeway we then drove for about 10 minutes to reach Dunluce Castle.  The Castle is a ruin dated from the 1500s.   It was built on the side of a steep cliff and was surrounded by a small village.   It is now a site of significant archeological work.  The location is stunning.   It was a fun place to explore. 

We made it to our Enniskillen Airbnb by early evening and settled in to a large comfortable house that would be our base for the next four days.   During these days we would explore Enniskillen town and castle, take a tour of Marble Arch Caves, walk to the top of Cuilcagh mountain, and visit family homelands in Springfield (just outside of Enniskillen). 

The view from the kitchen of our Airbnb in Enniskillen. Cuilcagh mountain is in the distance.

Enniskillen castle originally built in the 15th century. It was the stronghold of the Maguires.

Enniskillen castle. Much of the castle is a museum. It was originally built in the 15th century and was the stronghold of the Maguires. The museum tells the history of the county Fermanaugh area that goes back thousands of years to the stone age hunter gatherers up through more recent history. There is also a separate area displaying military history and artifacts.

Marble Arch Caves

Unground boat ride at Marble Arch caves

Marble Arch caves

Marble Arch Caves

Marble Arch Caves

Calicaugh moutain trail

boardwalk at Calicaugh mountain

Calicaugh mountain boardwalk

We spent a lovely afternoon with Nicola McCullagh (my second cousin) and her husband Nigel. They live in their family home (Brackagh), which is very close to Crawford’s Hill, the land where my grandfather was born and lived until he emigrated to southern California. We received the grand tour from them, visiting the ruins of the original family home on Crawford’s Hill, and cemetery in Monea where my great grandparents John and Phoebe McCullagh and other McCullaghs are buried. We also met John Spence at Moyglass (the adjacent parcel), a descendent of the Spences who lived on that property for many years and one family member who resided in Southern California and was the person my grandfather went to work for in the early 1900s. I had visited these places with my family as a child in 1970, though I didn’t remember much about this area from that trip. I really enjoyed this portion of the trip and having the chance to share this little bit of family history with Angie, M and E.

The McCullagh house (Sept. 2024)

The McCullagh house (Sept. 20204)

The McCullagh house interior (Sept. 2024)

Ruins of the Patterson House on the Faugher townland. The building dates to the 1700’s and was once used as a barracks for the Yeomanry. [1988]

The old Patterson House (Sept. 20204)

Us and Nicola in front of her house (Brakagh) (2024)