Alex Baird Chairman of Fermanagh District Council opening the doors of one of the buildings in the Enniskillen castle which is to be restored and refurbished through the Lottery Heritage gateway project. Also in the photograph are, Peter Duffy, chairman of the Association of the Friends of the Fermanagh County Museum and Sarah Hughes Manager County Museums
A LOCAL MLA has welcomed a potential £2.5m boost to Fermanagh’s tourism offering – the Enniskillen Castle museum – however has urged against new developments being ‘overly representative of the British military history of Enniskillen’.
The announcement that Fermanagh District Council had received a first-round pass and development grant of £111, 200, to work up more detailed plans to secure a full £2.47m grant for a heritage project at the Enniskillen Castle came yesterday (Tuesday).
And while Sinn Fein MLA, Phil Flanagan, welcomed the news, which could include the development of four new galleries, a digital film archive and history hub, he urged that it is taken forward in a ‘sensible and pragmatic’ way.
He said: “Enniskillen Castle provides this region with a fantastic opportunity to attract more visitors and better inform people of our history.
“I am delighted to see that this proposal continues to move forward.”
However, he noted: “For too long, Enniskillen Castle and its museums have neglected to reflect the proud Irish culture of Fermanagh and have been overly representative of the British military history of Enniskillen.
“This project must do much more to reflect the actual history of Fermanagh and its people and not cherry pick certain aspects of our county’s history.”
The funding was provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
If the full funding is awarded, the new project will involve the restoration and refurbishment of many of the historic buildings contained within the castle complex for reuse as exhibition space. New visitor welcome and orientation spaces will be created to provide a more cohesive experience, hosting services such as a heritage, tourism and genealogy information point.
A digital film archive and history hub will also be created to provide access to the museum’s archives, photographic records and library.
Four new galleries will create additional space to showcase the museum’s collections which consist of thousands of objects, images and oral histories relating to the region.
Chairman of Fermanagh District Council, the UUP’s Alex Baird, said that the council was delighted with the news: “This support is vital and will allow us to fully develop our proposal for the Castle site. It represents a significant step towards creating a world class facility for Fermanagh to tell its unique story to visitors and locals alike.”
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