Leitrim, County Leitrim
Encyclopedia
Leitrim is a village in County Leitrim
, Ireland
.
at the junction of the R280
and R284
regional road
s and is connected to the River Erne
via the Shannon-Erne Waterway
. Leitrim village is the gateway to the Shannon-Erne Waterway and boasts a jetty with excellent facilities for the cruising traffic which passes through. The village is just over 5km from Carrick-on-Shannon
and 155km from Dublin.
1540: The castle of Leitrim [Village] was erected by O'Rourke (Brian, the son of Owen) while a great war waged against him on every side, namely, in Moylurg, Muintir-Eolais, and Breifney-O'Rourke; and his own son and a party of the men of Breifney were also at war with him.
He finished the castle in a short time, and destroyed a great portion of Moylurg on his way to Drumshanbo
in 1569.
. It is a well kept village with an excellent record in the Tidy Towns competition, and it won the title once. Leitrim village is well situated as a base from which to explore the upper Shannon and County Leitrim. It has four pubs and restaurants.
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Access and transport
It is located on the River ShannonRiver Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
at the junction of the R280
R280 road
The R280 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Bundoran in County Donegal in the north to Carrick-on-Shannon in County Leitrim.En route it passes through Kinlough, Manorhamilton, Drumkeeran and Leitrim village...
and R284
R284 road
The R284 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Sligo to Leitrim village in County Leitrim.En route it passes through Ballygawley, Ballyfarnan, Geevagh and Keadue. The road is long.-References:* – Department of Transport...
regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
s and is connected to the River Erne
River Erne
The River Erne , in the northwest of Ireland, rises in Beaghy Lough, two miles south of Stradone in County Cavan and flows 64 miles through Lough Gowna, Lough Oughter and Upper and Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, to the sea at Ballyshannon, County Donegal...
via the Shannon-Erne Waterway
Shannon-Erne Waterway
The Shannon-Erne Waterway is a canal linking the River Shannon in the Republic of Ireland with the River Erne in Northern Ireland. Managed by Waterways Ireland, the canal is in length, has sixteen locks and runs from Leitrim village in County Leitrim to Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh...
. Leitrim village is the gateway to the Shannon-Erne Waterway and boasts a jetty with excellent facilities for the cruising traffic which passes through. The village is just over 5km from Carrick-on-Shannon
Carrick-on-Shannon
Carrick-on-Shannon is the county town of County Leitrim in Ireland. It is also the smallest main county town in the country . It is situated on a strategic crossing point of the River Shannon and is the largest town in the county. The population of the town was 3,163 in 2006. It is in the barony...
and 155km from Dublin.
History
County Leitrim takes its name from the village of the same name situated close to the River Shannon. The village was an O'Rourke stronghold in medieval times and was a place of some strategic importance as the river nearby is comparatively shallow and narrow and therefore easily forded.1540: The castle of Leitrim [Village] was erected by O'Rourke (Brian, the son of Owen) while a great war waged against him on every side, namely, in Moylurg, Muintir-Eolais, and Breifney-O'Rourke; and his own son and a party of the men of Breifney were also at war with him.
He finished the castle in a short time, and destroyed a great portion of Moylurg on his way to Drumshanbo
Drumshanbo
Drumshanbo is a small town situated in the heart of County Leitrim, Ireland. The town takes its name from the Irish, Druim-Sean-Bhoth or "Ridge of the old huts". Drumshanbo is surrounded by a scenic area of soft rolling hills, woodlands, lakes and the Sliabh an Iarainn and Arigna mountains...
in 1569.
Modern times
Successive Finance Acts during the 1990s encouraged the building of hotels and holiday houses in designated deprived rural areas. The village way a large beneficiary of these tax incentives. The resultant explosive growth in the period between 2002 and 2007 saw several large complexes of self catering apartments blocks being erected around the mariana which was itself funded by the "International Fund for Ireland" under the auspices of the Anglo-Irish AgreementAnglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
. It is a well kept village with an excellent record in the Tidy Towns competition, and it won the title once. Leitrim village is well situated as a base from which to explore the upper Shannon and County Leitrim. It has four pubs and restaurants.
Demographics
The village had over 618 residents by the year 2002, and had over 1,033 residents in 2006.See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland