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124-506: Enniskillen ( / ˌ ɛ n ɪ s ˈ k ɪ l ən / EN -iss- KIL -ən , from Irish : Inis Ceithleann [ˈɪnʲɪʃ ˈcɛlʲən̪ˠ] , ' Ceithlenn 's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh , Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne . It had a population of 14,086 at the 2011 Census . Enniskillen Castle was built in

248-540: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There

372-520: A Catholic nobleman of Scottish origin, to raise the Ulster regiment. MacDonnell, already in his seventies, hired 1,200 Scottish mercenaries (called redshanks ), making sure they were all Catholics. The unit was supposed to be ready on 20 November, but delays occurred. At that time Tyrconnell's recast of the Irish army had advanced so far that few units still had significant numbers of Protestants. One of those

496-584: A French fleet of 30 men-of-war commanded by Jean Gabaret . He was accompanied by d'Avaux , the French ambassador, many English and Irish exiles, and about a hundred French officers. He brought with him money and equipment, but few troops. French troops were needed on the continent for the Nine Years' War and were not considered necessary in Ireland as Tyrconnell had already raised a large army and only lacked equipment and

620-697: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of

744-512: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It

868-674: A boom across the River Foyle about halfway between Derry and Culmore. On 17 May Major-General Percy Kirke sailed from Liverpool with three men-of-war (HMS Swallow , HMS  Bonaventure , and HMS  Dartmouth ) and 24 transport ships. The fleet carried four regiments (about 3000 men: Kirke's own, Sir John Hanmer 's, William Stewart's and St George 's). The last two were the regiments that should have landed with Cunningham. The convoy arrived in Lough Foyle early in June. The besieged saw it from

992-472: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,

1116-541: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of

1240-621: A delay of two days before a parley. They also insisted that the Jacobite army should halt at St Johnston and not come nearer. However, when King James joined up with the army, Rosen suggested the King should appeal directly to his subjects in the town: they would surely submit to their King. The effect was the contrary. The men on the wall seeing him approach interpreted this act as a breach of their agreement with Hamilton and when James and his retinue rode up to within 300 yards of Bishops Gate and summoned

1364-594: A figure in Irish mythology who may have been a goddess. Local legend has it that Cethlenn was wounded in battle by an arrow and attempted to swim across the River Erne , which surrounds the island, but she never reached the other side, so the island was named in reference to her. It has been anglicised many ways over the centuries – Iniskellen , Iniskellin , Iniskillin , Iniskillen , Inishkellen , Inishkellin , Inishkillin , Inishkillen and so on. The town's oldest building

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1488-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in

1612-577: A messenger to Derry to warn the city. On 7 December, with MacDonnell's regiment ready to cross the Foyle River under Derry's Ferryquay Gate, 13 apprentices seized the city's keys and locked the gates. With this act Derry was in open rebellion against Tyrconnell and his master James II, who was already in exile in France at that time. MacDonnell was not strong enough to take the town by force and retreated to Coleraine . Later generations have sometimes seen

1736-574: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in

1860-554: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on

1984-611: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by

2108-488: A result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within

2232-640: A senior ladies' team, a range of male and female youth teams, a vibrant mini section and a disability tag team called The Enniskillen Elks. Enniskillen XV won the Ulster Towns Cup in the 2018/19 season, defeating Ballyclare 19–0. The team currently play in Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship Division 1. The rugby club was formed on 28 August 1925, when 37 attended a meeting in Enniskillen Town Hall. The name Enniskillen Rugby Club

2356-537: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss

2480-577: Is Enniskillen Castle , built by Hugh (Maguire) the Hospitable who died in 1428. An earthwork, the Skonce on the shore of Lough Erne , may be the remains of an earlier motte . The castle was the stronghold of the junior branch of the Maguires . The first watergate was built around 1580 by Cú Chonnacht Maguire , though subsequent lowering of the level of the lough has left it without water. The strategic position of

2604-413: Is 29.4 °C (84.9 °F) The absolute minimum temperature is −12.9 °C (8.8 °F), recorded during January 1984. In an 'average' year, the coldest night should fall to −8.2 °C (17.2 °F). Lough Navar is a frosty location, with some 76 air frosts recorded in a typical year. It is likely that Enniskillen town centre is significantly less frosty than this. The absolute minimum at St Angelo

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2728-584: Is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as

