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 ...
in the northern part of
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
, the western
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
in
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 ...
. Dromahair is 10 km (6 mi) from
Manorhamilton
Manorhamilton () is the second-largest town in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the N16 from Sligo and from Enniskillen.
History
Before the Plantations of Ireland, the settlement was known, and continues to be known in the Ir ...
Dromahair lies in the hilly north west of Leitrim amid some stunning unspoiled natural landscapes. The "Sleeping Giant" mountain formation (comprising Keelogyboy, Leean and Benbo) is visible on approaches to the village, as is
Lough Gill
Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree".
Location and environment
Lough ...
below the Slieve Daeáne and Killerry mountain. The village itself is also idyllic, located on the banks of the River Bonet, which flows into
Lough Gill
Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree".
Location and environment
Lough ...
. Much of Dromahair was modelled on a village in Somerset by the
Earl of Leitrim
Earl of Leitrim was a title in the Peerage of Ireland.
History
The earldom of Leitrim was created in 1795 for Robert Clements, 1st Viscount Leitrim. He had already been created Baron Leitrim, of Manor Hamilton in the County of Leitrim, in 1 ...
, and the central streetscape still follows the pattern set down by him.
History
The village takes its name from the ridge of high ground on which it is located above the Bonet River. The ridge was the site of the important early church site of Drumlease, a
Patrician
Patrician may refer to:
* Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage
* Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...
foundation of the fifth century AD. The name in Irish is ''Droim Dhá Ethiar'', meaning apparently the "Ridge of Two (Air) Demons".
During the medieval period, Dromahair was the capital of Breifne - a Gaelic confederation that stretched from Kells in
County Meath
County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...
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 ...
to
County Sligo
County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the an ...
. It was the seat of the O'Rourkes - the ancient Kings of Brieifne. The ruins of the O'Rourke castle (built c. 950 AD) and banqueting hall are present in the village. On the ruins of this ancient site now fourteen holiday cottages have been built.
It is also the place from which Devorgilla (wife of Tiernan O'Rourke) was abducted by
Dermot McMurrough
Diarmait Mac Murchada (Modern Irish: Diarmaid Mac Murchadha), anglicised as Dermot MacMurrough, Dermod MacMurrough, or Dermot MacMorrogh (c. 1110 – c. 1 May 1171), was a King of Leinster in Ireland. In 1167, he was deposed by the High King ...
(the King of Leinster) in
1153
Year 1153 ( MCLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Spring – Andronikos Komnenos, son of Isaac Komnenos, is imprisoned in ...
to
Ferns
A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except th ...
, an act which brought about a feud and McMurrough's eventual exile from Ireland.
Creevelea Abbey, located on the outskirts of the village, is a Franciscan Friary which was founded in 1508 and was in use until the 17th century when the Franciscans were forced to leave by the Cromwellian army. The nave, choir, tower and transept are well preserved and it is now protected as a national monument. In addition, a fortified house constructed for Sir William Villiers (c. 1629) is located in the village. In 1798
General Humbert
General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert (22 August 1767 – 3 January 1823) was a French military officer who participated in several notable military conflicts of the late 18th and early 19th century. Born in the townland of La Coâre Saint-Nabord, ...
led Irish and French forces to defeat the British at battles in
Castlebar
Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal point for the surrounding hinterland. W ...
and at Carricknagat near
Collooney
Collooney or Coloony () is a town in County Sligo, Ireland.
Toponymy
Collooney is thought to derive from . Reverend Terrence O'Rorke has previously also suggested ''Culmaine'', as Collooney is designated this way in such works as ''the annals ...
. Humbert's forces were then pursued through Leitrim to Longford. His army is known to have rested in Dromahair and captured British artillery was thrown into the Bonet to allow faster movement of the army.
Dromahair was connected to the railway network until the late 1950s. The railway station opened on 1 September 1881 as part of the
Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway
The Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway (SL&NCR) was a railway in counties Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim and Sligo in north-west Ireland. It consisted of one main line, with no branch lines and remained privately owned until its closu ...
connecting Sligo and
Enniskillen
Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,823 a ...
. It closed on 1 October 1957 with the closure of the line.
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
used to visit the town regularly to meet the parish priest. He refers to that priest in his poem "The old priest Peter Gilligan" and to Dromahair in ''"The man who dreamed of Faeryland"'':
He stood among a crowd at Dromahair
His heart hung all upon a silken dress
And he had known at last some tenderness
Before earth took him to her stony care...
The historic Abbey Manor hotel, refurbished and re-opened in 2004 by Charlie McCreevy, the then finance minister, was abruptly closed in 2009 and abandoned to the elements. The owners went into hiding and attempts by various concerned groups and individuals to track them down have so far (2015) proved unsuccessful. The building has been subject to vandalism and theft since its closure, the lead has been removed from the roof, and the valuable paintings stolen. After an attempt was made to burn the building down, a Section 59 notice (notice to require works to be carried out by the owners) was put into effect on the hotel in July 2015.
