Carrick-on-Shannon
Encyclopedia
Carrick-on-Shannon is the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...

 of County Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...

 in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. It is also the smallest main county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...

 in the country . It is situated on a strategic crossing point of the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...

 and is the largest town in the county. The population of the town was 3,163 in 2006. It is in the barony
Barony (Ireland)
In Ireland, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds...

 of Leitrim. and in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 of Kiltoghert in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland.-Geographic remit:The diocese is spread over parts of seven counties in the centre of Ireland. It includes almost all of County Longford, half of County Leitrim and parts of counties Westmeath, Offaly, Cavan, Roscommon...


History

It has been regarded as the key to the west from Ulster for millennia as it is situated on a fording point of the Shannon. In the vicinity of the nearby village of Drumsna
Drumsna
Drumsna is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is situated 6 km east of Carrick-on-Shannon on the River Shannon and is located off the N4 National primary route which links Dublin and Sligo. The harbour dates to 1817 and was a hive of commercial waterway activity until the more northern...

, on the County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...

 border, may be seen remains of an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

 fortification, which points to the long felt need to prevent incursions and raids from that quarter. As an ancient stronghold of the O'Rourkes of Breifne
Kingdom of Breifne
The Kingdom of Breifne or Bréifne was the traditional territory for an early Irish tribal group known as the Uí Briúin Bréifne...

 and their ofttimes rivals, the O'Raghnaills (Reynolds) of North Roscommon, the town was granted a royal charter and named a borough with its own seal in 1607. The remains of Carrick Castle can still be seen on the N4 By-Pass near the Carrick Bridge. Signposted walking tours of the town allow visitors to discover its interesting historical buildings, in particular the Workhouse and Famine Graveyard, Hatley Manor (a restored Georgian period home of the St. George Family, now under the benevolent care of MBNA), St George's Church of Ireland ( has an interactive Visitor Centre), and the Costello Chapel which is believed to be the smallest chapel in Europe. The Carrick-on-Shannon & District Historical Society is very active and holds monthly lectures for members and the general public as well as running trips to various places.

Carrick-on-Shannon nestles on a scenic stretch of the Shannon and is also surrounded by some of the most beautiful and unspoilt scenery in Ireland. It is the gateway to the Shannon-Erne Waterway
Shannon-Erne Waterway
The Shannon-Erne Waterway is a canal linking the River Shannon in the Republic of Ireland with the River Erne in Northern Ireland. Managed by Waterways Ireland, the canal is in length, has sixteen locks and runs from Leitrim village in County Leitrim to Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh...

, Lough Key
Lough Key
Lough Key is a lake in Ireland. It is located in the northwest of County Roscommon, northeast of the town of Boyle. The lough's name is believed to come from Cé, a druid; the lake was formed over his grave.-Derivation of name:...

, Acres Lake and Lough Allen
Lough Allen
Lough Allen is a lake situated on the River Shannon, in the north-central part of Ireland, near Ireland's border region. Most of the lake is in County Leitrim, with a smaller portion in County Roscommon. The lake lies to the south of the river's source, near the Iron Mountains, and is the...

 via the picturesque villages of Cootehall, Knockvicar
Knockvicar
Knockvicar is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located on the R285 regional road, between Boyle and Carrick-on-Shannon near Lough Key Forest Park in the north of the county....

, Jamestown
Jamestown, County Leitrim
Jamestown is a village on the banks of the River Shannon in County Leitrim, Ireland. It lies some 5 km east-south-east of the county town, Carrick-on-Shannon....

, Leitrim Village
Leitrim, County Leitrim
Leitrim is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland.-Access and transport:It is located on the River Shannon at the junction of the R280 and R284 regional roads and is connected to the River Erne via the Shannon-Erne Waterway. Leitrim village is the gateway to the Shannon-Erne Waterway and boasts a...

, Drumshanbo
Drumshanbo
Drumshanbo is a small town situated in the heart of County Leitrim, Ireland. The town takes its name from the Irish, Druim-Sean-Bhoth or "Ridge of the old huts". Drumshanbo is surrounded by a scenic area of soft rolling hills, woodlands, lakes and the Sliabh an Iarainn and Arigna mountains...

 and Keshcarrigan
Keshcarrigan
Keshcarrigan is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland. The village is situated on the Shannon-Erne Waterway and the R209 road near Lough Scur and Sheebeg, an ancient pagan burial site overlooking Kesh Lake....

 and is only a short distance away as are the spectacular Glens of North Leitrim.

Local Government

As of March 2009, three County Councillors, Sinead Guckian (Fianna Fáil), Gerard Reynolds (Fine Gael) and Liam McElgunn (Fianna Fáil) were from the town.

