County Cavan is sometimes referred to as the Lakeland County, and it is said that there is at least a lake for each day of the year. The landscape of County Cavan is a pleasant mix of low hills, rivers, lakes and marshland. The river Shannon begins its 400 kilometre journey to the Atlantic Ocean here, as does the river Erne. The Shannon-Erne Waterway links the two great rivers.
The variety of waterways in County Cavan provide excellent scenic and activity based holidays for visitors. The proliferation of meandering rivers, gentle streams and tree-lined lakes provide the visitor with excellent opportunities for boating, cruising, fishing and swimming. In fact, course angling remains one of Cavan’s most popular visitor attractions.
Cavan is located in the northwest of Ireland, and is one of the counties which borders Northern Ireland.
The county’s small towns and villages offer friendly and hospitable accommodation facilities. Cavan is an ideal spot for a quiet break or a family holiday.
Top Attractions in County Cavan
Áras Cilian (St Kilian Heritage Centre) – Mullagh – St. Kilian’s Heritage Centre celebrates the life, work, martyrdom and cult of St. Kilian who was born in Mullagh in 640 AD. Maps, photographs, statuettes, manuscripts and art reproductions bring to life the work of Irish missionaries in Europe in the 6th and 7th centuries.
Belturbet Station – Railway Road, Belturbet – Belturbet, one of Cavan’s most attractive and historic towns on the River Erne, is the scene of an exciting new heritage tourism project. The old GNR cutstone railway station, built in 1885 has been fully restored and now houses an interesting exhibition telling the story of the railway age here.
Carraig Craft Visitor Centre – Mountnugent – A basketry museum with exhibitions of traditional baskets in rod, rush and straw. Audio-visual. Lectures and demonstrations available. Craft shop, coffee shop, tourist info and coach parking.
Cavan County Museum – Virginia Road, Ballyjamesduff – Housed in a beautiful 19th century building, the museum traces the history of Cavan from prehistoric times through to rural life in the 1950s. The museum features 18th, 19th and 20th century costume displays, galleries on folk life and the GAA and Camogie Associations.
Cavan Genealogy Centre – Johnston Library & Farnham Centre, Farnham Street, Cavan Town – The County Cavan Genealogical Research Centre, based in the Johnston Library & Farnham Centre, Farnham Street, Cavan, offers a full genealogical research service for people with Cavan ancestry.
Killykeen Forest Park – Killykeen – This beautiful park is woven around lake and islands of Lough Oughter.
Main Destinations in County Cavan
Cavan Town has seen some turbulent times in its history. The county town of Cavan was burned to the ground in 1576, apparently by one of the women from the O’Reilly clan in a fit of jealously.
Virginia is a small town and gateway to the region, located on the N3 route between Dublin and Cavan Town.
Ballyconnell is a town near the border with County Fermanagh and overlooked by Slieve Russell. It was named after a Celtic ford and is highly regarded for its coarse fishing.
Popular locations to stay in Co. Cavan are Ballyconnell (1 place to stay), Cavan Town (6), Kingscourt (1), Lough Gowna (1), Milltown (1), Mountnugent (1), Mullahoran (1).
Other towns include Arvagh, Bailieborough, Ballinagh, Ballyhugh, Ballyjamesduff, Bawnboy, Belturbet, Blacklion, Butlersbridge, Cootehill, Corlough, Killykeen, Kilnaleck, Mullagh, Redhills, Swanlinbar, Virginia.
Getting Here and Around
County Cavan is located a little over an hours’ drive northwest of Dublin via the M3 tolled motorway. There are bus services to Dublin Airport and city, Belfast, Donegal, Monaghan, Athlone, Longford, Dundalk and Enniskillen. There are no rail services to Cavan – the nearest stations are in County Longford on the Dublin/Sligo line.
More detailed information on getting to and around County Cavan can be found in our Co. Cavan Transport Guide.