Through at least the 19th and 20th centuries, four annual fairs were held at Dromahair on- 1 January, 15 June, 21 July, and 31 October (or 1 November).
Local amenities and attractions
Dromahair has several
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
s and restaurants. It also contains a post office, hotel and public library, a few convenience stores and general shops, hairdressers, butchers, garage, national school, two historic churches (
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
and
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the secon ...
) as well as a health centre. Tourist attractions include Creevelea Abbey, the Tour De Humbert Cycling Trail (which passes through the village), Ard Nahoo Health Farm,
Parke's Castle
Parke's Castle (also known as Newtown Castle and O'Rourke's CastleTom Condit, Gabriel Cooney, Claire Foley and Colm Donnelly, ''Archaeology Ireland Heritage Guide No. 62: Parke's Castle, Co. Leitrim'', p. 1–2. ''Archaeology Ireland'', Dublin, ...
situated beside Lough Gill on the Sligo-Dromahair road (R286, 5 km (3 mi) NW of the village) and the Wild Rose Waterbus which offers tours of Lough Gill between Sligo and
Parke's Castle
Parke's Castle (also known as Newtown Castle and O'Rourke's CastleTom Condit, Gabriel Cooney, Claire Foley and Colm Donnelly, ''Archaeology Ireland Heritage Guide No. 62: Parke's Castle, Co. Leitrim'', p. 1–2. ''Archaeology Ireland'', Dublin, ...
.
Sports
Dromahair has both men's and ladies' GAA clubs. In 2009, the men's club competed in RTÉ's ''
Celebrity Bainisteoir
''Celebrity Bainisteoir'' was a prime-time reality programme created by Fiona Looney and first broadcast in 2008 by RTÉ.
It involved a number of celebrities competing against each other as a Gaelic football team coach. The title derived from t ...
'' competition under comedian
Katherine Lynch
Katherine Lynch (born 1967) is an Irish television personality from County Leitrim. She has had several television series broadcast on RTÉ Two, with titles like ''Working Girls'', ''Wonderwomen'' and ''Single Ladies''. Lynch also participated ...
Collooney
Collooney or Coloony () is a town in County Sligo, Ireland.
Toponymy
Collooney is thought to derive from . Reverend Terrence O'Rorke has previously also suggested ''Culmaine'', as Collooney is designated this way in such works as ''the annals ...
, or east to
Manorhamilton
Manorhamilton () is the second-largest town in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the N16 from Sligo and from Enniskillen.
History
Before the Plantations of Ireland, the settlement was known, and continues to be known in the Ir ...
via the R280. The R288 is an alternative route to Sligo, north of
Lough Gill
Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree".
Location and environment
Lough ...
via the R286.
Bus Éireann routes serving Dromahair include the 462, 469 and 470 which link with Sligo,
Drumkeeran
Drumkeeran () is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland located at the junction of the R280 and R200 roads. It is situated in drumlin hills at the foot of Corry Mountain, just north of Lough Allen.
History
Throughout at least the 19th and 20th ...
, Manorhamilton,
Carrick on Shannon
Carrick-on-Shannon () is the county town of County Leitrim in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county of Leitrim. A smaller part of the town lies in County Roscommon. The population of the town was 4,062 in 2016. It is situated on a stra ...
Sligo railway station
Sligo Mac Diarmada station, also known as Sligo railway station, is a mainline railway station which serves the town of Sligo in County Sligo, Ireland. It is a terminal station which now has two platforms and an intermediate carriage siding. T ...
.
Schools
Drumlease National School is approximately two miles from
Lough Gill
Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree".
Location and environment
Lough ...
. The school is under the patronage of the Catholic
Bishop of Kilmore
The Bishop of Kilmore is an episcopal title which takes its name after the parish of Kilmore, County Cavan in Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been united with other bishopr ...
, and it underwent a Whole School Evaluation by the inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills in 2013. The Old "Drumlease National School" in the townland of the same name was found to be unsuitable for the children of Dromahair by Rev. Cormac McSharry and it was replaced by him in 1901. In 1959, a Western plot was approved as an extension to the school site, which was opened in 1969.
Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway
The Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway (SL&NCR) was a railway in counties Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim and Sligo in north-west Ireland. It consisted of one main line, with no branch lines and remained privately owned until its closu ...
Lough Gill
Lough Gill () is a freshwater lough (lake) mainly situated in County Sligo, but partly in County Leitrim, in Ireland. Lough Gill provides the setting for William Butler Yeats' poem "The Lake Isle of Innisfree".
Location and environment
Lough ...