About County Cavan
County Cavan is a land of drumlin hills and countless lakes, a glacial landscape that made travel and conquest alike difficult for centuries. The county sits at a geographical crossroads between Ulster and Leinster, and its isolation helped preserve old Gaelic family structures long after they disappeared elsewhere in Ireland.
History
Cavan was the heart of the ancient kingdom of Breifne, ruled for centuries by the O'Reilly clan. When the Plantation of Ulster carved up the province in the 17th century, Cavan was included despite having been only partially conquered. The county's lakes and boglands sheltered fugitive Gaelic lords and Catholic clergy during the worst years of the Penal Laws.
How Cavan families left Ireland
Cavan was one of the counties most devastated by the Famine, its population fell by nearly half between 1841 and 1851 through death and emigration. Cavan families left through the ports of Drogheda and Dublin, many heading for New York, Philadelphia and the mill towns of New England.
Places worth visiting in County Cavan
- Lough Oughter Castle, the island fortress where the last great Gaelic lord of Ulster died
- Kilmore Cathedral, housing an notable Romanesque doorway rescued from an ancient island monastery
- The Shannon Pot, the source of Ireland's greatest river, hidden in the Cuilcagh Mountains
- Cavan Burren, an upland limestone landscape rivalling the famous Burren of Clare
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