Hanging Rock, County Fermanagh facts for kids

Hanging Rock is a really big cliff made of limestone. It's shaped like a wide angle and stands next to the village of Florencecourt in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. This amazing rock is part of the Cuilcagh mountain area. It's also found within a special place called The Hanging Rock Nature Reserve, which is part of the larger Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark.

A Look Back in Time

Hanging Rock has been an important landmark for a very long time. Back in 1739, a writer named Reverend William Henry mentioned it in his book "Upper Lough Erne." He called it "Gortatowell Rock," which is close to today's Gortatole area.

He wrote that people traveling on the new road to Sligo would often stop here. They would look up and be amazed by the huge cliff hanging over them. They also enjoyed hearing their voices echo between the lake below and the hollow parts of the cliff.

How the Rock Was Formed

This impressive cliff is mostly made of limestone. Specifically, it's made of a type called Dartry limestone, which sits on top of another rock layer called the Glencar formation. You can actually see where these two different rock layers meet at the very bottom of the cliff.

Water from the Rock

At the base of the cliff, there are two places where streams start, known as the Hanging Rock Risings. One of these streams flows all the time. The other one sometimes dries up when there hasn't been much rain.

Scientists believe that the water for these streams comes from one main source called Legacapple, which is on the Marlbank area above the cliff. However, they also think that water from several other hidden sources might join together before it comes out at the risings.

Plants and Animals

The area at the bottom of Hanging Rock is called The Hanging Rock Nature Reserve. This reserve has a special type of damp ash woodland. This kind of woodland is actually quite rare and is considered endangered in both Ireland and the United Kingdom.

In the past, large birds like eagles and hawks used to live on the cliff. You could also find jackdaws, which are smart, black birds, making their homes there.

The Story of Salter's Stone

A very large rock sits right by the road near Hanging Rock. This boulder fell from the cliff a long, long time ago. It landed on the old road that went from Florencecourt to Blacklion.

Local stories say that when the rock fell, it landed right on top of a salt merchant. This merchant was traveling along the road at that very moment, selling salt. The next day, when people found the rock, they saw a circle of salt around it. Because of this story, the rock became known as the Salter's Stone, or sometimes Cloghogue.