Kinlough ( ; ) is a village in north

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 ...

. It lies between the

Dartry Mountains The Dartry Mountains ( ga, Sléibhte Dhartraí) are a mountain range in the north west of Ireland, in the north of counties Sligo and Leitrim. They lie between Lough Melvin, Lough Gill and Lough MacNean. The highest point is Truskmore at . O ...

and the Atlantic Ocean, and between the

River Duff The River Duff, or Bunduff, () is a river in County Sligo and County Leitrim, Ireland. The River Duff is long, flowing from Glenade Valley in County Leitrim to the sea. In County Leitrim it is also known as the Black River. It is joined by the ...

and the River Drowes, at the head of

Lough Melvin Lough Melvin ( ; ) is a lake in the northwest of the island of Ireland on the border between County Leitrim (in Ireland) and County Fermanagh (in the United Kingdom). It is internationally renowned for its unique range of plants and animals. Ec ...

. It borders counties

Donegal Donegal may refer to: County Donegal, Ireland * County Donegal, a county in the Republic of Ireland, part of the province of Ulster * Donegal (town), a town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland * Donegal Bay, an inlet in the northwest of Ireland b ...

and

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh ( ga, Fir Manach), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of a ...

and is near Yeats Country. It lies 2.5 miles from

Bundoran Bundoran () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. The town is located near the N15 road near Ballyshannon, and is the most southerly town in Donegal. The town is a tourist seaside resort, and tourism has been at the heart of the local economy s ...

, County Donegal, and across Lough Melvin from

Garrison, County Fermanagh Garrison is a small village near Lough Melvin in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The Roogagh River runs through the village. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 357 people. It is situated within Fermanagh and Omagh district. Acco ...

Amenities

The village has a library, pre-school, montessori school, after school care, primary school, community pitch, community hall and folk museum, a Church of Ireland and a Catholic church, pubs, restaurants and take-aways.

Demographics

The village population stood at approximately 350 since the

Great Hunger The Great Famine ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a h ...

. Back in 1925, Kinlough village comprised 44 houses with 5 being licensed to sell

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

. The 2006 census showed an increase for the first time in one hundred and fifty years. The 2011 census figures showed the population at 1,018, an increase of 47% on 2006.

Tourist attractions

(Irish: Lough Meilbhe) is internationally renowned for its unique range of plants and animals. As well as its early run of Atlantic Salmon, the lake boasts three trout species including the legendary Giolla Rua. The first salmon of the year is caught regularly on the River Drowes which runs from the lake. Within the catchment area, the endangered globeflower, molinia meadows and sessile oak woodlands can be found. Lough Melvin straddles the border with part of it in Garrison, Co. Fermanagh. The view from the village looks up to The Dartry Mountain often mistakenly referred to as 'Aroo Mountain' probably because Aroo Lough is situated on the south side of the mountain. Ahanlish, Glenade and Truskmore Mountains are also visible. Nearby at Glenade (about 7.5 miles south east) is Poll na mBear (Cave of the Bears) where some of the best preserved examples of Irish brown bear bones were recovered by cavers in May 1997.

Education

The Four Masters School, is the village primary school. It is named after the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

, historical writings produced by Irish historians of the early 17th century.

Transport

Kinlough is served by two

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...

routes on Fridays for Route 483 to

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

and route 495 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 ...

. Both routes also provide a link between Kinlough,

and

Ballyshannon Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland. Location B ...

People

* Arthur Kerr (1877–1942), botanist, born Kinlough. *

James Kilfedder Sir James Alexander Kilfedder (16 July 1928 – 20 March 1995), usually known as Sir Jim Kilfedder, was a Northern Irish unionist politician. Early life Jim Kilfedder born in Kinlough, a village in the north of County Leitrim in what was the ...

Amenities

Demographics

Tourist attractions

Education

Transport

People

References

Primary references

Secondary references