2852-733: Is a side-show of the Nine Years' War . In Scotland, the privy council asked William to assume responsibility for the government in January 1689, and William and Mary were formally offered the Scottish throne in March. However, many Scottish people, especially among the Highland clans, had sympathies for the Jacobite cause. Ireland, however, was still ruled by Richard Talbot, Earl of Tyrconnell , whom James had appointed viceroy (i.e. Lord Deputy ) in 1687. Tyrconnell

2976-448: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of

3100-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years

3224-534: Is held. After the service, a wreath is laid at the Siege Heroes Mound in the cathedral grounds. Finally, Lundy is burned in effigy as a traitor. The end of the siege, which is taken to have happened on 1 August 1689, old style, when the besieged discovered that the besiegers had left, is celebrated by the Relief of Derry parade, usually held on the second Saturday of August. This day is chosen because it usually

3348-547: Is high, averaging over 1500 mm. 212 days of the year report at least 1 mm of precipitation, ranging from 15 days during April, May and June, to 20 days in October, November, December, January and March. The Köppen climate classification subtype for this climate is " Cfb " (Marine West Coast Climate/ Oceanic climate ). Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ),

3472-454: Is near 11 August, which is the New Style equivalent of 1 August. This parade is one of the events of the week-long Maiden City Festival . On 1 August 1714, Mitchelburne hoisted a crimson flag on the steeple of St Columb's Cathedral to mark the anniversary of the relief of the city, a practice that continued for many years. In 1969 a confrontation between Protestants and Catholics during

3596-567: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described

3720-479: Is operated by Bus Éireann . Bus service to Enniskillen is provided by both Ulsterbus and Bus Éireann , from Enniskillen bus station. Number 261, 261b and X261 Goldline buses run from Belfast to Enniskillen. Bus Éireann Route 30 runs from Donegal to Dublin Airport/Dublin City via Enniskillen. Enniskillen has a World War II -era airport, Enniskillen/St Angelo Airport . The airport had scheduled flights in

3844-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it

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3968-481: Is −14.5 °C (5.9 °F), reported during the record cold month of December 2010. The warmest month on record at St Angelo was August 1995 with a mean temperature of 18.8 °C (65.8 °F) (mean maximum 23.3 °C (73.9 °F), mean minimum 12.9 °C (55.2 °F)), while the coldest month was December 2010, with a mean temperature of −1.8 °C (28.8 °F) (mean maximum 2.9 °C (37.2 °F), mean minimum −5.9 °C (21.4 °F)). Rainfall

4092-659: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act

4216-596: The Fermanagh & Western 1st Division. Their most notable former player is Michael McGovern who won 32 senior caps for Northern Ireland and as of January 2024 was on loan at Livingston F.C. from parent club Heart of Midlothian F.C. . Enniskillen Town United F.C. currently play their home games at St Michael's GS Pavilion in Enniskillen. Enniskillen Rugby Football Club was founded in 1925 and plays its home games at Mullaghmeen. The club currently fields 4 senior men's teams,

4340-619: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")

4464-454: The battle of Bantry Bay against an English fleet. The battle was inconclusive, but the French seemed to have had the advantage. On 30 May the besiegers received heavy guns and mortars. Before that date they only had field artillery. Matthew Plunkett, 7th Baron Louth , and de Pointis were in charge of the mortars, which were placed on the right bank of the river where no sally could reach them. The mortars fired almost 600 explosive shells into

4588-495: The 15th century as a stronghold of the Maguires , before coming under English control in the early 17th century. The castle and town were expanded during the Plantation of Ulster . It was the seat of local government for the former Fermanagh District Council , and is the county town of Fermanagh. The town is in a civil parish of the same name. The town's name comes from the Irish : Inis Ceithleann . This refers to Cethlenn ,

4712-611: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English

4836-769: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as

4960-511: The 60th-anniversary celebrations of the twinning. Therefore, the future of the twinning is now somewhat unclear. Enniskillen has a maritime climate with a narrow range of temperatures and rainfall. The nearest official Met Office weather station for which online records are available is at Lough Navar Forest, about 8 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi (14 km) northwest of Enniskillen. Data has also more recently been collected from Enniskillen/St Angelo Airport , under 4 mi (6 km) north of

5084-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which

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5208-563: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme

