Fermanagh Lakeland Forum closes for redevelopment

The Fermanagh Lakeland Forum closed its doors on 30 April 2025 ahead of a major redevelopment to create a modern leisure, health and wellbeing hub in Enniskillen.

The highly innovative project will see the current Lakeland Forum replaced with a modern leisure facility designed to support healthy lifestyles and community activities, providing inclusive and accessible spaces for people of all ages. It will be the first Passivhaus standard leisure facility in Northern Ireland, bringing the highest environmental and sustainability standards to the design and build.

To mark the closure, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has launched an Oral History project to capture local memories of the Forum since it opened in 1976.

Visitors to the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum on April 30 were invited to share stories and view a special exhibition of photos, memorabilia and design images of the new centre. There will be further opportunities for people to get involved in the project during the redevelopment. People can also share their written memories and reflections by emailing the Council’s Museum and Heritage team at fvic@fermanaghomagh.com.

Emma McManus, Centre Manager at the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum, said:

“The Fermanagh Lakeland Forum has meant so much to so many people over the years—through sport, friendships, and community. As we look ahead to the development of a new, state-of-the-art facility, this Oral History project gives us a chance to celebrate the support the Forum has received from local communities for almost 50 years.

I would like to thank our customers, past and present, for all their support over the years and for all their kind messages over the last number of days. We have loved welcoming everyone to the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum over the years and we look forward to seeing them in the future.”

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has put in place a range of measures to ensure continued access to leisure services during the redevelopment.

This includes the opening of Broadmeadow Fitness in Enniskillen on 01 May 2025, which will be managed by Fermanagh Lakeland Forum staff. Located at the former Visitor Information Centre opposite the Translink bus station, the temporary facility includes a gym and fitness studio. It will be open Monday to Saturday, with a fitness class programme starting from 06 May.

In addition, leisure provision will be enhanced at Bawnacre Centre, Irvinestown, and Castle Park Centre, Lisnaskea from June 2025, with extended activities and services. There will also be a range of additional activities taking place in local communities across Fermanagh. Further information will be shared closer to the time.

In line with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s sustainability commitments, equipment, fixtures and fittings from the Lakeland Forum are being reused and repurposed in other leisure facilities across the district. Any remaining items will be made available to the public through an auction taking place at the end of May.

The £70 million redevelopment project is the largest capital investment ever undertaken by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and includes £20 million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

When complete in 2028, the new centre will include an 8-lane swimming pool, learner pool and splash pad area for young children, gym facilities; community and multipurpose spaces; soft play and sensory room; destination playpark; pump track; new cycle, walking and running trails; an active waterfront area and improved pedestrian linkages to Enniskillen town centre, designed to create new opportunities for leisure and recreation, health and wellbeing, tourism and the local economy, while supporting the local environment through sustainable development.

For further information on the redevelopment of the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum and leisure provision please visit the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council website at www.fermanaghomagh.com.