Cavan

Cavan is a destination in Ulster, Ireland. Cavan (Irish: An Cabhán) is the county town of County Cavan, set on the River Erne. It is a busy market and commercial centre, with a heritage in linen production and a well-preserved town centre. Cavan is known as the 'Lake County' for the hundreds of lakes in the surrounding area, making it a popular destination for angling and water sports. The town has good shopping, dining, and accommodation options.

By Car

The most practical way to reach Cavan is by car. Ulster (IE-U) is best explored with your own transport, as public connections are limited. The main roads are the N15 (Sligo–Donegal–Letterkenny), N13 (Letterkenny–Stranorlar), N14 (Letterkenny–Lifford), and N2 (Dublin–Monaghan–Letterkenny), all of which are good quality. Minor roads in Donegal are often narrow and winding — allow extra travel time.

By Train

There is no rail service within Ulster (IE-U). The nearest train stations are in Sligo (for Donegal) and Dundalk/Drogheda (for Cavan and Monaghan), where connecting buses are available. Irish Rail operates services to these stations from Dublin Connolly and Dublin Heuston.

By Bus

Bus Éireann operates services from Dublin and other major cities to Letterkenny, Donegal Town, Cavan, and Monaghan. Local bus services connect smaller towns but are infrequent, especially on Sundays. Advance route planning is essential, particularly for reaching remote coastal areas.

By Air

Donegal Airport (CFN) at Carrickfinn has flights from Dublin operated by Aer Lingus Regional. Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC) in County Mayo is an alternative for visitors to south Donegal. Dublin Airport (DUB) is about 2–2.5 hours' drive from Cavan and Monaghan.

Cavan is compact enough to explore on foot. For exploring the surrounding countryside and nearby attractions, a car is essential. The region's public transport network is limited, so advance planning is necessary for bus-based travel. In Donegal, the stunning coastal scenery rewards drivers willing to take the slower, more scenic routes.

Cavan County Museum is in Ballyjamesduff.

Dun A Ri Forest Park is in Kingscourt.

The Workhouse Museum is within the shell of a grim institution in Bawnboy, northwest of Belturbet .

Upper Shannon: Ireland's great Mississippi arises at Shannon Pot, reached by a short hike from the car park on R206 above Corbeg in the northwest of the county. It flows southwest to enter County Leitrim at Dowra, then down into Lough Allen, see Drumshanbo . That lough is the upper limit of navigation on the Shannon.

Drumlins , hundreds of them. They're little ridges or hillocks, slightly elongated, in groups aligned the same direction. They're typically 500 m long by 200 m wide and are composed of clay, gravel and boulders deposited beneath glaciers. They form a "basket of eggs" landscape, and when flooded by sea or lakes they form a scenic pattern of islands. They're found worldwide but especially in a broad belt from Clew Bay in County Mayo to Strangford Lough in County Down , and indeed their name is Irish: droimnín , "littlest ridge". Cavan is the centre of this drumlin belt and they define its landscape. Their sparse, boggy soil is unsuitable for arable farming or even forestry so the

Boating on the River Erne, linked by navigable waterways to the entire country.

Gaelic games:

Cavan GAA are the county team, playing Gaelic football and hurling at Breffni Park in Cavan Town. There are some 40 club teams across the county.

Golf: there are courses in Belturbet and Cavan Town.

Virginia Agricultural Show is in August.

Bar food will often be your best bet.

For fine dining head for the upscale hotel restaurants, see Sleep.

Abbey Bar is next to the bus station in Cavan Town, and something of an institution.

Terra in Baillieborough make Irish liqueurs. No tours.

Not many campsites or caravan parks; local caravanners head east for the beaches of County Louth.

A few B&Bs, but after Covid many switched to self-catering.

Splurge places are Farnham Estate near Cavan Town, Slieve Russell near Belturbet, Cabra Castle in Baillieborough and Virginia Park Lodge in Virginia.

Local shops offer regional products, handicrafts, and everyday necessities. Markets may be held weekly in the town square.

County Meath to the south has Kells , home of the sacred book now in TCD Library Dublin, Brú na Bóinne Archaeological Park, and the site of the 1690 Battle of the Boyne.

Sligo to the northwest has a roaring Atlantic coastline, prehistoric monuments, and brooding cloud-capped scarps that inspired the poetry of WB Yeats.

Cavan is historically part of Ulster, and has good transport links via Armagh to Belfast , a fascinating city with in-your-face history.

Cavan is also close to upper and lower Lough Erne and Enniskillen in Northern Ireland. Don't just rush through on your way to Donegal.

This article is issued from 

Wikivoyage . The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.