The Cavan Way () is a long-distance trail in County Cavan,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is long and begins in Blacklion and ends in

Dowra Dowra () is a village and townland in northwest County Cavan, Ireland. Located in a valley on Lough Allen, it is the first village on, and marks the most uppermost navigable point of, the River Shannon. On one side of its bridge is County Cavan ...

. It is typically completed in one day. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the

Irish Sports Council Sport Ireland ( ga, Spórt Éireann), formerly the Irish Sports Council, is a statutory authority that oversees, and partly funds, the development of sport within Ireland. It is located at the National Sports Campus in the townland of Sheephill ...

and is managed by

Cavan County Council Cavan County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae an Chabháin) is the authority responsible for Local government in the Republic of Ireland, local government in County Cavan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the L ...

. The trail was devised by a local man, Harold Johnston, and set up by the Blacklion Community Council and the Cavan County Development Team between 1984 and 1985. From Blacklion, the Way climbs into the hills above the village, looking over Upper and

Lower Lough MacNean Lough MacNean () is a large freshwater lake on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is in two parts. Lower Lough MacNean (or Lough Nilly),The English Cyclopedia 1867 Page 498 " ... and is connected by a short st ...

, before passing along the outskirts of The Cavan Burren and past the Giant's Grave, an ancient

passage tomb A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or with stone, and having a narrow access passage made of large stones. These structures usually date from the Neolithic Age, and are found largely in Wester ...

and the highest point on the trail. The route descends and passes the Moneygashel crossroads, where the remains of a sweat house may be found. The route then passes the

Shannon Pot Shannon Pot () is a pool in the karst landscape in the townland of Derrylahan near Cuilcagh Mountain in County Cavan, Ireland. An aquifer-fed naturally fluctuating pool, it is the traditional source of the River Shannon. The pool itself is about ...

, the small pool which is the

source Source may refer to: Research * Historical document * Historical source * Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence * Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute o ...

of the River Shannon. After following the banks of the Shannon for a few kilometres, the Way reaches a road which leads to the end of the trail at Dowra. The Cavan Way provides a connection between the

Leitrim Way The Leitrim Way is a 56km long-distance trail between Leitrim village, and Manorhamilton County Leitrim, Ireland. This route is generally completed over 2–3 days, and brings walkers through a variety of landscape forms common to this beautiful ...

at Dowra and the

Ulster Way The Ulster Way is a series of walking routes which encircles Northern Ireland. It was founded in the 1970s by Wilfrid Merydith Capper, who was inspired by Tom Stephenson's Pennine Way. The route was relaunched in 2009 by the Department of the ...

at Blacklion. It forms part of the

Beara-Breifne Way The Beara-Breifne Way is a long-distance walking and cycling trail being developed from the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland, to Blacklion in the area of Breifne in County Cavan. The trail follows closely the line of the historical march ...

, a walking and cycling route under development, intended to run from the

Beara Peninsula Beara ( ga, Béarra) or the Beara Peninsula is a peninsula on the south-west coast of Ireland, bounded between the Kenmare "river" (actually a bay) to the north side and Bantry Bay to the south. It contains two mountain ranges running down it ...

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns a ...

to Breifne,

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...

following the line of

Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare, Prince of Beare, 1st Count of Berehaven ( ga, Domhnall Cam Ó Súileabháin Bhéara) (1561–1618), was an Irish nobleman and soldier who was the last independent Chief of the Name of the O'Sullivan clan. He was thus ...

's march in the aftermath of the

Battle of Kinsale The siege of Kinsale, or Battle of Kinsale ( ga, Léigear/Cath Chionn tSáile), was the ultimate battle in England's conquest of Gaelic Ireland, commencing in October 1601, near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and at the climax of t ...

in 1602.

References

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

Cavan Way
a
IrishTrails.ie
{{coord missing, County Cavan Long-distance trails in the Republic of Ireland Geography of County Cavan Tourist attractions in County Cavan