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County Cavan – Overview

County Cavan is located in Ulster province, but does not belong to Northern Ireland
Lakes and hills abound in the area
The “Shannon Pot” where the Shannon river begins, is located here, near where Cuilcagh Mountain reaches 2,188 feet toward the sky
Cavan Town is a growing commercial area with a variety of welcoming pubs and shops, while still retaining its rural charm

Cavan Highlights

Guests in Cavan enjoy the outdoors — with angling, water sports, cruises, horse riding, golf, walking and cycling among the most popular and easily accessible activities
Two beautiful forest parks, Dun na Ri and Killykeen, offer abundant woodlands of varied species, streams and lakes, and a wide variety of birds, fish and animals to observe
Visitors can enjoy the views and explore castle ruins, forts and other sites of archeological interest interspersed throughout these wilderness enclaves
Indoors, guests can learn about traditional craftsmanship by touring and exploring the workings of Lifeforce Mill
Most prominent among medieval religious sites is the old monastery at Drumlane, which dates back to the 13th century and displays some very unusual ornamental features

History of Cavan

The Cavan area showcases the evidence of occupants dating back more than 5,000 years
The county was visited by missionaries who began the work of converting the locals to Christianity sometime during the sixth century
During the Middle Ages, Cavan existed on the border between strong tribal chieftains and Anglo Normans, without being truly governed by either group
English and Scottish settlers took up residence in the 1600s and proceeded to build towns and villages that flourished over the centuries, until the Famine struck in 1846, affecting the area profoundly
The following decades witnessed a great deal of emigration
County Cavan natives moved away to America, Canada and other countries to find work and a more prosperous life

Popular Cavan Surnames
Popular surnames in County Cavan include

Brady
Dolan
Fitzpatrick
Gaffney
Mac Gowan
MacNulty
Maguire
Martin
Plunknett
Riley
Smith Read more

It makes perfect sense that this attraction paying respect to the bygone era of food preparation is located in the predominantly rural county of Cavan. Read more

St. Mogue was long believed to have established the original abbey on this site in the 6th century
Evidence suggests it may have been established by St. Read more

Housed in a 19th century former convent, the Cavan County Museum opened in June 1996. Read more

One of Ireland’s Government-protected Forest Parks, Dun an Ri lies in a tranquil glen near the town of Kingscourt. Read more

Killykeen Forest Park is a beautiful mixed woodlands park, comprising 600 acres, woven around the lake and islands of Lough Oughter (pronounced Ooter). Read more