Carrick Bridge & Quay

Until the early 19th Century, the head of the Shannon Navigation was Drumsna, where the famous English novelist, Trollope, was Postmaster. In the 1840s the improvement of the navigation entailed extensive dredging of the river, the cutting of Jamestown Canal, the construction of locks at Drumsna
Drumsna
Drumsna is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is situated 6 km east of Carrick-on-Shannon on the River Shannon and is located off the N4 National primary route which links Dublin and Sligo. The harbour dates to 1817 and was a hive of commercial waterway activity until the more northern...

 and Knockvicar
Knockvicar
Knockvicar is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located on the R285 regional road, between Boyle and Carrick-on-Shannon near Lough Key Forest Park in the north of the county....

, and the building of a new bridge and Quays at Carrick-on-Shannon. The new bridge, built in 1846, took the place of a nine arch stone bridge, which in turn replaced a wooden structure.
For over a century, until the closing of the Grand Canal Company in 1960, Carrick was a major depot for river trade; timber, cemnt, hardware, and especially Guinness stout (see the Old Barrell Store, right) were all transported here from Dublin, Athlone and Limerick.
Nearby is the clubhouse of Carrick-on-Shannon Rowing Club, which has been one of the foremost in the country since its establishment in 1827. Its traditions are very much alive and visitors may observe club members in practice on the river.

The annual regatta at the August Holiday was a famed highlight of the festive season in the whole North West. M.J. McManus recalls that he watched...

"In August sunshine, the eights and the fours and the pleasure boats and the turf-cots competing on Carrick's day of days."

Water Music Festival

Since its inception in 2005, the Festival has brought a range of musical talent to Carrick-on-Shannon, the intention, to reinforce the image of the Northwest as a desirable place to live, work and visit. In 2008 the festival was extended from a five day event to a week long event.

Arts

The Dock is a multi purpose arts centre in Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim with an extensive performing and visual arts programme and a vibrant community workshop programme. Housed in the renovated 19th Century courthouse building overlooking the river Shannon, The Dock was opened in August 2005. It houses an intimate theatre space with regular performances of music, theatre, comedy and more; three art galleries with monthly exhibitions showcasing the best of local, national and international work; artists' studios, workshop spaces, a coffee shop and theatre bar and The Leitrim Design House, a unique retail gallery with work from a wide array of local artists and designers.

The Very Small Gallery is located in 'The Bush Craft Yard'. Sixty local artists are exhibited.

Churches

St. Mary's Catholic Church is on the left on the Main Street. Built in the Gothic style, it was designed by W.H. Hague, a distinguished Dublin architect. It was dedicated on 19 October 1879. The church is enhanced by its position on elevated ground and the flights of stone steps leading to it. Since February 2010 it has been closed for extensive renovations. Fr. Thomas Fitzgerald, the priest responsible for its construction, is buried within the chancel in front of the Blessed Sacrament Altar.

St. George's Church, which stands uphill to the left of Main Street at the top of St. Mary's Close, is the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

 parish Church. Prior to 1698, the parish church was situated at Kiltoghert. In that year it was transferred to its present site in Carrick. It was re-built in 1829 and the interior reconstructed in the years 1910-1914. Rev. W.A. Percy who was Rector from 1869 to 1886 was grandfather of the famous song writer Percy French.

Coming back down St. Mary's Close and further up Main St. "The Priest's Lane" was the old name for the road at the Swan Bar leading to St. Patrick's Park. This was where the Catholic clergy first lived after the relaxation of the Penal Laws. It is also reputed to have been the home of Turlough Carolan, the harpist and composer when he came to Carrick as a boy with his family from Nobber, Co. Meath in 1684.

Climate

Carrick on Shannon experiences a year-round mild, moist, temperate and changeable climate, due to the prevailing winds of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...

. The town experiences a lack of temperature extremes, with temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) and above 30 °C (86 °F) being rare. The town receives an average of 1,147 mm (45.2") of precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...

 annually, which is evenly distributed throughout the year. Rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...

 is the most common form of precipitation - hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...

, sleet
Rain and snow mixed
Rain and snow mixed is precipitation composed of rain and partially melted snow. This precipitation can occur where the temperature in the lower part of the atmosphere is slightly above the freezing point...

 and snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...

 are rare in the town, though will sometimes be experienced during particularly cold winters. Carrick on Shannon is also consistently humid, with humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...

 normally ranging from 70% to 100%, and this can lead to heavy showers, and even thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...

s breaking out when drier east wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...

s, originating in the European continent, clash with this humidity particularly in the late summer.

The average January temperature in the town is 6.8 °C (40.6 °F) and the average July temperature is 16.0 °C (60.8 °F). This means that Carrick on Shannon is said to have a Maritime Temperate climate (Cfb) according to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...

 system.

