Milestone 9 Mile, Near Beech House, 52 Main Street, Lisnakea, BT92 0JD

This is the nine-mile milestone on Main Street in Lisnaskea, one of a surviving collection of 12 (from an original set of 17) milestones erected between approximately 1810 and 1835 along the former mail coach road running from Enniskillen through Cavan to Dublin. It is constructed from local limestone and stands just over one metre tall, square in plan and tapering gently upward to form an elongated prism. The side elevations are distinctively profiled: they step outward at a low level to define a base, then overhang at the top with a roll that tapers upward to a crown profile, completing an ornate terminus. The front and rear elevations are flush. This profiled top appears to be unique to this series of milestones. The individual, slightly uneven character of the stones across the series suggests the work of local craftsmen, and the stones vary slightly in design from one to another.

This particular stone leans against the boundary wall of Beech House, a listed dwelling house dating from approximately 1845 (though the boundary wall itself is likely earlier). It no longer bears any visible distance information. Originally it would have displayed the distances to Dublin (71.5 Irish miles), to Cavan (16.5 Irish miles), and the distance from Enniskillen. The finish on the face of the stone resembles that typically found on the rear faces of the other stones in the series, which has led to the suggestion that it was turned around at some point. Possible explanations include disturbance during the unrest around partition in the 1920s, precautionary measures during the Second World War to confuse a potential German invasion, or road redesignation in the 1920s to avoid conflict with more modern signage.

The section of road on which the milestones stand, between Enniskillen and Wattlebridge, was largely constructed between 1808 and 1822 specifically to provide a broad, flat road suitable for mail coaches. The mail coach service used this road, with some re-routing, until 1859 and the coming of the railways. The mail coach system was arguably the single most important communications network established across these islands before the railway age.

Of the original 17 milestones in the set, 12 survive, of which two have been relocated and one was already listed separately at the time of this designation. The collection as a whole is considered one of the most complete series of its kind in Northern Ireland. Its significance is further enhanced by the presence along the same stretch of road of a contemporary coaching inn. Although the original lettering on this stone is no longer visible — either to the rear or missing entirely — the stone retains its original form, material, and location, and makes a meaningful contribution to the story of the group as a whole.