Watergate

In his 1611 report, Carew describes the Watergate building as a ‘fair and strong wall’ twenty-six feet high, ‘newly erected’ with flankers, parapet and wall walk.

An impressive building with twin corbelled turrets projecting so as to give protection to the wall on two sides, its name is misleading as there never was a gate there. Instead, immediately inside the Watergate is a deep well.

The name may derive from its closeness to an earlier gate nearby which opened on to the water and which was named ‘Watergatte’ on a map of 1594.

The Flag of St. George.

Flying from the Watergate is the flag of St. George, which was the national English banner until 1606.

The long established tradition of flying this flag was almost certainly to honour Enniskillen’s two famous regiments, the Royal Inniskilling Dragoons and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Originating as mounted and foot soldiers who volunteered to defend Enniskillen from Jacobite forces in 1689, the two regiments fought under this flag and distinguished themselves during the Williamite Wars.

^{The Watergate at Enniskillen Castle. ©Fermanagh County Museum.}

The symbol later used by the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on their colours and badges was a castle flying a St. George flag. The right to use this symbol is said to have been conferred by King William on account of the valour of the Enniskillen troops at the Battle of the Boyne.