While extreme weather
Extreme weather
Extreme weather includes weather phenomena that are at the extremes of the historical distribution, especially severe or unseasonal weather. The most commonly used definition of extreme weather is based on an event's climatological distribution. Extreme weather occurs only 5% or less of the time...

 is rare, the town and county can experience severe windstorms
European windstorm
A European windstorm is a severe cyclonic windstorm associated with areas of low atmospheric pressure that track across the North Atlantic towards northwestern Europe. They are most common in the winter months...

 that are the result of vigorous Atlantic depression
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...

s that occasionally pass along the north west coast of Ireland. Most of these storms occur between late autumn and early spring.

Due to the towns north westerly location, has long summer days. Daylight at midsummer is before 04:00 and lasts until after 23:00. In midwinter, daylight does not start until 09.00, and has gone by 16:00.

Transport

As its name implies, the town is located on the River Shannon, which is linked to the Erne
River Erne
The River Erne , in the northwest of Ireland, rises in Beaghy Lough, two miles south of Stradone in County Cavan and flows 64 miles through Lough Gowna, Lough Oughter and Upper and Lower Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, to the sea at Ballyshannon, County Donegal...

 via the Shannon-Erne Waterway
Shannon-Erne Waterway
The Shannon-Erne Waterway is a canal linking the River Shannon in the Republic of Ireland with the River Erne in Northern Ireland. Managed by Waterways Ireland, the canal is in length, has sixteen locks and runs from Leitrim village in County Leitrim to Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh...

. Carrick on Shannon railway station
Carrick on Shannon railway station
Carrick on Shannon railway station serves the town of Carrick on Shannon, whilst the town itself is in County Leitrim, the railway station lies across the border in neighbouring County Roscommon.The station opened on 3rd December 1862....

 opened on 3 December 1862. The town is located on the N4
N4
N4, N-4, N.4, or N04 may refer to:* , an unstable molecule of nitrogen.* Washburn N4, an electric guitar* N4 Markup Language* N°4, a shortening for Number Four* N4, a postcode district in the N postcode area...

 National Primary Route, linking Dublin in the east to Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...

 in the west. The road is of motorway status for much of its length. A short drive from the town will lead you to County Roscommon. Carrick-on-Shannon also has a small village within its town called Cortober
Cortober
Cortober . Cortober is a townland in the counties of Roscommon and Leitrim Carrick-on-Shannon and is divided between the River Shannon. At the north-eastern extremity of the Parish...

.

Sport

  • Gaelic games
    Gaelic games
    Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...

     - St Marys GAA Club, based in the parish of Kiltoghert. The club was re-formed in March 1944. For 55 years, the club rented the Show Grounds on the Boyle Road.
  • Golf
    Golf
    Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

     - Carrick on Shannon Golf Club The townland of Ballinamoney was first the first site for a golf course. In 1936 the club moved to a site nearer the town in Lisnagot. In 1944 it moved to its present location in Woodbrook.
  • Rowing
    Rowing (sport)
    Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

     - Carrick on Shannon Rowing Club The club was founded in 1836.
  • Rugby
    Rugby football
    Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

  • Soccer - Carrick Town FC was founded in 1976. The home ground is located at the Showgrounds on the Boyle Road. On 12 June 2011 Carrick hosted the Connacht Championship semi-final between fierce rivals Leitrim
    Leitrim GAA
    The Leitrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Leitrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Leitrim. The county board is also responsible for the Leitrim inter-county teams.-Gaelic football:In the 1924 Connacht...

     and Roscommon
    Roscommon GAA
    For more details of Roscommon GAA see Roscommon Senior Club Football Championship or Roscommon Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Roscommon County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Roscommon GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games...

    .

Fishing

Carrick-on-Shannon is acknowledged nationally and internationally as an Anglers Paradise, and has hosted National and International Fishing Competitions.
Within a 10 km radius of the town are no fewer than 41 lakes, all of which are free unrestricted and easily accessible. Catchwise expect excellent roach, bream, rudd, tench, pike, perch, eel or trout. Boats, live bait, specialised fishing maps and a vast fund of local fishing knowledge and expertise are readily available throughout the town.

Twinning

Carrick-on-Shannon is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with the following places: Cesson-Sévigné
Cesson-Sévigné
Cesson-Sévigné is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.It is a suburb directly to the east of Rennes, bordered on its west side by the University of Rennes and the Technopole Atalante. It is primarily a residential area for the middle class. The south side...

, Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...


See also

  • List of towns and villages in Ireland
  • Market Houses in Ireland
    Market Houses in the Republic of Ireland
    Market houses are a notable feature of many Irish towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper floor was...

  • Cortober
    Cortober
    Cortober . Cortober is a townland in the counties of Roscommon and Leitrim Carrick-on-Shannon and is divided between the River Shannon. At the north-eastern extremity of the Parish...


External links

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