AT the official opening of Enniskillen Castle’s new £3.5million complex last week the commitment of local people whose enthusiasm and support assisted the project was celebrated.
Alongside Minister for Communities Paul Givan and Mary Garrity, the Chairperson of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, the guest list for the launch included very many locals who have contributed in some way to Fermanagh’s rich and diverse heritage. Some of those attending the launch included former curator Helen Lanigan Wood, Irvinestown historian Breege McCusker, Bellanaleck writer Marion Maxwell, the family of the late Johnny McKeagney whose interest in folklore lives on in the new and improved museum and many others. There was also a special performance by Aughakillymaude’s Mummers.
Minister Givan told The Impartial Reporter that Enniskillen Castle “is very much an iconic building not just in Fermanagh but right across Northern Ireland and of international reputation.”
Later in his remarks to the assembled audience, Minister Givan said the museum “is unlocking the potential of this Castle.”
“This is a heritage site where all sections of the community can feel welcome, where all sections of our community can learn about your diverse past and where all sections of our community can be equally proud of the site as it stands today,” he said.
Esdille Lappin, the chairperson of the Association of Friends of Fermanagh County Museum, which has around 400 members, paid tribute to all those who contributed to the heritage gateway project, including the late Peter Duffy, the group’s former chairman who died in 2014.
“The friends have supported the redevelopment plans right from the beginning, for this we are very grateful to all our former friends and chairperson, the late Peter Duffy. Peter’s inspiration and encouragement motivated us all. It is wonderful to see the final plans a reality and open every day to enjoy,” she said. 
Council Chairperson Mary Garrity said the refurbishment has enabled the Council to open more of the complex to the public, creating extra space for additional museum collections of local, national and international significance to be displayed.
“I am confident that the redevelopment will lead to a significant influx of visitors to the site which houses both the Inniskillings Museum and the Fermanagh County Museum which, incidentally, celebrates the 40th anniversary of inception this year,” she said.
In his remarks, businessman Terry McCartney, representing Tourism Northern Ireland, described it as “an honour” to attend the launch. 
“Everything about these facilities and tourism services demonstrates that Enniskillen Castle is ready to respond and exceed the requirements of the visitor. As a destination it is now able to collaborate more closely and effectively with other attractions in the wider Fermanagh area and promote a seamless trail of tourist attractions,” he said.
Writer Marion Maxwell said the Castle represents “a whole cross section of Fermanagh’s history.”
Speaking to this newspaper, she said: “We are so fortunate to have it in Enniskillen, it is all represented here in a seamless way which I think is very inclusive,” she said. 
Historian Breege McCusker said she could see the potential of Enniskillen Castle many years ago.
“I think we have waited a long time for this, I knew that once the money came this was going to be a wonderful thing, not alone for the county but for the whole of Ireland. Children coming here will put their hands on the stone of this Castle and feel history. I think it is inspiring because history is not simply history: it’s geography, it’s people, it’s art, it’s music and here we have all of that.”
Helen Lanigan Wood, former curator, said the launch was “a most wonderful day for me.”
“Now I see what can be achieved here. If it hadn’t been for all the work in the last 10 years, particularly since I left, this wouldn’t have come about. It could have all collapsed to nothing whereas now it is ready for the future.”