Carrick-on-Shannon
Carrick-on-Shannon
Cora Droma Rúisc | ||
---|---|---|
Town | ||
Eircode routing key N41 | ||
Telephone area code | +353(0)71 | |
Irish Grid Reference | M935996 | |
Website | www |
Carrick-on-Shannon (Irish: Cora Droma Rúisc, meaning "weir of the marshy ridge"[2]) 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.[1] 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.[2]
History
Carrick-on-Shannon is situated on a fording point of the Shannon. In the vicinity of
occurred near Carrick-on-Shannon.On old maps, the town was also known as Carrick Drumrusk[5] and Carrikdrumrusk,[6] 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.[7] 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).[8][9] 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.
Local media
Carrick-on-Shannon is served by the Leitrim Observer which is published every Wednesday and the fortnightly free Northwest Express newspapers. The Leitrim Post is now defunct.[10][11][12]
Places of interest
Carrick Bridge and Quay
Until the early 19th century, the head of the Shannon Navigation was Drumsna. 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 and Knockvicar, 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, cement, hardware, and especially Guinness stout were all transported here from Dublin, Athlone, and Limerick.
Churches
St. Mary's Catholic Church, on the Main Street, is built in the Neo-Gothic style. It was designed by W.H. Hague, a Dublin architect. It was dedicated on 19 October 1879. The church is on a plot of elevated ground. Fr. Thomas Fitzgerald, the priest responsible for its construction, is buried within the chancel in front of the Blessed Sacrament Altar. The town is in the parish of Kiltoghert in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise[13]
St. George's Church, St. Mary's Close, is the Church of Ireland 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 the grandfather of the famous songwriter Percy French.
The Priest's Lane is a long-standing name for the road leading from Main Street to St. Patrick's Park. This was where the Catholic clergy first lived after the relaxation of the
The Carrick Baptist Church was founded in September 2012. The church holds its services on Park Lane.
The Costello Memorial Chapel, said to be the second smallest chapel in the world, has an area of 192 sq ft (18 m2).[14]
Arts
The Dock is an arts centre housed in the renovated 19th century courthouse building. It was opened in 2005 and hosts a theatre, art galleries, artists' studios, workshop spaces, a coffee shop and bar as well as The Leitrim Design House. Since 2013, it has held the Phase One festival held at the beginning of April every year, dedicated to displaying artists and musicians associated with modern or electronic music. The Carrick Water Music Festival, a week long music and arts festival which began in 2005 is held every July.
Climate
Carrick on Shannon experiences a year-round mild, moist, temperate and changeable climate, due to the prevailing winds of the
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
Geography
As its name implies, the town is located on the River Shannon, which is linked to the
The town is served by the
There is a regular Locallink Bus Service to Ballinamore via Mohill.[citation needed]
Carrick-on-Shannon, while the county town of Leitrim, straddles the river Shannon. That part of the town on the Roscommon side is the townland of Cortober.
The Leitrim part of the town is situated in the townland of Townparks which is part of the extensive civil parish of Kiltoghert, while the Roscommon part is in the parish of Killukin.[2]
Carrick Carnival
"Carrick Carnival" is an annual festival based in the town which takes place around the
Lasting about 10 days, events include air shows, water sports, fireworks, and live music. During the latter half of the Carnival, larger events take place including Carnival Night, the Battle of the Musicals, Taste of Carrick, Vintage Car Displays and much more.[18]
Sport
St Mary's GAA club is based in the parish of Kiltoghert. The club, which was originally founded in 1889 and re-formed in 1944,[19] has its grounds at Pairc Naoimh Mhuire. The Roscommon side of the town is served by Shannon Gaels GAA.[citation needed] The home ground of Leitrim GAA, Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, is also in Carrick-on-Shannon.
In soccer, Carrick Town FC was founded in 1976.[20] The home ground is located at the Showgrounds on the Boyle Road. In rugby, Carrick-on-Shannon RFC was established in 1974.[21]
Golf was first played in Carrick-on-Shannon in 1910. The townland of Ballinamoney was first the first site for a golf course. In 1936 Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Club moved to a site nearer the town in Lisnagot. In 1944 it moved to its present location in Woodbrook.[22]
Carrick on Shannon Rowing Club was founded in 1836 and is the oldest rowing club in Ireland as well as one of the oldest in Europe.[23] The locality has hosted national and international angling competitions.[citation needed]
Notable residents
- Moscow Olympics. 11 times Irish Ladies Single Sculls Champion from the years 1976-1986 inclusive.
- Raidió Teilifís Éireannbroadcaster.
- William Lendrim (1830-1891), Victoria Cross recipient.
- Farrell McElgunn (b. 1932), former local politician and member of the Seanad and the European Parliament[24]
- Paul Reid (born 1964) - senior civil servant
Twinning
Carrick-on-Shannon is
See also
References
Primary sources
- ^ a b "Carrick-On-Shannon (Ireland) Census Town". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ Government of Ireland - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Dublin City University. Archivedfrom the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ Ó Duígeannáin 1934, pp. 134.
- ^ Joyce 1913, pp. 268.
- ^ "1720 - A New Map Of Ireland" (PDF).
- ^ "1728 - A Pocket Companion of Ireland".
- ^ a b "Historical Society Carrick On Shannon". Carrick Heritage.Com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
- ^ Longman 2011, pp. 405.
- ^ Watsons 1830.
- ^ "Leitrim News, Business and Sport - Leitrim Observer". www.leitrimobserver.ie. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
- ^ "Northwest Express Newspaper Free Sligo Mayo Donegal Galway Paper". www.theexpress.ie. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
- ^ "Leitrim Post to close". RTÉ.ie. 6 May 2009. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
- ^ "Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise - map of parishes". Archived from the original on 17 April 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- ^ "Costello Memorial Chapel". Parish of Kiltogher. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Carrick on Shannon station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2007.
- ^ "Friday, May 31:Carrick-on-Shannon Carnival - What's on". Leitrim Observer. 30 May 2019. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ^ Heavey, Fiona (6 June 2018). "Watch: The highlights of Carrick Carnival's first weekend". Leitrim Observer. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ^ "Carrick on Shannon | Carrick Carnival | |".
- ^ "History". St. Mary’s Kiltoghert. Archived from the original on 23 November 2007.
- ^ Organicwebspace. "Carrick Town FC | Team Contacts | Results | Gallery". carricktownfc.com. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "History". www.carrickrugbyclub.ie. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "History". www.carrickgolfclub.ie. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Carrick Rowing Club". www.mycarrick.ie. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "ElectionsIreland.org: Farrell McElgunn". Elections Ireland. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
Secondary sources
Historical
- Longman (2011) [1819]. Traveller's New Guide Through Ireland, Containing a New and Accurate Description of the Roads (digitized from original in Lyon Public Library ed.). Longman. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- Joyce, P. W. (Patrick Weston) (1913). Irish names of places (PDF). Vol. v.3. Dublin : Phoenix.
- Watsons (1830). The Gentleman's and citizen's almanack ... for the year (PDF). Dublin, Printed for S. Watson [etc.]
- Ó Duígeannáin, Mícheál (1934). "Notes on the History of the Kingdom of Bréifne". The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Volumes 64-65 (1) (Digitized 2008 from original at the University of California ed.). Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland: 113–140. JSTOR 25513764.