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. As of the 2022 census, the population of the town was 4,743. It is situated on a strategic crossing point of the River Shannon. The Leitrim part of the town is in the civil parish of Kiltoghert which is in the ancient barony of Leitrim. History Carrick-on-Shannon is situated on a fording point of the Shannon. In the vicinity of Drumsna, on the County Roscommon border, are the remains of an Iron Age fortification. Corryolus townland on the Shannon remembers Eolais Mac Biobhsach, ancestor of the Muintir Eolais who were the most famous ancient Leitrim sub-septs in the Barony of Mohill and the Barony of Leitrim. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, a famous Battle of Áth an Chip occurred near Carrick-on-Shannon. On old maps, the town was also known as Carrick Drumrusk and Carrikdrumrusk, being an anglicised variant of the Irish name of the town. Carrick-on-Shannon was granted a royal charter and named a borough with its own seal in 1607. Throughout at least the 19th and 20th centuries, three annual fairs were held at Carrick on- 12 May, 11 August, and 21 November (or 22nd). Historic buildings are the "Carrick Castle", the Workhouse and Famine Graveyard, Hatley Manor (a restored Georgian period home of the St. George Family), St George's Church of Ireland and the Costello Chapel. It is considered the gateway to the Shannon–Erne Waterway, Lough Key, Acres Lake and Lough Allen via the villages of Cootehall, Knockvicar, Jamestown, Leitrim Village, Drumshanbo and Keshcarrigan and is only a short distance away from the Glens of North Leitrim.