5332-682: The Battle of Pennyburn. Command devolved to Richard Hamilton. On 23 April Fort Culmore, which guarded the mouth of River Foyle, surrendered to the Jacobites. During another sally, on 25 April, the Duke of Berwick and Bernard Desjean, Baron de Pointis , were wounded and Pusignan killed. On 6 May Brigadier-General Ramsay attacked the Windmill Hill before the Bishops Gate and drove out the sentinels posted there by

5456-592: The Bog to the river downstream of the town. On 7 May Williamite England formally declared war on France. This officially sanctioned what was already happening around Derry since 18 April. Two French generals, Maumont and Pusignan, had already been killed in the siege. France never declared war on England as they saw James as the rightful king and the Williamites as mere rebels. On 11 May a French fleet landed more equipment and troops at Bantry Bay in southwestern Ireland and fought

5580-508: The Butcher's Gate immediately on the evening of his arrival. The besieged were surprised and the attackers succeeded to come up against the gate and touch it but were eventually thrown back. At the beginning of June, Governor Baker fell ill and on 21 June a council was held to choose a successor. Baker was consulted and chose John Mitchelburne. On 30 June Baker died and Mitchelburne became governor of Derry. On 2 July Rosen herded Protestants from

5704-463: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish

5828-548: The GNR line, which made it impossible for the SL&;NCR to continue and forced it also to close. The nearest railway station to Enniskillen is Sligo station which is served by multiple trains to Dublin Connolly and is operated by Iarnród Éireann . The Dublin-Sligo railway line has a two-hourly service run by Iarnród Éireann. A connecting bus from Sligo via Manorhamilton to Enniskillen

5952-584: The Happy Days arts festival since 2012, which celebrates "the work and influence of Nobel Prize-winning writer Samuel Beckett" and is the "first annual, international, multi-arts festival to be held in Northern Ireland since the launch of the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's in 1962". There are numerous schools and colleges in and around the Enniskillen area, from primary level to secondary level, including some further education colleges such as

6076-536: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but

6200-539: The Jacobites, as allies in the Nine Years' War , which he had just started by investing Philippsburg on 27 September and declaring war on the Dutch Republic on 6/16 November. On 7 May 1689, Williamite England declared war on France, quite belatedly, as French officers and experts had already been fighting William's troops at Derry before that time. This siege is part of the Williamite War in Ireland , which in turn

6324-592: The NI total and representing an increase of 1.6% on the Census 2001 population of 13,599. Of these: There are four churches in the town centre. These are: There are several other churches outside the town centre. Some of these buildings are outside the town. As of season 2023/24, the town has five association football teams, Enniskillen Rangers , Enniskillen Town United F.C. , Enniskillen Athletic, Enniskillen Galaxy and Enniskillen Rovers. Founded in 1953, Enniskillen Rangers are

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6448-1071: The Protestants of Ulster were still resisting. Two Ulster towns, Enniskillen and Derry , were to become the focal points of the first stage of the Williamite war. Louis XIV had revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685, which resulted in Huguenots fleeing to northern Europe and rekindled fears of persecution in Protestant communities. When the Dutch invasion threatened, James doubted the loyalty of his English troops. He therefore asked Tyrconnell to send him reliable Irish ones. These units sailed to Chester in September and early October 1688. To replace them Tyrconnell ordered four new regiments to be raised, one for each Irish province . He ordered Alexander MacDonnell, Earl of Antrim ,

6572-636: The Relief of Derry parade started the Battle of the Bogside , but recent parades have been largely peaceful. Walker's Pillar was a monument to Reverend George Walker . It was built from 1826 to 1828 on the Royal Bastion. The monument consisted of a column crowned by a statue of the famous man. On the night of 27 August 1973, it was blown up by the Provisional IRA . The plinth remains. The Browning Memorial Plaque

6696-424: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,

6820-418: The Shutting-of-the-Gates Parade and the Relief-of-Derry Parade. The shutting of the gates by 13 apprentices, which happened on 7 December 1688, is commemorated each year on the first Saturday of December, dubbed "Lundy's Day". The commemoration is organised by the Apprentice Boys of Derry , a Protestant association. The day usually starts with the firing of one and then three cannon shots, meaning 13, from

6944-577: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He

7068-422: The besieged, but Baker knew the importance of this position and on the next day, the besieged sallied from the Ferryquay Gate and retook Windmill Hill. Ramsay was killed and other officers were taken prisoners. Among them were William Talbot , a nephew of the viceroy, Viscount Netterville and Gerald FitzGerald, Knight of Glin . Baker built a line of earthworks from the river up to Windmill Hill and back through

