Introduction
Town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
Human settlement in Northern IrelandLisnaskeaIrish: Lios na ScéitheLisnaskea's main street, looking northwestLisnaskeaLocation within Northern IrelandPopulation3,020 (2021 census)Irish grid referenceH3634DistrictFermanagh and OmaghCountyCounty FermanaghCountryNorthern IrelandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townENNISKILLENPostcode districtBT92Dialling code028UK ParliamentFermanagh and South TyroneNI AssemblyFermanagh and South Tyrone
List of places
UK
Northern Ireland
Fermanagh
54°15′00″N 7°26′31″W / 54.25°N 7.442°W / 54.25; -7.442
Lisnaskea (from Irish Lios na Scéithe, meaning 'fort of the shield') is the second-biggest settlement in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is situated mainly in the townland of Lisoneill, with some areas in the townland of Castle Balfour Demesne, both in the civil parish of Aghalurcher and the historic barony of Magherastephana. It had a population of 3,020 people at the 2021 census.
The nearby monument of Sciath Ghabhra is where the Maguires were crowned as kings and chiefs of Fermanagh. The town developed after the Plantation of Ulster and is built around the long main street. At the middle, the old market place, formerly known as The Diamond, contains a high cross (grid ref:H364340) from an early monastery. 19th century buildings include the former market house, corn market and butter market. The Castle Park Leisure Centre is situated just off the main street.
History
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The name Lisnaskea comes from Lios na Scéithe meaning "fort of the shield". North of the village, in the townland of Cornashee, is a large burial mound within a round enclosure, which is a scheduled monument. This is believed to be Sciath Ghabhra (Skeagoura), the coronation place of the Maguires, who were kings and chiefs of Fermanagh. Nearby is another ringfort known as Lios Uí Néill (Lisoneill). The name Lisnaskea may be a combination of the 'lis' element of Lisoneill and 'skea' from Skeagoura. There is also evidence of a much earlier ringfort (with radiocarbon dates of 359–428 AD) in the townland of Castle Balfour Demesne, suggesting the area was inhabited from a very early date. The ruins of the old monastery, associated with St Ronan, who died sometime before 635 AD, are to the west of the town.
In 1618, during the Plantation of Ulster, Castle Balfour was built by Scotsman James, Lord Balfour, and its remains are just off the Main Street of Lisnaskea.
Market Square in Lisnaskea c. 1907
In the Irish Rebellion of 1641, it was noted that: "At Lissenskeah they hanged, or otherwise killed, above 100 persons, most of them of the Scottish nation". The castle was altered in 1652 and damaged in 1689, but remained inhabited into the 19th century. It was restored and conserved in the 1960s and 1990s.
The village came under the control of the Earls of Erne in 1821. They established the market in the town while bolstering and controlling development around the high street.
The Troubles[edit]
Main article: The Troubles in Lisnaskea
In December 2013, suspected dissident republicans fired shots at Lisnaskea PSNI station. There were no casualties.
Workhouse[edit]
Lisnaskea Poor Law Union was formally declared on 27 June 1840, and in August Sir Arthur Brooke was elected chairman. The workhouse was built (at a total cost of over £6,400) on a six-acre site to the south of Lisnaskea purchased from Lord Erne to accommodate 500 inmates, the first of whom were received on 25 February 1843. During 1846, the number of inmates rose from 263 to 817 by the end of the year.[citation needed]
In 1847, additional accommodation was erected for 130 inmates. During 'The Troubles' in the early 1920s, the workhouse was used to house soldiers of the Royal Hampshire Regiment. The workhouse later resumed its operation until 1940 when it was used for men of the 8th Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters. The inmates were transferred to Enniskillen, and in 1948 to Armagh. Eventually, part of the workhouse was used for a time as the headquarters of Lisnaskea Fire Brigade. Later, the buildings were adapted for a mixture of residential and commercial use.
A large iron pot, said to have held 300 gallons of gruel, rested at one time in its gardens. In July 2011, part of the upper floor of the building was completely gutted in a fire, believed to be malicious.
