Overview
The best reason to come to this corner of Lower Lough Erne is a pair of carved stones in a field. In Caldragh Cemetery on Boa Island, the two-faced Dreenan Figure – better known as the Janus Figure – has looked both ways for around two thousand years, and beside it stands the Lustymore Man, brought over from a neighbouring island in 1939. Dreenan is the townland they sit in. The good news for anyone short on time: you can drive to Boa Island and walk to the graveyard, no boat needed. The other islands of Lower Lough Erne – Lustymore, White and Inishmacsaint – string together early Christian ruins and Iron Age carving, reached by private boat from Enniskillen or a seasonal ferry from Castle Archdale Country Park.
Ancient Stones & Monastic Ruins
The Janus Figure is smaller than the photographs suggest – about 70cm of local stone, weathered but unmistakably carved with a face on each side. The antiquarian George Du Noyer first drew it in 1841, and it is thought to date from around the 1st century AD, in the Iron Age. Early observers borrowed the name of Janus, the Roman god of doorways; it may in fact represent Badhbh, the war goddess whose name survives in the island’s Irish title, Inis Badhbha – Badhbh’s island.
Its companion, the single-faced Lustymore Man, was moved here from nearby Lustymore Island in 1939 and set alongside it; the two are known together as the Boa Island figures. Both stand in Caldragh Cemetery itself – a small early-Christian graveyard, roughly 400–800 AD, on Boa Island – reached on foot, with no boat or footbridge involved. The Janus Figure is also one of the fourteen stops on the Lough Erne Pilgrim Way, a route that links the lake’s old monastic sites down towards Lough Derg in Donegal.
By the 6th century, monastic life had taken over. Inishmacsaint was founded around 530 AD by St Ninnidh; the island keeps a 12th-century stone church and a tall, plain high cross, and is now a State Care Monument. Out on the mainland shore, the 17th-century ruins of Castle Caldwell are a reminder of the Ulster Plantation that reshaped this landscape.
Walking and wildlife
Don’t expect a network of waymarked trails here – this is low-key, self-guided ground. On Boa Island, the A47 runs the length of the island, bridged to the mainland at both ends, and Caldragh Cemetery is a short walk off the road; half an hour covers the figures and the graveyard. On Inishmacsaint, a path leads from the landing point to the church, cross and graveyard over ground that is uneven in places, so wear proper shoes. The forest park around Castle Caldwell gives easy, traffic-free walking on the mainland shore.
Wildlife is a genuine draw. The reed beds and shorelines hold mute and whooper swans and the occasional kingfisher, and the early mornings – before boat traffic picks up – are the quietest time for it.
Getting There & Planning Your Visit
The islands split into two camps: the ones you can drive or walk to, and the ones that need a boat.
- Boa Island (the Janus figures): No boat required. Boa is joined to the mainland by bridges at each end, and the A47 runs across it – roughly 16 miles (26 km) from Enniskillen and about 8 miles from Kesh. Caldragh Cemetery is signed off the road.
- White Island: A seasonal ferry crosses from Castle Archdale Marina, usually in July and August. Fares are modest (reported at £4 a few years back) but check current times and prices before you set out, as the service runs only in the warmer months.
- Inishmacsaint: Reached by private boat or a water-taxi from Enniskillen; there is no scheduled service.
None of the islands have permanent facilities, so bring water, snacks and a waterproof layer – the weather over the lough turns quickly. Castle Archdale Country Park is the practical base, with parking, a visitor centre, museum, toilets, a café and boat hire; it was an RAF flying-boat base during the Second World War, which is a story in itself. All the sites are free, and dogs are welcome, though keep them on a lead in nesting season.
If you do just one thing, drive to Boa Island and walk in to the two figures. They cost nothing, take half an hour, and there is very little else like them in Ireland.