7192-399: The cap badge of both regiments. Enniskillen was the site of several events during The Troubles , the most notable being the Remembrance Day bombing in which 11 people were killed. Bill Clinton opened The Clinton Centre in 2002 on the site of the bombing. The Provisional Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility for the attack. In 2019, at least nine men reported to the police and

7316-458: The castle from 1595 to 1598 and it was not finally captured by the English until 1607. This was part of a wider campaign to bring the province of Ulster under English control; the final capture of Enniskillen Castle in 1607 was followed by the Plantation of Ulster , during which the lands of the native Irish were seized and handed over to planters loyal to the English Crown. The Maguires were supplanted by William Cole , originally from Devon , who

7440-446: The castle made its capture important for the English in 1593, to support their plans for the control of Ulster . The castle was besieged three times in 1594–95 . The English, led by a Captain Dowdall, captured it in February 1594. Maguire then laid siege to it, and defeated a relieving force at the Battle of the Ford of the Biscuits at Drumane Bridge on the Arney River . Although the defenders were relieved, Maguire gained possession of

7564-418: The cathedral tower on the 13th. Kirke thought that he had too few troops to challenge the besiegers in battle and the incident with the Greyhound seemed to show that it was too risky to approach the town by the river. On 4 June Richard Hamilton ordered to storm the town. The Jacobites attacked the line of earthworks and passed over them in some places but were finally beaten back. In order to accelerate

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7688-417: The city with which Enniskillen is now officially twinned. Though the twinning arrangements are still operational, at a meeting of the Regeneration and Community Committee, in February 2018, it was agreed that the twinning arrangements would be formally terminated at the end of the Council term in June 2018. However, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council still have plans to send representatives to Brackwede for

7812-548: The city, according to which two of his companies, consisting entirely of Protestants, would be allowed into town. The one was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Lundy , the other by Captain William Stewart. Mountjoy appointed Lundy governor of the town instead of Philips. On 20 February the inhabitants sided with William by proclaiming him king of England. Lundy had the walls and the gates repaired, refitted gun carriages and musket stocks, removed buildings and other obstacles that might provide cover to besiegers from before

7936-424: The city, cannons were fired at them. According to a later account, he was rebuffed with shouts of "No surrender!" and one of the king's aides-de-camp was killed by a shot from the city's largest cannon, the " Roaring Meg ". James would ask thrice more, but was refused each time. That same day Adam Murray reached the town. He and his cavalry unit had been part of the Protestant Army of the North and had fought at

8060-664: The education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to the 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of

8184-414: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as

8308-430: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of

8432-399: The frigate HMS  Jersey and the merchantman Deliverance , bringing gunpowder, munition, weapons, and £595 in cash. James Hamilton was a nephew of Richard Hamilton but fought on the other side. These provisions were to be crucial during the siege. He also brought the commission from King William and Queen Mary that confirmed Colonel Lundy as the town's Williamite governor. Lundy swore

8556-435: The frigate HMS  Swallow , commanded by Captain Wolfran Cornewall , and nine transport ships carrying two regiments, altogether about 1600 men. Cunningham, who was in charge, had been instructed to take his orders from Lundy, the governor. Lundy, disheartened by his defeat at the Passes, was convinced that the town was lost. On 16 April Lundy held a council of war with Cunningham and Richards from which he excluded most of

8680-498: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has

8804-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of

8928-425: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,

9052-399: The local commanders. He proposed the troops should not land and the town should be abandoned pretending that there were insufficient provisions to defend it. The proposal was accepted by all present. Lundy kept this resolution secret, but the people in town could see that many of the gentry and officers that had been present in the council prepared to leave and went down to the river to board

9176-563: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed

9300-635: The money to pay the men. At Kinsale, James was received by Donogh MacCarthy, 4th Earl of Clancarty , in his house there. We will meet him again at Derry. From Kinsale James proceeded to Cork where he met Tyrconnell. He left Cork on 20 March and entered Dublin on Palm Sunday 24. He took up quarters in the castle and established his council on which sat d'Avaux, Tyrconnell, John Drummond, Earl of Melfort , and Conrad de Rosen . Hearing of James's arrival, Derry prepared to defend itself. On 20 or 21 March Captain James Hamilton arrived from England with

