Derrylin
Encyclopedia
Derrylin is a small village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 and townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...

 in County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....

, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It is on the A509 road between Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...

 and the border with County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...

 (the N3 road to Dublin). It had a population of 423 in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....

.

History

The village has several historical features, including the Callowhill graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...

 with headstone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...

s dating back to the 17th century. Upper Lough Erne
Lough Erne
Lough Erne, sometimes Loch Erne , is the name of two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The lakes are widened sections of the River Erne. The river begins by flowing north, and then curves west into the Atlantic. The southern lake is further up the river and so is named Upper...

 is east of the village, and west is the peak of Slieve Rushen
Slieve Rushen
Slieve Rushen is a mountain which straddles the border between County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland and County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. It is also called Slieve Russell or Ligavegra . It has an altitude of 404 metres above sea-level. OS 1/50k Mapsheet: 27A & 26...

. To the northeast is the limestone hill known as Knockninny Rock (from which the R.C Parish and the Civil Barony takes its name). On its southern slope can be seen the remains of one of the oldest castles belonging to the Maguire Clan, the ancient Lords of Fermanagh.

Today

Since the reopening of Aghalane (George Mitchell Peace Bridge) over the Woodford River in 2000, this road is now the main route from Dublin to most of Fermanagh and South Donegal. Traffic has increased significantly through the village since then. Up until the late 1970s this was mostly a rural area with a few shops and places of worship. The construction of a large industrial complex nearby along with the 'Celtic Tiger' influence changed the makeup of the village dramatically. Existing businesses expanded and new ventures began. Derrylin now has a full range of businesses and services. These include foodshops, medical facilities(Doctor,Dentist,Chemist), hairdresing/beauty salons, garages, plant hire, schools, churches and halls, fashion houses, pubs/restaurants, fast food outlets and post office. An Industrial Park (opened in 2002) has a range of small manufacturing enterprises. Other developments of note are a sheltered housing complex for elderly people at Clachan Court, a cross community playgroup, a childcare facility, a Credit Union and several commuuity/voluntary groups who use the general purpose room in Clachan Court. A daily bus service operates to Enniskillen, Donegal and Dublin.

Job opportunities in the local economy have brought people to new housing estates at Cloghan Park, Fortlea, Silverstream, Knockninny Park, Church View, Oakgrove, Spring Meadows, Summerhill Park and Kellier Park. Although there were plans to build more private houses, the downturn in the economy from 2008 onwards means that this is unlikely in the near future.

Economy

Derrylin is the hometown of former billionaire Seán Quinn
Seán Quinn
Seán Quinn is an Irish businessman and conglomerateur, now bankrupt. In 2008 he was the richest person in Ireland, but he now has debts...

, once the wealthiest Irish-born person and second-wealthiest individual in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

; he and his family reside in nearby County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...

. Quinn's Quinn Group employs 2000 workers locally in quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...

ing and the manufacture of by products such as glass and cement. Quinn-direct was a successful insurance company until placed into administration in 2010. The Quinn group has also invested in hotels in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe.
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