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Sir James Balfour built Balfour Castle, a Scottish style strong house, in Lisnaskea 1616-1625 and on a site where there was a Maguire stronghold until 1610. The Maguire stronghold was probably demolished to obtain stone for Balfour.The castle built of stone, limestone and sandstone, comprises a main rectangular block, 24m x 7m rising in the NW unit to three storeys and attics.The external walls, at ground level, are 1m thick. The castle was damaged in 1689 but continued to be occupied until the early 19th century. The castle became tenanted and gradually fell into decay culminating in a fire in 1803. In 1821 the castle and estate were sold to the 1st Earl of Erne. Major restoration was undertaken in the 1960's. The castle ruins are in State Care.
An interesting
relic of the ruined Castle Balfour was moved to Crom. A stone, which may have
surmounted a doorway, possibly that of the entrance hall to the castle, was
rescued from a fireplace in a cottage to which it had been removed from the
castle ruins. It bore an inscription from the Tristia of Ovid and the clearly
cut characters, a salutary inscription, was faithfully reproduced by the 1st
Earl of Erne as follows -
Crede mihi bene qui Latuit bene uixit
et Intra Fortunam Debet Quisque
manere suam.
This may
be translated -
Anyone who has escaped prominence has lived well.
Everyone must remain within his allotted fate.
The 'stone' now rests on the central pediment in the Corn Market, Lisnaskea, built in 1841. The translation of the text, in local parlance, is simply deemed to read -
'Live and Let Live'
Although
Castle Balfour remains in ruin the Erne family have successfully influenced
the development of Lisnaskea in the 19th century including the Market House,
Corn Market and the Butter Market.
