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Enniskillen BT94 1PP
ardrigh17
am 01.04.2008
Castle Archdale Country Park
Castle Archdale Country Park is situated about 10 miles north west of Enniskillen and extends to cover 230 acres along the shores of Lower Lough Erne. The region is abundant in historical features, with many monastic sites such as Devenish and White Island. Castle Archdale is based on the demesne of the Archdale Manor House, which was built in 1773, of which now only the courtyard buildings remain.
Boats are available for hire for those wishing to explore the nearby islands, some of which are National Nature Reserves. Pony trekking and bicycle hire are also available.
Features within the Park include a red deer enclosure, wildfowl ponds, nature trail, butterfly garden and wildflower meadow. To make the most of your visit, be sure not to miss the Archdale Centre, which is in the corner of the main courtyard. Here you can see various exhibitions which will help you to understand our efforts to conserve this beautiful part of Fermanagh.
Evidence of the 1939-45 War can also be found throughout the park in flying-boat docks, ammunition dumps, Slit trenches, etc. This is because Lough Erne played an important role as the most westerly flying-boat station, from which aircraft protected the allied convoys from the U-Boat threat in the North Atlantic. Castle Archdale was the main base from which they flew and this is highlighted in an exhibition within the Centre entitled “Castle Archdale at War”
Castle Archdale Country Park has its own Countryside Centre with:
Displays of local wildlife and geographical/historical aspects of the park
Toilets.Car and coach parking
Tea rooms (seasonal opening)
“Castle Archdale at War” Exhibition and Farm Machinery Display
Varied habitats within easy reach of the centre.
Park open everyday from 8.30am to dusk
Museum and Countryside Centre opens from Easter to end of June Saturdays and Sundays 10.00pm - 6.00pm
Open May Bank Holidays from 10.00am - 6.00pm
From 1st July to 30th August from 10.00am - 6.00pm
Open in September Saturday & Sundays from 10.00am - 6.00pm
Footnote
My cousin flew from Lough Erne in a Sunderland Flying Boat during WW2 …...sadly his aircraft went down in
the Atlantic …...off the coast of Donegal…. near Tory Island ….along with 7 other members of the crew…they have
no known grave ….one body was recovered and one survivor 2 Days later….
We had a wonderful summer at Castle Archdale ….a few years ago …....I think the young men British and
Canadian mixed crews ….who give there lives would be watching the fun of the children playing …..... in a place
they once saw …......and flew from …and the sunderland flying boats ….....
The place he lies is off Bloody Foreland ….. it is called “Cnoc Fola” in Gaelic.
The museum has many items of those days when Canadian and British RAF were comrades …
It is also a memory of two Leaders of different countries Winston Churchill and Eamon De Valera
Both with american mothers who arranged for there to be what was called the The Donegal Corridor for
without it there would not have been an RAF Castle Archdale…..
Irvinestown has many graves from young men from everywhere in the commonwealth as well as the USA…Poland …France….Dutch …and so many many more….but the peaceful Castle Archdale of today is the best memorial to all those young men…those who died and those who didnt ….....but come back year after year….in Remembrance and to meet old friends among the local people…
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