Portora Castle, County Fermanagh

Castles in County Fermanagh
Castle Balfour
Enniskillen Castle
Portora Castle
Tully Castle

Portora Castle is a castle in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The castle was built for Sir William Cole who purchased the land in 1612. It is strategically positioned by the narrow exit of the River Erne into the Lower Lough Erne. It is a State Care Historic Monument sited in the townland of Portora, in Fermanagh District Council area, at grid ref: H2221 4531.

Features
In 1619 Nicholas Pynnar described the castle as 'a bawn of lime and stone, 2.5m square, approximately 4m high, with four flankers and a stone house or castle three storeys high, strongly wrought'. Three of the flankers remain, the two on the west, flanking the walls of the castle. These round towers, about 3m in diameter, have several gun loops. Inside the castle can be seen proper fireplace chimneys in the north and west walls.

History
Sir Michael Cole and his family moved to Portora Castle in 1710 when their previous residence, Enniskillen CastleEnniskillen Castle Enniskillen Castle is situated in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The first castle was built on this site by Hugh Maguire in the 16th century.... , was hit by fire. They remained there until about 1716, when Sir Michael's son, John Cole (1680-1726), started building Florence CourtFlorence Court Florence Court is a large 18th century house and estate located 8 miles south-west of Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is set in the foothills of Cuilcagh Mountain....

The ford at Portora was important in the Erne Waterways and must have seen considerable traffic in peace and war. In the course of the Erne Drainage Scheme (1951-1960) a bronze dirk and stone axes were recovered at this point. The castle is now in ruins partly because a group of truanting school-boys from nearby Portora Royal SchoolPortora Royal School Portora Royal School for boys, located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, is one of a number of 'free schools' founded by Royal Charter in 1608, by James I of England.... , experimenting with gunpowder, blew up a section in the latter part of the 19th century. They also tried digging under the building which added to its dereliction.