Fermanagh (county)

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  • Overseas possessions
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FERMANAGH

Abolished 1968.

Fermanagh.jpg

Official blazon

Arms : Barry wavy argent and azure, two flaunches vert; over all a representation of the Watergate at Enniskillen Or, flying from the battlements to the dexter a banner of St. Patrick.
Crest : Out of a coronet of four shamrocks set upon a rim Or a mount vert, thereon a horse passant argent, caparisoned gules, thereon a knight in full armour, in the dexter hand a sword erect proper [hilt and pomel Or].
Supporters : On either side a brock proper charged on the shoulder with a bezant, thereon a dexter hand couped gules.
Motto : Feor Magh Eanagh

Origin/meaning

The arms were officially granted August 20, 1954.

The knight at the top is from the English coat of arms granted to the Maguire family in 1586. “County Fermanagh” was known as “Maguire’s County” in the fifteenth & sixteen centuries. The “Watergate at Enniskillen” is the Maguire castle now named Enniskillen Castle located at a chokepoint of the River Erne at one of the few entry points into Ulster. It was built by Hugh “The Hospitable” Maguire who died in 1428. Hugh was the brother of Thomas Maguire, 20th King of Fermanagh and 6th Maguire King of Fermanagh. The castle still exists and is now a museum. The red left hands in circles are “Lám Dearg Éirinn” ( “the red hand of Ireland”). This symbol is recorded as the battle standard of the northern Uí Néill in the fifth century. The northern Uí Néill were a group of many clans who dominated Ulster from the fifth century to 1603. Families allied with the northern Uí Néill incorporated the red left hand in their own battle standards: e.g., the Maguire battle standard was a red left hand on top and a fish on the bottom. The northern Uí Néill adopted the red hand from a legend. The legend is that the two sons of King Milesius, hEber and hEremon, ancient Uí Néill ancestors from the first century BC, were in a boat race to earn first dibs on Irish provinces by being the first to touch land. Falling behind in the race, hEber cut off his left hand with his battle axe and threw it ahead so he would win his choice of Irish territory. He chose Uladh, now known as Ulster, and hEremnon got the rest of Ireland.



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Literature : Biggs, 1971.