9424-472: The mouth of River Foyle on 8 June. However, Greyhound ran aground near Fort Culmore and was damaged by cannon shot before she got afloat, escaped and after some makeshift repairs limped back to Greenock in Scotland to refit. Observations and information obtained from the inhabitants confirmed that the besiegers had placed a boom across the river. Indeed, on 3 June, the besiegers, led by de Pointis, had placed

9548-771: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to

9672-463: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them

9796-470: The north to about 12000. James followed on 8 April, accompanied by d'Avaux and Melfort. On 13 April cavalry forming part of the Jacobite vanguard was reported approaching Derry. Lundy called a council of war that decided to defend a line along the River Finn , SW of Derry, near Strabane . Passes over the river at Castlefin , Clady , Long Causeway, and Lifford were manned. On 15 April, this line

9920-639: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as

10044-520: The oath of allegiance to William in the cabin of the Jersey . The town committee decided to build a ravelin in front of the Bishops Gate, possibly using some of the money brought by Captain Hamilton. Tyrconnell and James decided to bring Derry back under their control. On 2 or 3 April Major-General Jean Camus, Marquis de Pusignan, marched north with five regiments of foot. This brought the number of troops in

10168-693: The oldest and most successful of these, having won the Irish Junior Cup five times, most recently in season 2023/24, when they defeated Cleary Celtic FC 2–0 in Stangmore Park, Dungannon, the Fermanagh & Western Division One title 19 times and the Mulhern Cup 16 times. They play their home games at The Ball Range. Enniskillen Rangers have several notable former players including Sandy Fulton and Jim Cleary. Enniskillen Town United F.C. currently play in

10292-498: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish

10416-468: The passes. He came from Culmore along the river, broke through the still quite loose ring formed by the besiegers around the town, and reached Shipquay Gate, which Captain Morrison opened for him. On 19 April the town council appointed Henry Baker governor of Derry. Baker put George Walker in charge of the stores. On 20 April King James sent Claud Hamilton, 4th Earl of Abercorn , with a last proposal to

10540-648: The past but now serves mainly private traffic. The town is on the main A4 / N16 route linking Belfast and Sligo, and on the main Dublin to Ballyshannon route, the N3 / A46 / A509 . Enniskillen was originally twinned with Brackwede – a Bielefeld suburb – where the Inniskilling Dragoon Guards were stationed in the late 1950s when the twinning was initiated; however, this suburb was incorporated into Stadt Bielefeld in 1973,

10664-622: The past, Enniskillen has hosted an array of international events, most notably stages of the World Waterski World Cup, annually from 2005 to 2007 at the Broadmeadow. Despite its success, Enniskillen was not chosen as a World Cup Stop for 2008. In January 2009, Enniskillen hosted the ceremonial start of Rally Ireland 2009, the first stage of the WRC FIA World Rally Championship 2009 Calendar. Enniskillen has hosted

10788-539: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After

10912-429: The press and said in public forums that, in the 1980s and 90s, when they were children, they were repeatedly molested and raped by a paedophile ring of at least 20 men in the Enniskillen area. Investigations are continuing. On Census day 2021 there were 14,086 people living in Enniskillen. Of these: On Census day (27 March 2011) there were 13,823 people living in Enniskillen (5,733 households), accounting for 0.76% of

11036-523: The raising of the siege to London. On 31 July another Jacobite army had been defeated at Newtownbutler by the Enniskilleners. The city had endured 105 days of siege, from 18 April to 1 August. Some 4,000 of its garrison of 8,000 are said to have died during this siege. The Siege of Derry, like the Battle of the Boyne, is part of Northern Irish Protestant folklore. The siege is commemorated by two parades:

11160-487: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )

11284-483: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need

11408-625: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in

11532-545: The river and routed the defenders. This has been called the Battle of Cladyford. The Long Causeway was not attacked. Rosen's cavalry attacked on the right wing, at Lifford where Jacques de Fontanges, comte de Maumont crossed the river at the head of his cavalry and broke through the defences. In the meantime, the English sent reinforcements to Derry. On the very day of the defeat at the Passes, on 15 April, Colonel Cunningham and Colonel Richards arrived on Lough Foyle with

11656-414: The ships. Cunningham's fleet waited for Lundy still on 17 April but then left, apparently without him. The ships stopped over at Greencastle on 18 April and sailed for England on 19 April. Finally, Lundy left the city disguised as an ordinary soldier and took a ship to Scotland. Having broken through the passes, Hamilton reached Derry on 18 April and summoned the city to surrender. The defenders asked for

