Leitrim Ireland

Welcome to Leitrim!

County Leitrim

With just two miles of coastline, Leitrim is a mainly inland county of rolling hills, lakes, rivers, pastures and boglands.

Leitrim remains unspoilt, a haven from the stresses and strains of modern urban living.

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Information Leitrim Ireland

County Leitrim is the big secret that the people of the West of Ireland don’t want you to know about: Overlooked by many visitors, it is a great area for hill walks or water pastimes such as fishing and boating. While it has the Dartry Mountains for the more adventurous, long distance hikers will enjoy the rolling hills of the Leitrim Way which runs from Manorhamilton to Drumshanbo thirty miles away and a little further on, Leitrim town. The footpath itself is well sign posted.

Most of Lough Gill is in neighbouring Sligo, but Leitrim has the eastern end of it, where you can see Parke’s Castle built in 1609 for Capt Robert Parke – the site itself had seen previous habitation, as it was once a five storey tower owned by the O’Rourke clan. The Parke family abandoned the castle before the end of the seventeenth century, and it was left derelict before restoration in the mid twentieth century using many of the traditional building techniques. Today it is open to visitors for the tourist season, so if you’re going to visit, make sure to call ahead in case your journey is wasted.

Lough Allen and Lough Melvin are two more of the lakes in County Leitrim, and the lakes and rivers of Leitrim are a big draw for those who enjoy fishing. Boats can also be hired for cruises too, or a combination of the two. The waterways of Leitrim are generally well stocked with fish.

County Leitrim contains the village of Dromahair, which in turn contains Breffni Castle, from where Diarmuid (Dermot) MacMurrough kidnapped the wife of a rival and eloped. Tiernan O’Rourke called on his ally Rory O’Connor and together both clans drove McMurrough from Ireland more than a decade later. McMurrough returned in 1169 with the support of the Normans, and so began the bitter struggles between oppressor and oppressed that have marked the last eight centuries in Ireland.

Attractions Leitrim Ireland


Leitrim Tourist Attractions

  • Glencar Waterfall - Glencar Lough

    Particularly impressive after rain. There are many more waterfalls visible from the road, although none quite as romantic as this one.

  • Glens Centre - Manorhamilton

    New Line, Manorhamilton, the Glens Centre is a lively arts centre hosting a large number of classes and activities, concerts, drama, recitals and readings. It is the home of North Leitrim Glens Tourism Coop which organises fishing, hill walking etc.

  • Lough Rynn House - Mohill

    Formerly the home of the Earls of Leitrim, the Lough Rynn estate is an intricate mingling of land and water. The notable mid-nineteenth century walled garden, with its terraces designed to catch the sun, no longer provides fruit and vegetables for an Earl's table.Its architectural features include a turreted summer house with splendid views over Lough Rynn. Lough Rynn House and Gardens has ornamental gardens, nature trails and a terraced walled garden which dates from 1859.

  • Sliabh an Iarainn Visitor Centre - Drumshanbo

    Provides audio-visual displays reflecting life, transport and industry between Arigna and the Sliabh an Iarainn mountains. Special emphasis is placed on the railway, canal, lakes, iron and coal mining. Sliabh an Iarainn, the beautiful rugged mountain of legend and song, lies behind Drumshanbo.

  • The Costello Memorial Chapel - Carrick-On-Shannon

    This is the second smallest chapel in the world. It was built in the nineteenth century by Costello in memory of his wife. Husband and wife now rest side by side in the beautiful memorial.


Heritage Sites

  • Parkes Castle - Five Mile Burren

    This impressive manor house sits on the shores of one of Ireland's most beautiful lakes, Lough Gill. The splendour of Parkes Castle is immediately evident as you drive around the lake. Once an important stronghold of the local O'Rourke family, rulers of Breffni, Parkes Castle has been recently restored to its true 17th century style.

The Golf Courses Leitrim Ireland

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  • Ballinamore Golf Club

    Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim

    9 Hole Course. This is the only course in County Leitrim which is situated alongside the Shannon Erne Waterway. On this newly designed golf course, all greens are sand-based. Facilities include canal side club house, changing rooms and bar with light refreshments. Beautiful scenic parkland course.

  • Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Club

    Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim

    Hilly 18 Hole Course. Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Club has expanded from a nine-hole course to an eighteen-hole course.  From the highest point, the view is close to breathtaking. The Boyle River and Drumharlow Lake – integral parts of the Shannon water system – touch the land that is being moulded into the new golf holes, and there are also views of the Arigina Mountains.

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