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Welcome to the web site of Joe O’Loughlin – a local historian and author based in Belleek, Co Fermanagh in Northern Ireland where he has lived most of his life.

Since Joe’s retirement in 1997 he has developed his long-standing interest in local history specialising in the period around World War Two. During Joe’s working life he operated the family service station at Main Street Belleek. This was founded by his father Thomas in the early 1920’s and when it closed it was one of the oldest Shell filling stations in the British Isles.

Joe has worked with fellow Fermanagh historian, Breege McCusker of Irvinestown, on a number of projects over the years including the planning and erecting of a memorial stone in the Paupers Graveyard at Irvinestown Workhouse in memory of the 1500 Irish Famine victims who are buried there.

Joe is a member of the well-known Clogher Historical Society and is also involved in the Donegal Historical Society and the Church Hill & Tully Castle Historical Society.

This web site is intended as a resource for those wanting to find out more about the history of the local area and in particular my interests lie in helping people find out more about those who served in Fermanagh during World War Two on the Flying Boats based on Lough Erne which flew out over Belleek to provide protection to convoys of cargo ships sailing back and forward across the Atlantic