11780-414: The shore batteries, while Mountjoy , commanded by her Master Michael Browning, rammed and breached the boom, whereupon Mountjoy and Phoenix sailed up to Derry, unloading many tons of food. Seeing that he could no longer starve out Derry and not having enough troops to storm the town, Rosen decided to raise the siege. On 1 August the besieged discovered that the enemy was gone. On 3 August Kirke reported

11904-413: The shutting of the gates by the apprentices as the start of the siege. In reality, six peaceful months passed between the apprentices' action (7 December) and the start of the siege (18 June 1689). In a similar way Robert Lundy 's blunders, flight, and supposed treachery (see further down) are often telescoped into the days of the apprentices' action, while in reality, they fell into the lead-up to

12028-399: The siege in June 1689. On 9 December Philips came into town. As he had been governor of Derry and Fort Culmore under Charles I , the citizens gave him the keys and accepted him as de facto governor. When Tyrconnell heard that MacDonnell had been kept out of Derry, he stopped Mountjoy on his march to Dublin and sent him back. On 21 December Mountjoy reached Derry. He struck a deal with

12152-428: The siege, James sent Rosen to Derry, who arrived on the scene at some time between 17 and 24 June. Rosen brought with him the regiment FitzGerald from Trim . On 21 June Berwick was sent south with a detachment to keep the Enniskilleners away. Rosen intensified the bombardment and had a mine dug under a bastion. On 28 June Clancarty came up from Munster to Derry with his regiment and led a daring night attack against

12276-452: The square during the times of public execution. Part of the old goal is still standing. Enniskillen Town Hall was designed by William Scott and completed in 1901. Enniskillen is the site of the foundation of two British Army regiments: The town's name (with the archaic spelling) continues to form part of the title to The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) . Enniskillen Castle features on

12400-655: The surroundings to under the wall. The besieged responded by threatening to kill prisoners. Hamilton reported this event to James, who disagreed with Rosen's measure and called him a "barbarious Muscovite". Frederick de Schomberg , having been appointed commander-in-chief by William, ordered Kirke to attack the boom. Thereupon, on 28 July, Kirke sent four ships to the mouth of the River Foyle to try to bring food into Derry. These were HMS Dartmouth and three merchant ships: Mountjoy from Derry, Phoenix from Coleraine, and Jerusalem . Dartmouth , under Captain John Leake , engaged

12524-529: The technical college. Railway lines from Enniskillen railway station linked the town with Derry from 1854, Dundalk from 1861, Bundoran from 1868 and Sligo from 1882. By 1883 the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) absorbed all the lines except the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway , which remained independent throughout its existence. In October 1957 the Government of Northern Ireland closed

12648-400: The town centre, which should in time give a more accurate representation of the climate of the Enniskillen area. The absolute maximum temperature is 29.8 °C (85.6 °F), recorded during July 2006. In an 'average' year, the warmest day is 25.5 °C (77.9 °F) and only 2.4 days a year should rise to 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above. The respective absolute maximum for St Angelo

12772-500: The town. About this time disease and hunger took hold within the city. It became evident that the town needed to be relieved. William gave that task to Major-General Percy Kirke , who decided to first explore the mouth of River Foyle to find out whether ships could get through to Derry. He sent the engineer Jacob Richards , son of Solomon Richards, mentioned earlier, with the small ( sixth-rate ) frigate HMS Greyhound and two ketches . They sailed from Hoylake on 13 May and explored

12896-505: The two garrisons in Ulster that were not wholly loyal to James II, and it was the last town to fall before the Siege of Derry . As a direct result of this conflict, Enniskillen developed not only as a market town but also as a garrison, which became home to two regiments. The former site of Fermanagh College at Gaol Square (the college has now moved to the old Erne Hospital site) was the former Enniskillen Gaol . Many people were tried and hanged in

13020-608: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at

13144-596: The walls at midnight on Friday. Then follows the ceremony of the touching of the four original gates: Bishops Gate, Butchers Gate, Shipquay Gate, and Ferryquay Gate. On Saturday, first the members of the Apprentice Boys clubs domiciled outside the walls march to the Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall. Then the assembled members march through the city from the Hall to St Columb's Cathedral where a thanks-giving service

13268-659: The walls, purchased powder, cannonballs and matchlocks. Tyrconnell upscaled his efforts to bring Ulster back under control, and on 8 March he sent Lieutenant-General Richard Hamilton with an army of 2500 from Drogheda into Ulster. On 14 March Hamilton defeated the Protestant Army of the North at the Break of Dromore in County Down. In the meantime, on 12 March, James had landed at Kinsale (on Ireland's south coast) with

