TEEMORE may be small, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for with its warm welcome!

It's no coincidence that the first three letters of the village's name gave an indication of the hospitality that was experienced during a visit in snowy conditions on Thursday last.

"Come in for a cup of tea!" offered resident Marion Little, capturing the spirit of a village that indeed has community relations down to a 'tee'.

Situated three miles south of Derrylin, and 16 miles from Enniskillen, hundreds of people pass through Teemore daily.

But it's far from a 'drive-through' town – rather, it's the kind of place that when you stop, you don't want to leave!

"It's a nice, scenic place, and we really like it," said Marion, who offered shelter from the elements in her home opposite the corner shop.

Natives of Hampshire in England, Marion and her husband, Sam, have lived in Teemore for four years, and prior to this lived in Co. Cavan.

"We had lived in Belturbet, Co. Cavan since 2008, but when I got a job in Enniskillen, we decided to move," she explained. "This house came up for sale, and the rest is history!

"We really like the peace and quiet here, and we have great neighbours. We have two dogs and a cat, so there are plenty of places around to walk them.

"We live opposite the shop, so there's a bit of life about the place. The church is right next door. We can't complain!"

Much like the Littles, many residents have made Teemore their home, thanks to abundant employment opportunities available locally.

Nearby cement and glass factories employ hundreds, while ample career opportunities also exist in engineering, transport and small business.

Eugene Wynne, a next-door neighbour of the Littles, spoke of the rapid pace in which Teemore has developed thanks to companies founded by the likes of Seán Quinn.

"When I came here, there wasn't much to Teemore, just a few houses," he said. "That was 27 or 28 years ago – but it's all changed now.

"The place has really grown and developed, thanks to the work that was going on here.

"[The] Quinn [group] was going strong at the time, which helped, and the likes of A1 Transport and Teemore Engineering have played a big part."

Eugene added: "It's a grand place to live, and it's in a good location, which is close to work for people."

As of the most recent Census, a total of 528 people call Teemore their home. The population has gradually risen over the years, and the community continues to develop thanks to a shared spirit of enterprise.

And with so many people now residing in Teemore, one local business even specialises in helping people make their house a 'forever home'.

Based at Teemore Enterprise Centre, Malone and Smyth is a long-established interior specialist, and offers customers top-quality products that are not only beautiful, but will stand the test of time.

Manager, Emma Bohan, says customers come from far and wide to visit the local showroom.

"We certainly have a lot of regular customers coming here from the likes of Teemore itself, Derrylin, Enniskillen and Lisnaksea," she said.

"We also get people coming from all over, some even from as far as Co. Kerry.

"Passing trade is huge for us, as is repeat business. When people come here, they always want to come back!"

Emma continued: "Tourism is also a big thing here, with the likes of Cuilcagh Mountain and the Marble Arch Caves. We find people make a point of calling in to us when they are down visiting for the day."

Malone and Smyth was founded by Fearghal and Catherine McAdam in 2008, and the success of the Teemore outlet eventually saw another opened in Belfast.

Undoubtedly, Teemore has proven to be a great place to do business for many.

"I have been manager for eight years, and I have to say, the Teemore community is great," Catherine said.

"The people are very friendly, and it's a homely community. It's quite small, but it has a school, halls, a shop and a church. You will always get a warm welcome in Teemore!"

A few hundred yards from Teemore Enterprise Centre sits the corner shop, which is often regarded as the de-facto 'community hub'.

"It's a great wee place, and I suppose you could say the shop is the hub of it all", said shopkeeper, Louise McGuire.

"Teemore has most of what you could need, such as a post office, a school, an ATM, and a football team. Those things are important for a small place like here.

"There's a good sense of community and everyone knows each other. People who have moved away to the likes of America always make a point of coming back to visit. It's nice to see."

Outside the local shop, Teemore farmer George Darling gave his own opinion on his home town.

"It's a grand wee spot with all you could want," said George, a lifelong resident who farms suckler cows and beef cattle.

"It’s a friendly village and everyone gets on well. There is plenty of work for people. The engineering is just up there, which employs an awful lot of people.

"It has a school, a few halls, and location-wise, it isn't that far away from the bigger towns. Community relations are good."

George indicated that he would loved to have spoken further, but he was understandably keen to get out of the biting cold.

However, in closing, he uttered a phrase that seems to be synonymous with Teemore as a whole.

"It's the kind of place where you will always get a warm welcome," he said.

The weather conditions may have been icy in Teemore, but the welcoming atmosphere was anything but.