The Fermanagh Cup 2026, River Erne Angling Festival

What to Expect

The Fermanagh Cup is the biggest of the county’s autumn angling fixtures, a five-day match on the River Erne run by Erne Anglers and capped at 150 anglers. Entries close at midnight on Friday 4 September 2026 or earlier if the 150 places fill, so this is a competition to enter well in advance rather than turn up for. The exact river sections are confirmed to entrants after entries close.

The week opens with the FTB Open Draw on Sunday 12 September, a separate one-day event with its own entry, then runs the main match across Monday to Thursday, 13 to 16 September. Draws are at 9:00 AM with fishing from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM on those four days. Friday 17 September is match day five with an earlier schedule: draw at 8:30 AM and fishing from 11:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Daily results are posted, evening meals are laid on across the week, and prize giving is at 9:00 PM on the Friday.

Good to Know

• Main match Monday 13 to Friday 17 September 2026. FTB Open Draw Sunday 12 September.
• Days one to four: draw 9:00 AM, fishing 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Day five: draw 8:30 AM, fishing 11:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
• Prize giving Friday 17 September at 9:00 PM.
• Main match entry £250, taken as a £50 deposit with the £200 balance due on 13 September. FTB Open Draw is £50. A Super Pool is also available.
• Entry deadline is midnight on Friday 4 September 2026, or when the 150 places fill.
• Book through tickettailor.com/events/erneanglers. Updates on facebook.com/FermanaghCup.
• Evening meals are included across the competition week.
• Exact river sections are confirmed once entries close.

Getting There

The River Erne runs through Enniskillen, which sits on an island between Upper and Lower Lough Erne, so the match sections are within a short drive of the town centre. Drivers from Dublin and Cavan take the A509 through Belturbet and then the A4, Belfast traffic uses the M1 and A4, and the A32 comes south from Omagh, with either city about ninety minutes away. With a 9:00 AM draw and a 12:00 PM start there is time to reach your peg, but several access lanes are narrow and parking beside them is limited, so scout your stretch the day before. Enniskillen accommodation books out for the Cup, so secure a bed at the same time as your entry.