13392-459: The walls. Murray talked with him and rejected it. James returned to Dublin with Rosen and left the forces before Derry under Maumont's command. However, Richard Hamilton also stayed and was of equal rank. Both had been promoted Lieutenant-General quite recently. Frictions sometimes arose between the Irish and the French officers about who was in command. On 21 April the besieged, led by Murray, sallied and killed Maumont. This has also been called

13516-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By

13640-559: Was agreed and the club adopted the rules of the Dublin University Football Club . The first match was played on 30 September 1925 against Ballyshannon in County Donegal . Enniskillen Gaels is a Gaelic Athletic Association club founded in 1927. It is based at Brewster Park , Enniskillen. The club has had success in both Gaelic football and hurling winning in both county and provincial competitions. Enniskillen

13764-523: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from

13888-480: Was appointed by James I to build an English settlement there in 1612. Captain Cole was installed as Constable and strengthened the castle wall and built a "fair house" on the old foundation as the centre point of the county town. The first Protestant parish church was erected on the hilltop in 1627. By 1630 the town had around 180 inhabitants, mostly comprising English and Scottish settlers. The Royal Free School of Fermanagh

14012-426: Was attacked by the cavalry vanguards of the two Jacobite armies, Hamilton's, which had come from Coleraine, and Rosen's, which had come from Dublin via Charlemont . Hamilton's cavalry attacked on the Jacobites' left wing at Castlefinn and Clady. At Castlefinn they were repulsed by Colonel Skeffington's Regiment, commanded by John Mitchelburne , but at Clady the cavalry under Richard Hamilton and Berwick swam through

14136-643: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build

14260-535: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. Siege of Derry Williamite victory The siege of Derry in 1689

14384-471: Was from an Old English (Norman) Catholic family. He had re-admitted Catholics to the Irish Parliament and public office, and had replaced Protestant officers with Catholic ones in the army. Tyrconnell, and Irish Catholics in general, stayed loyal to James and many Irish Protestants hesitated to declare themselves openly for William. Tyrconnell took action against those who did, and by November 1688 only

14508-428: Was moved onto the island in 1643. The first bridges were drawbridges; permanent bridges were not installed before 1688. By 1689 the town had grown significantly. During the conflict which resulted from the ousting of King James II by his Protestant rival, William III , Enniskillen and Derry were the focus of Williamite resistance in Ireland, including the nearby Battle of Newtownbutler . Enniskillen and Derry were

14632-465: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in

14756-627: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in

14880-687: Was summoned to surrender but refused. The siege began. The besiegers tried to storm the walls, but failed. They then resorted to starving Derry . They raised the siege and left when supply ships broke through to the town. The siege lasted 105 days from 18 April to 1 August 1689. It is commemorated yearly by the Protestant community. The " Glorious Revolution " overthrew James II , King of England, Scotland, and Ireland and replaced him with William of Orange , who landed in England on 5 November 1688. James fled to France in December. Louis XIV , King of France, received James well because he needed him and his supporters,

15004-422: Was the first major event in the Williamite War in Ireland . The siege was preceded by an attempt against the town by Jacobite forces on 7 December 1688 that was foiled when 13 apprentices shut the gates. This was an act of rebellion against James II . The second attempt began on 18 April 1689 when James himself appeared before the walls with an Irish army led by Jacobite and French officers. The town

15128-465: Was the regiment of Viscount Mountjoy , a Protestant loyal to James. This unit was in garrison at Derry. Tyrconnell considered Mountjoy's regiment unreliable and on 23 November ordered it to march to Dublin . Mountjoy's regiment was to be replaced by MacDonnell's, which was not ready so that Derry was left without a garrison. When MacDonnell finally got his troops on the way, he met Colonel George Philips at Newtown Limavady , who immediately sent

15252-576: Was the venue of the 39th G8 summit which was held on 17 and 18 June 2013. It was held at the Lough Erne Resort, a five-star hotel and golf resort on the shore of Lough Erne. The gathering was the biggest international diplomatic gathering ever held in Northern Ireland. Among the G8 leaders who attended were British Prime Minister David Cameron , United States President Barack Obama , German Chancellor Angela Merkel , and Russian President Vladimir Putin . In

15376-491: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,

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