Garrison, County Fermanagh
Encyclopedia
Garrison is a small village
near Lough Melvin
in County Fermanagh
, Northern Ireland
. The Roogagh River
runs through the village. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 357 people. It is within the Fermanagh District Council
area.
According to the UK Met Office, the highest temperature ever recorded in Northern Ireland is 30.8 °C (87.4 °F) at Knockarevan, Garrison on 30 June 1976.
in Ireland
is home to the Gillaroo
or 'salmo
stomachius' - a species of trout
which eats primarily snails. Gillaroo is derived from the Irish for 'red fellow' (Giolla Rua). This is due to the fish's distinctive colouring. It has a bright buttery golden colour on its flanks with bight crimson and vermillion spots. The gillaroo is characterised by deep red spots and a "gizzard", which is used to aid the digestion of hard food items such as water snails. Experiments carried out by Queens University, Belfast established that the Lough Melvin gillaroo species cannot be found anywhere else in the world. They feed almost exclusively on bottom living animals (snails, sedge fly larva
and freshwater shrimp
) with the exception of late summer when they come to the surface to feed and may be caught on the dry fly. Other lakes reputed to contain the gillaroo are Lough Neagh
, Lough Conn
, Lough Mask
and Lough Corrib
. However, the unique gene found in the Lough Melvin trout has not been found in some 200 trout populations in Ireland or Britain
.
The sonaghan trout (Salmo nigripinnis) is another species unique to Lough Melvin. It can have a light brown or silvery hue with large, distinctive black spots. There are sometimes small, inconspicuous red spots located along its posterior region. Its fins are dark brown or black with elongated pectorals. Sonaghan are found in areas of open, deep water, where they feed on mid-water planktonic organisms.
erected by William III
who halted here after the Battle of Aughrim
.
Garrison was a thriving town before The Troubles
when it was cut off from the Republic of Ireland
after the border crossings were closed by the British Armed Forces
in an attempt to stop the transportation of explosives into Northern Ireland
. When cross-border business halted, the town suffered from lack of trade and it is only since the roads reopened in 1994 that Garrison has found its feet again.
The Melvin Hotel, previously owned by the McGovern family, was blown up, during the middle of a Catholic
wedding reception
, by the IRA
reportedly as retaliation for allowing members of the security forces to stay on the premises.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland
came under gun attack in the town on the 21st November 2009
Michael Moohan
, one time minister for railways in the New Zealand Government was born in Garrison.
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...
near Lough Melvin
Lough Melvin
Lough Melvin is a lake which is internationally renowned for its unique range of plants and animals. It is located in the northwest of Ireland on the border between County Leitrim and County Fermanagh ....
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...
. The Roogagh River
Roogagh River
The Roogagh River is one of the main tributaries for Lough Melvin. It flows through Garrison, a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 5 miles south of Belleek, at the eastern end of Lough Melvin....
runs through the village. 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....
it had a population of 357 people. It is within the Fermanagh District Council
Fermanagh District Council
Fermanagh District Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. The borders of the district are very similar to those of the traditional County Fermanagh, containing all of that county plus a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore Road and Kilskeery Road areas. Council headquarters are...
area.
According to the UK Met Office, the highest temperature ever recorded in Northern Ireland is 30.8 °C (87.4 °F) at Knockarevan, Garrison on 30 June 1976.
Tourism
Visitors to Garrison can enjoy a wide range of activities including golfing, fishing, hill-walking, water sports, horse-riding, cycling, camping and caving. The Lough Melvin Holiday Centre caters for large groups and there is a plethora of local guesthouses and chalets to let. Two local pubs - The Melvin Bar and The Riverside Bar - provide music and craic and the local restaurant - The Bilberry - is well established and well renowned in the North-West region.Lough Melvin
Lough MelvinLough Melvin
Lough Melvin is a lake which is internationally renowned for its unique range of plants and animals. It is located in the northwest of Ireland on the border between County Leitrim and County Fermanagh ....
