Irvinestown, Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

🇮🇪 Irvinestown is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The most notable buildings are Necarne Castle, formerly known as Castle Irvine, and Castle Archdale. Irvinestown is situated within Fermanagh and Omagh district.

History Before the Plantation of Ulster, the area was known as Necarne or Nakerny; in Irish Na Caorthann (the rowans). The village was founded during the Plantation in 1618 by Sir Gerald Lowther and named Lowtherstown. Ownership later passed to the Irvines of Dumfries and the name changed accordingly.

Places of interest • The village boasts the annual Lady of The Lake Festival, a large 10-day summer festival and carnival which begins on the first Friday following the 12th of July. • Nearby is Necarne Castle, formerly known as Castle Irvine, which is now an equestrian school – Necarne Castle Equestrian School. • The nearby Castle Archdale Country Park on the shores of Lower Lough Erne was used as an RAF base for Sunderland flying boats in WWII, with Catalina flying boats at RAF Killadeas, and today provides lakeshore & woodland walking/cycling paths, gardens, caravan park, campsite, tea rooms and boating marina. Other features within the park include a red deer enclosure, wildfowl ponds, nature trail, butterfly garden and wildflower meadow.

Transport Irvinestown railway station on the Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway was opened on 13 June 1866 and closed on 1 October 1957. Ulsterbus routes 194 (Enniskillen to Pettigo), 83 (Irvinestown to Omagh) and 94A (Enniskillen to Omagh) stop in Irvinestown.

Annual truck festival The Irvinestown Truck Festival was launched in 2000 and celebrated 10 years in 2010. This is a 60-mile (100 km) drive around the Fermanagh lakes where the spectacle of trucks raises funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The 2010 event took place on the weekend of 23–25 July; the convoy taking place on the 25th. As many as 700 lorries have taken part in this event in the past (unofficially breaking the world record by quite a margin).