Our front page headline of October 6 (‘SWAH emergency surgery to be axed’) presciently kicked off what would prove to be a winter of bitter discontent in Fermanagh, as the seed of a story that would explode into life in following months first emerged – the first news of a looming threat to emergency services at the South West Acute Hospital.

Following the shock claim that some SWAH services were under threat, the first of what would prove to several public meetings across the county took place as citizens and politicians swiftly reacted.

The SWAH – and myriad stories connected to it and health services – would subsequently prove to be the single most dominant issue across the county for the final quarter of the year, and one of the top local issues for all of 2022.

Staying with medical news, there was relief as Enniskillen woman Jennifer Tierney was returned to Northern Ireland by air ambulance after being taken ill in Croatia on holiday.

Fermanagh man Frank McCaughey’s safe return home to Fermanagh was also welcomed across the county, having sparked great concern while he was missing for some months in Europe.

Enniskillen gained a newly-erected memorial in the heart of the town when the memorial to the victims of the 1987 Enniskillen bomb was erected at the site of the bombing.

The unveiling of the £20,000 memorial was welcomed by the families of the victims of those killed and injured in the bombing, who had been waiting for some years it to be erected.

Mid-October saw widespread sadness at the death of Jim Gamble BEM, with the highly-respected Friends of the Cancer Centre charity stalwart’s passing widely mourned, with the modest man’s tireless efforts having helped support innumerable people for decades.

Among many other notable deaths that sadly took place towards the year’s end, the passing of the late Andrew McFarland, 13, also moved many people.

The brave Trillick lad – described as the “best boy in the world” by his heartbroken mother, Joanne – had been diagnosed with rare Batten disease, and his short but impactful life had touched many other people.

As Hallowe’en approached, there were sparks of anger as the Council cancelled fireworks planned for Enniskillen and Omagh at short notice, with the widely-expected community events fizzling out after a “review of budgets”, in another sign of the cost of living crises gnawing at the community.

The end of the month saw an appreciative nod at St. Macartan’s Church in Augher, which claimed the UK-wide title of ‘Church of the Year’. Even in a county of notable faith, the historic church in Clogher Valley impressed judges, with the church’s physical history and its role at the heart of many community events earning the prestigious title.

Despite matters such as SWAH-related issues rearing their head this month, communities and groups all across Fermanagh continued to pull together, with students at St. Joseph’s College, Enniskillen, proving typical of the positivity and spirit of Fermanagh’s younger generations as they held a ‘Feeling Good Week’ to help support and boost good mental health for all.