Irvinestown

Irvinestown (Baile an Irbhinigh in Irish) is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, near Lower Lough Erne. It had a population of 1,801 people in the 2001 Census. The most notable building in the town is a ruined 18th century church. It's a very typical Irish country town, an equal number of churches and pubs. It lies within the Fermanagh District Council area.

1 History
2 Places of interest
3 People
4 Sport
5 2001 Census
6 References
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] History

The village was originally founded in 1618 by Sir Gerald Lowther and named Lowtherstown, the town later passed to the Irvines of Dumfries and changed name accordingly.

[edit] Places of interest

Nearby is Necarne castle now an equestrian centre - Necarne Castle Equestrian School.
The town also boasts the annual Lady of The Lake Festival, a large 10 day summer festival and carnival which begins on the first Friday following the 12th of July. It is the largest cross-community Festival to be held in Northern Ireland and is named after the mythical figure which is said to appear gliding over the waters of Lower Lough Erne, wearing a flowing blue gown and carrying a bunch of flowers. The Lady is said to be an omen of good times to come.
The nearby Castle Archdale Country Park on the shores of Lower Lough Erne was used as an RAF base for Catalina flying boats in WWII, and today provides lakeshore & woodland walking/cycling paths, gardens, caravan park, campsite, tea rooms and boating marina. Other features within the park include a red deer enclosure, wildfowl ponds, nature trail, butterfly garden and wildflower meadow.

[edit] People

Mrs Delaney, wife of Patrick Delaney, Rector of Irvinestown and later Bishop of Down, was a key figure on the London literary scene prior to her marriage, mixing with Pope, Burke, Walpole and Swift in the 18th century. Her biography provides a famous record of both the literary scene and life of the Anglo-Irish gentry at the time.
Sinéad Quinn, a singer/songwriter who came second in the first series of BBC's Fame Academy, and has since recorded an album entitled "Ready To Run".

This period of time can be most notable for a burst of "Sinéad-fever" in Fermanagh, when she found herself to have a massive fan base.

[edit] Sport

The town also has a number of sporting organizations such as Irvinestown Wanderers Football/Soccer Club, St. Molaise Gaelic Football and Hurling teams, Irvinestown Tennis Club and more. The Bawnacre leisure centre provides many sporting facilities including squash courts, tennis courts, indoor & outdoor football, indoor gymnasium and sauna / steam room. "George to reception please, George to reception"

[edit] 2001 Census

Irvinestown is classified as a village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,801 people living in Irvinestown. Of these:

23.0% were aged under 16 years and 20.7% were aged 60 and over
45.5% of the population were male and 54.5% were female
75.0% were from a Catholic background and 23.9% were from a Protestant background
7.1% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.