Enniskillen Castle will come to medieval life in a special free event on Saturday June 23rd from 2.00 pm until 5.00 pm.

The Maguire heritage of Enniskillen Castle will be celebrated in a series of living history demonstrations which will delight, inform and entertain visitors. The event starts the Castle's summer programme entitled "Summer of Costumes, Characters and Culture". Throughout the Summer events, art workshops and activities will celebrate the beginnings of the Castle, the first building on the island of Enniskillen.

Saturday's free event will include historic characters re-enacting the arts, crafts and traditions of the 15th and 16th centuries. The craft of candle-making will be shown with visitors having an opportunity to make their own. A rat catcher will demonstrate his role in Medieval life as well as entertaining children and adults with traditional games.

A monk will illustrate the skill of quill writing and visitors will be able to write their own 'Medieval punishment' which can be delivered at the stocks at the front of the castle. The Maguire's Good Wife will lay out a Medieval banquet and explain the variety of foods and delicacies

which the Maguires enjoyed during their reign.

The tradition of spinning and weaving will be displayed along with the Gaelic costume which was worn.

Visitors will be able to fire test shots using some scale models of the siege machinery used to attack Enniskillen Castle throughout its long history.

Speaking about the event, Sarah McHugh, Manager of Museum Services said:

"This event is a wonderful opportunity for us to bring to life the origins of this historic castle. The castle was the first building on the island of Enniskillen, built as a stronghold by the Maguire Clan to enable them to oversee their lands and the waterways. The re-enactment taking place on Saturday will show visitors some of the lost skills of this period of Fermanagh's history."

This event has received generous funding from the DOE Environment & Heritage Service.