London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Mar 14, 2026

Queen Elizabeth II: Enniskillen holds cross-community church service

Queen Elizabeth II: Enniskillen holds cross-community church service

A cross-community service of prayer and reflection has taken take place in Enniskillen to give thanks for the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

The service began in St Macartin's Church of Ireland (Anglican) Cathedral and concluded in St Michael's Catholic Church.

The congregation retraced the Queen's footsteps during her visit to the County Fermanagh town in 2012.

At the time, the Queen crossed the street between the two churches.

It was the first time she had stepped inside a Catholic Church on the island of Ireland and it came a year after her historic state visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011.

Those few short steps during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee were seen as a giant stride towards reconciliation in a town that had been devastated by the 1987 Remembrance Day bomb.

The following day, the Queen shook hands with the then Sinn Féin deputy first minister and former IRA leader Martin McGuinness in another iconic gesture of goodwill.

Dean of St Macartin's, the Very Reverend Kenneth Hall, and Monsignor Peter O'Reilly, the parish priest of St Michael's, said the visit to Enniskillen endorsed their cross-community work.

The Very Reverend Kenneth Hall and Monsignor Peter O'Reilly recalled being questioned by the Queen


"Her visit here was the kind of thing that other people are doing all the time," Monsignor O'Reilly told BBC News NI.

"She gave it a level of visibility and a level of credibility and in that sense gave fresh motivation to people for doing that kind of thing and building a sense of community and togetherness which of course again is rooted in her faith outlook."

Dean Hall added: "She didn't have to say words, just her actions spoke louder than words by actually crossing the street."


'Have you your homework done?'


The following year, the two churchmen were invited to Buckingham Palace where the Queen was keen to hear what progress had been made.

A painting of the Queen's cross-community visit, by artist Hector McDonnell, was unveiled a year later in 2013


"We had to file past the Queen and she looked at the both of us as we filed past and she said, 'Are you two still working together?' Of course we were," Dean Hall recounted.

"We had a private audience with her just a short space of time afterwards, probably for about five or six minutes.

"I remember she asked us that very bold question, she looked over the glasses and she asked us, 'What are you doing to further reconciliation work in Enniskillen?'"

Monsignor O'Reilly added: "It was a bit like your grandmother asking you have you your homework done, it was as direct as that."

Ahead of Sunday's service, they said that the service following in the footsteps of the Queen would be a fitting tribute in memory of Her Majesty.

The congregation sang the hymn Lead me, Lord on their short walk between the two churches


According to Monsignor O'Reilly reconciliation "is not a done deal" but they both believe their work in Enniskillen will continue to receive royal endorsement.

They met the future King Charles III when he visited Enniskillen Castle in 2014.

Dean Hall remembered: "He was very forthright in what he was saying, and just before he left he hit me a slap on the back like that and says, 'Keep it up, keep the community work up'.

"So obviously he was endorsing the work that his mother already had begun and I know for definite he's very keen on building on the reconciliation that Her Majesty started.

A minute's silence for the late Queen was observed at 20:00 BST


After the church services, a large crowd gathered at Enniskillen Castle to observe a minute's silence at a service organised by the County Fermanagh Royal Black Institution.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Middle East War Highlights Strategic Importance of Strong UK–Ireland Cooperation
Weak Growth Signals UK Economy Was Faltering Even Before Middle East Energy Shock
Marks & Spencer Tops UK Fashion Retail Rankings as Most Considered Brand
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Royal Navy to Acquire Twenty Uncrewed Surface Vessels for Autonomous Warfare Testing
Russia Summons British and French Envoys After Ukrainian Storm Shadow Strike on Strategic Facility
Starmer Confirms Britain Will Maintain Sanctions on Russia Despite U.S. Policy Shift
UK Moves to Refine AI Definition in Investment Security Reform
UK Economy Stalls in January as Growth Unexpectedly Falls to Zero
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
British Airways Suspends UK Repatriation Flights as Middle East Travel Disruption Deepens
US Forces Prepare Ordnance at RAF Fairford as Strategic Bombers Deploy for Middle East Operations
Nigel Farage Faces Criticism After Saying Britain Should Stay Out of Iran War
Landmark UK Trial Begins Over Sony’s PlayStation Store Pricing
UK High Court Rejects Bid to Challenge Britain’s Chagos Islands Agreement With Mauritius
Finnish Duo Triumphs in England’s Annual Wife-Carrying Race, Winning a Barrel of Ale
How U.S. and UK National Security Strategies Are Reshaping the Global Business Landscape
Green Party Gains Momentum as Labour Shifts Toward the Political Centre
Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon Sets Sail for Eastern Mediterranean as Regional Tensions Rise
UK Homebuilder Persimmon Warns Iran Conflict Could Dent Property Buyer Confidence
Roman Abramovich Signals Legal Fight if UK Seeks to Seize Chelsea Sale Funds
×