Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [454]
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COUNTY LEITRIM
The delights of the unassuming county of Leitrim are a well-kept secret, and it seems the locals like it that way. The untamed landscape and authentic rural charm are genuinely cherished by those who call it home and there’s a reluctance to let anyone or anything spoilt it. Despite this, there’s an enormous welcome for visitors – just don’t bank on being let in on secrets about favourite fishing spots or watering holes until you’ve been here at least a generation.
Leitrim was ravaged by the famine in the 19th century and spent subsequent generations struggling with mass emigration and unemployment, but today it has a spark all of its own and has become a beloved hideout for artists, writers and musicians as well as a huge boating centre.
Water is everywhere in Leitrim: when locals say that land is sold by the gallon, they’re only half joking. The county is split almost in two by Lough Allen, and the mighty River Shannon remains the area’s biggest draw. Carrick-on-Shannon, the county town, is a lively centre that makes a great base for exploring the region by water or by road. To the west is the wonderfully atmospheric Parke’s Castle and further north, the tranquil Organic Centre at Rossinver.
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CARRICK-ON-SHANNON
pop 3163
Carrick-on-Shannon is a charming town with a riverside location and a thriving community. Since the completion of the Shannon–Erne Waterway, the marina here has become incredibly busy. The town is a hugely popular weekend destination with a good choice of accommodation and restaurants and a great music and arts scene. Plan your visit in advance, especially in summer.
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RIVER’S WISDOM
According to Irish mythology, the River Shannon’s name comes from Princess Sinann, granddaughter of Lír (father god of the sea). According to the legend, Sinann plunged into a well where the salmon of wisdom swam in pursuit of its mystic knowledge, causing the well to boil up into a raging flood which created the great river.
A plaque on Carrick-on-Shannon’s main street opposite Market Yard commemorates the legend.
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During the 17th and most of the 18th centuries Carrick was a Protestant enclave, and the local residents’ wealth can still be seen in the graceful buildings around the town. Catholics were permitted to live in the area known as the ‘Liberty’ on the Roscommon side of the river.
Orientation & Information
Carrick’s main L-shaped layout (Main St, then the right-angled turn onto Bridge St) is in County Leitrim; the town’s continuation over the bridge is in County Roscommon. Market Yard is situated at the corner of the ‘L’.
AIB (Allied Irish Bank; Main St)
D Internet Cafe ( 071-965 0819; Main St; €5 per hr; 10am-10pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat, noon-8pm Sun)
Post office (St George’s Tce) Opposite Market Yard.
Tourist office ( 071-962 0170; www.leitrimtourism.com; Old Barrel Store, Carrick-on-Shannon Marina; 9.30am-5pm Easter-Oct) Has a walking-tour booklet, which takes in Carrick’s places of interest.
Trinity Rare Books ( 071-962 2144; Bridge St) Stocks over 20,000 antique and second-hand books, including some hard-to-come-by first editions and a huge collection of Irish-interest titles.
Sights
Europe’s smallest chapel is the teensy Costello Chapel (Bridge St), measuring just 5m by 3.6m. It was built by Edward Costello in 1877, distraught at the early death of his wife Mary. Both husband and wife now rest within the grey limestone interior lit by a single stained-glass window. Their embalmed bodies were placed in lead coffins, which sit on either side of the door under slabs of glass. If the door is locked, ask the tourist office for a key.
Carrick has some wonderful examples of early-19th-century architecture on St George’s Terrace. Have a glance at Hatley Manor, home of the St George family; and the Old