Leitrim ( ; )
is a village in
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 ...
,
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 ...
, on the
River Shannon
The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland.
The Shan ...
near the border with
County Roscommon
"Steadfast Irish heart"
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Connacht
, subdi ...
. It is at the junction of the
R280 and
R284 regional roads.
Location
Located on the River Shannon, Leitrim village is connected to the
River Erne
The River Erne ( , ga, Abhainn na hÉirne or ''An Éirne'') in the northwest of the island of Ireland, is the second-longest river in Ulster, flowing through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and forming part of their border.
...
via the
Shannon-Erne Waterway. The river port has a quay, several jetties and two marinas, with facilities for cruising traffic. The village is about from
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 ...
.
History
From the
Early modern period,
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 ...
is named after the village. Throughout at least the 19th and 20th centuries, numerous annual
fair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks.
Types
Variations of fairs incl ...
s were held at Leitrim village on- 22 January, 20 February, 25 March, 5 May, 16 June, 23 July, September 1 (or 3rd), 13 October, and 1 December. In 1925, Leitrim village comprised 30 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 ...
.
Liatroim was a strategically important
ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
of the
River Shannon
The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland.
The Shan ...
connecting
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
and
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 Delbhn ...
. The
Irish Annals
A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...
makes mention of Leitrim village ( ga, Liath-druim) many times. In 1270 the
Battle of Áth an Chip
''Cath Áth an Chip'', meaning the Battle of Ath an Chip, alias the "Battle of Connacht", was a battle fought in 1270 between armies of the Kingdoms of Connacht and England in County Leitrim in Ireland. The result was a decisive Irish victory. " ...
between Normans and Connacht probably occurred on Drumhierney townland beside Battle-bridge.
The county itself is named after the village of Leitrim near the River Shannon, which was an important stronghold during the Ó Ruairc (O'Rourke) family reign. The remains of
O'Rourke's Castle
O'Rourke's Castle (historically also Breifny Castle) is a ruined castle in Ireland. It was situated in the centre of Leitrim Village c. 30m from the N bank of the Ballinamore and Ballyconnell canal, which at this point is a canalised stream, a ...
can still be found in the village centre. The name 'Leitrim' itself is derived from the Irish Liath Druim, meaning 'grey ridge', and is a commonplace name throughout Ireland.
Developments
![Main Street, Leitrim village - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Main_Street%2C_Leitrim_village_-_geograph.org.uk_-_803459.jpg)
Successive Finance Acts during the 1990s encouraged the building of hotels and holiday houses in designated deprived rural areas. Leitrim village was a beneficiary of these tax incentives. The resultant growth in the period between 2002 and 2007 saw several complexes of self-catering apartment blocks being erected around the marinas, one of which was funded by the International Fund for Ireland under the auspices of the
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was a 1985 treaty between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The treaty gave the Irish government an advisory role in Northern Irelan ...
.
The village has had a number of successes in the
National Tidy Towns competition.
Leitrim village is used as a tourist base for the surrounding attractions such as the
Arigna Mining Experience
The Arigna Mining Experience is a centre dedicated to the coal mining history of Arigna over a period of 400 years, local geology and coal, as well as new forms of renewable energy. It is Ireland's first museum dedicated to coal mining.
History ...
,
Lough Rynn
Rinn Lough (, also ), also known as Lough Rynn, is a freshwater lake in the northwest of Ireland. It is located in south County Leitrim.
Geography
Rinn Lough measures about long and wide. It is located about south of Mohill. Lough Rynn Castl ...
,
Lough Key Forest Park
Lough Key Forest Park is an 800-hectare park on the southern shore of Lough Key, 40 km south east of Sligo Town and 3 km east of Boyle, County Roscommon, in the Republic of Ireland. Formerly part of the Rockingham Estate laid out by t ...
, the Shannon-Erne Blueway and the nearby County Town of
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 ...
.
Education and religion
St Joseph's
National School is the local primary school. The local
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 lette ...
church is also dedicated to St Joseph.
Demographics
The village had 274 residents in 1834. In 2016, the population was 594.
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]
See also
* List of towns and villages in Ireland
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
Irish annals
*
*
*
{{Authority control
Towns and villages in County Leitrim
Populated places on the River Shannon
Places of Conmaicne Maigh Nissi