It is believed that the buyer is a Fermanagh property developer.

The former Poor Law Hospital and surrouding land at Castlebalfour near the town’s PSNI station was auctioned off online and just two bids were made on the property. 

The first bid was made at the maximum reserve price of £50,000 while the second and winning bidder came in at just £51,000. The new owner of the historic property remains anonymous, and it is not yet know what the property will be developed or used for. 

The historic site came with around 1.08 acre of land and the buildings are currently Grade B listed.

The property is located just off Lisnaskea main street within a short walking distance from the town centre while the surrounding area comprises primarily of residential dwellings with some commercial occupiers nearly on the Main Street.

However a disappointed Martin Carey, chairman of the Ulster Workhouse and Famine Trust in Lisnaskea said it had been hoped that the property would have been kept for community use. 

“It has the potential to be used for community facilities or for services provided by the Oak Healthy Living Centre which needs more space. 

“We think it has been stripped away from the community so we do not think it will come into any form of community use in the future.

“It will not be used for facilities such as a creche, after-school or drug or alcohol awareness programme, which it could have been used for. There is a shortage of such facilities around the town.”

The site is steeped in history as during the time of the Famine, the workhouse provided relief for those who were left homeless, starving and destitute, and was used to house up to 500 paupers. 

The building, which was one of three workhouses in Fermanagh, continued to house those in need until the 1940s. 

The 1851 workhouse now consists of a five bay, two storey, gabled front building with a long two and three storey block to the rear. The infirmary building has since been demolished, while the remainder of the building is in need of repair.