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...
is home to the Gillaroo
Gillaroo
Gillaroo , is the name of a species of trout which eats primarily snails and is only proven to inhabit Lough Melvin in Ireland.Gillaroo is derived from the Irish for Red Fellow ; this is due to the fish's distinctive colouring. It has a bright, buttery golden colour in its flanks with bright...
or 'salmo
Salmo
Salmo is a genus of fish in the salmon family that includes the familiar species Atlantic salmon and brown trout . The natural distribution of the genus is chiefly European. Only the range of the Atlantic salmon extends to northern North America...
stomachius' - a species of trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
which eats primarily snails. Gillaroo is derived from the Irish for 'red fellow' (Giolla Rua). This is due to the fish's distinctive colouring. It has a bright buttery golden colour on its flanks with bight crimson and vermillion spots. The gillaroo is characterised by deep red spots and a "gizzard", which is used to aid the digestion of hard food items such as water snails. Experiments carried out by Queens University, Belfast established that the Lough Melvin gillaroo species cannot be found anywhere else in the world. They feed almost exclusively on bottom living animals (snails, sedge fly larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
and freshwater shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
) with the exception of late summer when they come to the surface to feed and may be caught on the dry fly. Other lakes reputed to contain the gillaroo are Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...
, Lough Conn
Lough Conn
Lough Conn is a lake in County Mayo in the province of Connacht in Ireland and covers about 14,000 acres . With its immediate neighbour to the south, Lough Cullin, it is connected to the Atlantic by the River Moy...
, Lough Mask
Lough Mask
Lough Mask is a limestone lough of 22,000 acres in County Mayo, Ireland, north of Lough Corrib. Lough Mask is the upper of the two lakes, which empty into the Corrib River, through Galway, into Galway Bay. The lake is visited for its trout fishing...
and Lough Corrib
Lough Corrib
Lough Corrib is a lake in the west of Ireland. The River Corrib or Galway river connects the lake to the sea at Galway. It is the second largest lough in Ireland . It covers 178 km² and lies mostly in County Galway with a small area of its northeast corner in County Mayo.The first canal in...
. However, the unique gene found in the Lough Melvin trout has not been found in some 200 trout populations in Ireland or Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
The sonaghan trout (Salmo nigripinnis) is another species unique to Lough Melvin. It can have a light brown or silvery hue with large, distinctive black spots. There are sometimes small, inconspicuous red spots located along its posterior region. Its fins are dark brown or black with elongated pectorals. Sonaghan are found in areas of open, deep water, where they feed on mid-water planktonic organisms.
History
Garrison is named from a barracksBarracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
erected by William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
who halted here after the Battle of Aughrim
Battle of Aughrim
The Battle of Aughrim was the decisive battle of the Williamite War in Ireland. It was fought between the Jacobites and the forces of William III on 12 July 1691 , near the village of Aughrim in County Galway....
.
Garrison was a thriving town before The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
when it was cut off from the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
after the border crossings were closed by the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
in an attempt to stop the transportation of explosives into 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...
. When cross-border business halted, the town suffered from lack of trade and it is only since the roads reopened in 1994 that Garrison has found its feet again.
The Melvin Hotel, previously owned by the McGovern family, was blown up, during the middle of a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
wedding reception
Wedding reception
A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. It is held usually as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple receives society, in the form of family and friends, for the first time as a married couple. Hosts...
, by the IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
reportedly as retaliation for allowing members of the security forces to stay on the premises.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
came under gun attack in the town on the 21st November 2009
Michael Moohan
Michael Moohan
Michael Moohan was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.-Early life:Born in Garrison, County Fermanagh, Ireland he served in the British Army in World War I, and emigrated to New Zealand in 1919...
, one time minister for railways in the New Zealand Government was born in Garrison.
See also
- List of townlands in County Fermanagh
- List of villages in Northern Ireland
- List of towns in Northern Ireland