Fermanagh's lakeland communities are rebuilding their visitor economy around a 1,500-year-old pilgrimage route, as reported by RTE.ie on 26 October 2026. The Lough Erne Pilgrim Way, a 14-site boating itinerary backed by the local council and historians, is at the centre of efforts to bring tourists back to a region where numbers have fallen in recent years.
The plan pairs ancient heritage with a distinctly modern ambition: an electric hydrofoil service that would link towns across Lough Erne in the style of Lake Garda. The idea is being driven by Leo Nacer, head of commercial at the Finn Lough retreat, who sees the lake as a working thoroughfare rather than a scenic backdrop.
Devenish Island and the old water roads
Devenish Island, a 2km-by-1km sanctuary reachable only by boat near Enniskillen, holds the ruins of a sixth-century monastery founded by Saint Molaise. A 12th-century round tower still stands immaculate beside a crumbling chapel and a 15th-century Augustinian priory. In its heyday the monastery housed a thousand monks, and the waters around it carried log boats that served as the country's highways.
Barry Flanagan, who runs Erne Water Taxi, told RTE.ie that pilgrims have stopped at Devenish for more than 1,500 years on their way to St Patrick's Purgatory on Lough Derg. Many treated the journey as a once-in-a-lifetime trip, at a time when people believed Ireland's west coast was the edge of the world and, in Flanagan's words, after that you just fell off.
Native woodland and the fight to bring visitors back
Fermanagh holds some of the last stands of native Irish oak on the island. Studies cited in the coverage found that woodland that once covered 80% of Ireland had shrunk to 1% by 1925, and now stands at roughly 11%. The Irish News carried the same figures in its report on the region's heartlands.
Businesses argue the recovery is being held back by an uneven tax regime. Finn Lough pays 20% VAT while competitors two miles down the road in the Republic pay 9% on food and catering and 13.5% on accommodation. Nacer said cost of living pressures hit small Irish towns hardest: they have smaller numbers than the big Spanish destinations, but the bills are still there.
The retreat itself has carved spa trails through its stretch of ancient forest, with a salt flotation bath, saunas, lake swims and a wood-burning relaxation room. The two-hour Elements Spa Trail costs £70 per person for residents and £85 for day visitors. Cove suites start at £650 per night.
Gin, caves and 340 million years of history
At the Boatyard Distillery on the lakeside, founder Joe McGirr still uses stainless-steel milk tanks handed down from his parents' dairy farm, and customers bring 70cl bottles back for discounted refills. The B-Corp makes tailored gins for Claridge's in London and the Mariposa Negra bar in Barcelona. Chief distiller Jimmy Trotter heaps juniper from still to bucket as tastings run, with a larger building next door due to take them soon.
Underground, the Marble Arch Caves run through land formed more than 340 million years ago. Guide Stephen Hewitt explained that stalactites grow a centimetre every hundred years. Tours start from £16.50 per person, with a boat trip through part of the system when rains allow.
Athlone and the oldest pub in Ireland
Further south, Athlone claims the oldest pub in the Republic, and possibly the world. Sean's Bar was built near a River Shannon crossing point around 900AD, with the first wooden castle not erected until 1129.
They had their priorities right to build the pub first, publican Timmy Donovan said. He has spent nearly two decades tracing the history of Irish whiskey and found that monks at Inchcleraun monastery on Lough Ree and at Clonmacnoise were the first to distil it as a beverage. A book and documentary series are in the pipeline, though the schedule slipped after, in his words, the two fecking dogs ate the rest of my notes. He keeps 19 years of handwritten research in one folder and calls himself a bloody dinosaur for it.
The pub still packs in locals of all generations late into the night, with music every day of the year except Christmas Day. Tour guide Vincent Harney, a former postmaster and lifelong Athlone resident, counts it as his favourite pub: he was there last night, and two nights before, as Donovan jibed, for many, many years as well.
Visitors can stay nearby at Wineport Lodge on Lough Ree, where rooms look out on still water and a Dutch Steel Cruiser sleeps up to six. Lakeview suites start at €218 per person per night. Ireland.com also highlights the wider Hidden Heartlands region, including heritage sites such as the Derryglad Folk and Heritage Museum in County Roscommon.
FAQ
What is the Lough Erne Pilgrim Way?
It is a 14-site boating itinerary around Lough Erne, developed by the council and other bodies with historians, that includes Devenish Island near Enniskillen.
How old is Sean's Bar in Athlone?
The pub was built near a River Shannon crossing point in about 900AD, making it the oldest in the Republic of Ireland and possibly the world.
How much does the Finn Lough spa trail cost?
The two-hour Elements Spa Trail costs £70 per person for residents and £85 for day visitors, according to RTE.ie.