The Inniskillings Museum

09/10/2026

We are delighted to announce that the café at Enniskillen Castle is now open.

Enjoy all the treats provided by Castle Café Enniskillen .

Open all year round - Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm and Saturdays 11am - 4pm.

06/10/2026

Public notice: our on-site shop will be closed tomorrow to facilitate essential maintenance works. Our online shop will continue to operate as normal.

https://inniskillingsmuseum.com/shop/

14/09/2026

Researched Private William James Heaney 15597, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. William was born at Limavady in April 1879, the son of Joseph and Margaret Ann Heaney, nee Anderson. He married Margaret Jane Kennedy in December 1897, employed at that time as a barber, and by the outbreak of the Great War, the couple had four surviving children. William enlisted in the 10th (Service) battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers soon after their formation in September 1914. He embarked for the Western Front with the battalion in October 1915, and in exercises in May 1916 preparing for the Somme offensive, broke his leg necessitating hospitalisation and convalescence. Rejoining the battalion in November 1916, he saw action at the battles of Messines, Langemarck and Cambrai in 1917. In the reorganisation of February 1918, he was transferred to the Inniskilling's 2nd battalion on disbandment of the 10th. He saw action with the battalion during the German Spring Offensive of March 1918 and remained with the battalion for the remainder of the war. Diagnosed with a heart condition, he was discharged as unfit with the Silver War Badge in March 1919.
Remembered with honour.
The Inniskillings Museum

03/08/2026

An interesting talk from History Hub Ulster will take place at The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland on 13th November 2026.

The 2nd Battalion The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers took part in the Battle of Garigliano in January 1944 and a stone memorial cross naming 53 officers and other ranks who died between 17th January and 3rd February 1944 was erected near the location where the Battalion crossed the River Garigliano. This memorial is now on display in our galleries at Enniskillen Castle. You can find out more about the battle and the memorial on our website: https://inniskillingsmuseum.com/battle-of-the-garigliano-italy-17-18-january-1944/

To find out more about the talk and booking your place, visit this link: https://www.proni.gov.uk/events/inniskillings-italy-garigliano-river-memorial

During the Second World War, 371 men from the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers died during the Sicily and Italy Campaign and are buried or commemorated in Italy, with 305 of the fatalities belonging to 2nd Battalion. This battalion took part in the Battle of Garigliano in January 1944 and a stone memori...

29/07/2026

Look what turned up in the Colebrooke River!

Local poet Robert Elliott made an interesting discovery in his hometown of Maguiresbridge. This is his story:

One day, I noticed something sticking out of the mud near the water’s edge. At first glance, I thought it was the back of an old shoe. I started pulling at it, and it just kept coming: it was like one of those circus clown handkerchiefs that never seems to end! Then a bit of metal caught my eye, something like a buckle, and I remember thinking, “What is this?”

I dunked it in the river to wash some of the mud away, and that’s when I realised it was something more interesting. I searched on Google for an item resembling the insignia on the buckle and found an identical image of a cap badge for The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

I left it down by the floodwall that day and went home to tell my Dad. Two days later, I went back for it. When I got there, someone was out cutting the grass with a w**d whacker nearby- I remember thinking how lucky it was that I came back when I did!

My parents were amazed when they saw it. We decided to put a photo up on Facebook, just to show what you could find on your doorstep, and it completely blew up, especially on the “Enniskillen Family and Friends” page. My find brought our community together, and upon seeing it online, the Inniskillings Museum got in touch. It’s strange to think that something I nearly walked past, half-buried in the mud, ended up having such an interesting connection to the local area.

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Robert has kindly loaned this belt to the museum for display during the month of August as part of our Embracing Local Military Heritage initiative.

01/07/2026

Today, on the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, we remember the young men of Enniskillen's Back Streets who never returned from the Great War.

More than 70 men from this close-knit community of Catholics and Protestants left home in search of adventure, opportunity or purpose. They served in regiments across the world, but their loss was felt most deeply in the streets and homes they left behind.

This reel honours their memory by sharing their names, addresses, regiments and final resting places. Their stories remain an important part of Enniskillen's history and a poignant reminder of the human cost of war.

To learn more about these men and the communities they came from, explore the Fermanagh Genealogy Centre's Memory Map: https://fermanaghgenealogy.org/MemoryMap/backstreets_index.html

01/07/2026

Today marks the 110th anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme… one of the most devastating battles of the First World War, lasting 141 days.

Among the 51 Victoria Crosses awarded for extraordinary bravery (17 posthumously) was Captain Eric Norman Franklin Bell VC, who was only 21 years old when he lost his life.

Born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Eric was a gifted artist, musician, and linguist, studying architecture in Liverpool when war broke out. He joined The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1914 and trained in trench mortar warfare.

On 1st July 1916, his actions went far beyond his duty. Advancing under intense fire, he single-handedly silenced a machine gun, supported bombing parties in enemy trenches, and (when out of bombs) stood exposed on the parapet, calmly firing at advancing enemy troops. He was ultimately killed in action.

The Inniskillings Museum is proud to hold Captain Bell’s Victoria Cross, preserving and sharing his story for future generations.

Untold The Museum

18/06/2026

Of the 27th Inniskillings, the Duke of Wellington many years later (1838) remarked, ‘… they saved the centre of my line … .’

The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot was the only Irish infantry regiment of the British Army that fought at the Battle of Waterloo.

Read more about the Battle in the comments.

The Royal Irish Regiment The Inniskillings Museum

08/06/2026

Last week we celebrated with our amazing team of volunteers! Check out what they love about volunteering at the Inniskillings Museum.

28/05/2026

in 1917, Private Joseph Curran died in France. Having been previously been struck by shrapnel, Joseph endured prolonged suffering before succumbing to his facial wounds. He was only 21 years old.

Following his death, his mother Catherine received a letter from the Reverend PJ Mullins. He wrote:

“Your son died like a saint. I was with him every day and prepared him for his last moment. He passed away quietly with a natural and very happy look upon his face. I felt it much to see him die, but I rejoiced in another way, as I knew his soul is but another flower called to adorn the Garden of the Lord”.

More than 100 years later, we remember Joseph and all families who have lost loved ones in conflict.