ENNISKILLEN

enniskillen, william willoughby cole, 3rd earl of (1807-1886), british palaeontologist, was born on the 25th of january 1807, and educated at harrow and christ church, oxford. as lord cole he early began to devote his leisure to the study and collection of fossil fishes, with his friend sir philip de m.g. egerton, and he amassed a fine collection at florence court, enniskillen--including many specimens that were described and figured by agassiz and egerton. this collection was subsequently acquired by the british museum. he died on the 21st of november 1886, being succeeded by his son (b. 1845) as 4th earl. the first of the coles (an old devonshire and cornwall family) to settle in ireland was sir william cole (d. 1653), who was "undertaker" of the northern plantation and received a grant of a large property in fermanagh in 1611, and became provost and later governor of enniskillen. in 1760 his descendant john cole (d. 1767) was created baron mountflorence, and the latter's son, william willoughby cole (1736-1803), was in 1776 created viscount enniskillen and in 1789 earl. the 1st earl's second son, sir galbraith lowry cole (1772-1842), was a prominent general in the peninsular war, and colonel of the 27th inniskillings, the irish regiment with whose name the family was associated. enniskillen [inniskilling], a market town and the county town of county fermanagh, ireland, in the north parliamentary division, picturesquely situated on an island in the river connecting the upper and lower loughs erne, 116 m. n.w. from dublin by the great northern railway. pop. of urban district (1901) 5412. the town occupies the whole island, and is connected with two suburbs on the mainland on each side by two bridges. it has a brewery, tanneries and a small manufactory of cutlery, and a considerable trade in corn, pork and flax. in 1689 enniskillen defeated a superior force sent against it by james ii. at the battle of crom; and part of the defenders of the town were subsequently formed into a regiment of cavalry, which still retains the name of the inniskilling dragoons. the town was incorporated by james i., and returned two members to the irish parliament until the union; thereafter it returned one to the imperial parliament until 1885. there are wide communications by water by the river and the upper and lower loughs erne, and by the ulster canal to belfast. the loughs contain trout, large pike and other coarse fish. two miles from enniskillen in the lower lough is devenish island, with its celebrated monastic remains. the abbey of st mary here was founded by st molaise (laserian) in the 6th century; here too are a fine round tower 85 ft. high, remains of domestic buildings, a holed stone and a tall well-preserved cross. the whole is carefully preserved by the commissioners of public works under the irish church act of 1869. steamers ply between enniskillen and belleek on the lower lake, and between enniskillen and knockninny on the upper lake.