The island was sold last week to investor David Mahon, according to the Impartial Reporter newspaper.
Mr Mahon is from Donegal but now resides in Co Fermanagh. He is the serving county grandmaster for Donegal and father of DUP councillor David Mahon.
Devenish Island is a couple of miles north of Enniskillen’s town centre.
Investor David Mahon
The sale included lands at Devenish Island together with approximately 53 acres of agricultural land at Dead Man’s Lane off the Irvinestown Road near Enniskillen.
Last year, the land was offered for sale as one or two lots, with a combined guide price of £850,000 for both.
Devenish Island has become a popular tourist destination and is home to several structures dating back to the sixth century, including St Molaise’s House, Tempull Mor, the Round Tower, St Mary’s Abbey and the Cemetery Cross.
The monastic site itself remains in public ownership, with approximately 13.8 acres of land on the island leased by the Department for Communities for a 10-year period from March 2025 at an annual rent of £2,700.
The remaining lands on the island extend to around 107 acres and are primarily used for agricultural grazing.
The sale also included two parcels of agricultural land at Dead Man’s Lane, comprising 24.2 acres to the north and a further 28.8 acres to the south, both of which have been used for grazing.
Mr Mahon told the Impartial Reporter he was eager to explore tourism opportunities with the property.
“You don’t get many chances to buy an island with this level of history. It is early days, but it has got great potential for Fermanagh tourism,” he said.
Erne Water Taxi stops off at Devenish Island
In summer 2024, then Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd opened a new £300,000 jetty on Devenish Island so that Waterways Ireland could extend the island’s east jetty by 60 metres, doubling mooring capacity at the heritage site from six to 12 vessels.
Devenish Island can be accessed via the public jetties controlled by Waterways Ireland.
Devenish Island (Image: Osbourne King)
News Catch Up – Friday 30 January
Throughout the summer, visitors to Devenish Island can also be met by members of The Devenish Island Ambassador programme.
The initiative offers free guided tours by local ambassadors for people arriving on the island between 11am and 6pm.
Overseen by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and supported by the Department for Communities’ historic environment division, the programme is designed to improve visitor experience and provide a deeper, more meaningful connection to the island.
Mr Mahon has been involved in several large-scale investments across Northern Ireland.
In 2024, he purchased the Crumlin Road Courthouse in Belfast for an undisclosed amount and submitted plans to transform it into a “neurodiversity campus”.
He owns a variety of shopping centres including the Linen Green Shopping Village in Dungannon, De Courcy Centre in Carrickfergus, Kings Square Shopping Mall in east Belfast and Murrayfield Shopping Centre in Larne.
Mr Mahon is also director of Union Arch Properties which owns commercial and retail interests.