County Leitrim - Heritage/Historical

Here's a selection of Leitrim Heritage/Historical.Click on the 'Go to ALL' link to get the full list.

1. Churches (Historical)	Go to ALL Churches (Historical) in Leitrim
Costello Chapel browne , Bridge Street, Co. Leitrim This chapel, the smallest in Ireland and probably the second smallest in the world, is wonderful example of one man's true love for his wife. It was commissioned by Edward Costello in the memory of his wife Mary Josephine Costello after she died at the age of 47 on 6th of October 1877. On April 22nd 1879 the Chapel was dedicated, Requiem Mass was offered and Mary Josephine's remains were interred in a sunken place to the left of the entrance Edward Costello died at the age of 68 on March 7 1891. His remains were interred in the sunken space to the right of the entrance. The couple were well known and respected in Carrick. Edward was a leading Merchant and was considered to be a man of great kindness and charity. Mary Josephine Costello was born in County Longford. The couple had no family. Show me all the details for

2. Castles (Historical)	Go to ALL Castles (Historical) in Leitrim
Parke's Castle Siobhan McGowan-Loughlin , Fivemilebourne, Co. Leitrim Picturesquely situated on the Sligo-Dromahair road beside Lough Gill, this is a castle built by one of the 'Planters' early in the 17th century. The castle is rectangular in shape, and has three storeys with mullioned windows and diamond-shaped chimneys. It forms part of one side of a five-sided bawn with large rounded turrets at two corners. The entrance to the bawn is through a passage-way in the ground floor of the house. The castle has undergone extensive restoration, both within the castle and the buildings lead on to the courtyard, which include a smithy - and a tea room. Show me all the details for Parke's Castle

3. Railway Museums	Go to ALL Railway Museums in Leitrim
Dromod Steam Railway Dromod, Co. Leitrim A working steam railway in conjunction with a museum are currently being developed at the railway station in Dromod to commemorate the old Cavan and Leitrim Railway which closed in 1959. Show me all the details for Dromod Steam Railway

4. Interpretative Centre	Go to ALL Interpretative Centre in Leitrim
Sliabh An Iarainn Visitor Centre Mary Gannon, Co. Leitrim A number of particularly important features of the area are given special treatment. Mining of Coal and Iron Sweathouses The Cavan and Leitrim Railway Coal & Mining Heritage: The Arigna area of Roscommon and the adjacent mountains of Co Leitrim were famous for coal and iron mining. From as early as the 15th century iron was mined in the area. Coal mining became more prominent in the 19th century. Sweathouse: The Lough Allen area is the home of the sweat house. Sweathouses were used as a cure for aches and pains, somewhat similar to the modern sauna. Built of stone with a small opening or doorway, a big turf fire would be lit for hours inside. When it was sufficiently hot, the fire was removed quickly and the patient crawled into the sweathouse and sat on a bundle of rushes or straw. When he or she had sweated sufficiently they emerged and took a dip in a running stream. The centre has a reconstruction of a sweathouse with realistic background and setting. While in the area you can also visit a real sweathouse. In July 1990, centuries of a mining tradition ended with the closure of the last of the coal mines. The centre has a display depicting miners at work and tells the story of the one and only great industry of the area. The Cavan & Leitrim Railway: The Cavan and Leitrim railway was one of the most memorable systems in Ireland. It ran on a narrow gauge line and linked the Leitrim towns of Drumshanbo, Mohill and Ballinamore. For most of the journey between Drumshanbo and Ballinamore it ran alongside the public road and crossed at a number of bends. Despite many protests the railway closed in 1959. The centre has a re-creation of a ticket and waiting room as well as many fine pictures of the railway. Show me all the details for Sliabh An Iarainn Visitor Centre

5. Tombs	Go to ALL Tombs in Leitrim
Corracloona Megalithic Tomb Corracloona, Co. Leitrim A megalithic tomb consisting of a rectangular chamber and what seems like a forecourt. The forecourt wall is made of drystone walling. The unusual feature of this tomb is the stone blocking the entrance to the tomb, at the bottom of which is a 'port hole' - presumably to allow subsequent burials to take place. The whole is surrounded by the remains of a cairn 60 feet long, The tomb was excavated, but the results were never published. Show me all the details for Corracloona Megalithic Tomb

6. Homes (Historical)	Go to ALL Homes (Historical) in Leitrim
Lough Rynn Estate Co. Leitrim Lough Rynn Estate is set on an isthmus between Loughs Rinn and Errew in an area which has been occupied for thousands of years. There is a Bronze Age burial tomb on the grounds and an old castle ruin was the seat of the Reynolds Clan up to the 17th century. Confiscation enabled the property to be granted to the Crofton family in 1622 during the Plantation period. The lands were then acquired by the Earls of Leitrim in 1750 and a house was constructed in 1832 by Nathaniel Clements. When his son, William Sydney Clements, succeeded as Third Earl of Leitrim, the house became the administrative centre of the vast estate covering 90,000 acres in four counties. A 400 year old oak tree adorns the grounds and there are Walled Gardens, a Sawmills and Farmyard, Arboretum, Green House and Terraced Gardens. Lovely walks knit the whole glorious experience together. A restaurant, souvenir shop, fast food facility, boat trips and children's nature playground are other features in the park. Show me all the details for Lough Rynn Estate

7. Crosses (Historical)	Go to ALL Crosses (Historical) in Leitrim
Tullaghan Stone Cross Co. Leitrim An ancient (9th-10th century) stone cross faces the N15 in the village. This was moved here to protect it from coastal erosion and was believed to be part of a long vanished monastery. The Annals of the Four Masters is one of the principal Irish historical sources for scholars. It was compiled in 1636 by Miceal O Cleirigh, O.F.M and three of his colleagues. A bronze memorial to the four can be seen at the bridge over the River Drowes at Mullinaleck. Show me all the details for Tullaghan Stone Cross

8. Museums	Go to ALL Museums in Leitrim
Kinlough Folk Museum Mairead Kearns , Barrack Street, Co. Leitrim Show me all the details for Kinlough Folk Museum

9. Stones (Historical)	Go to ALL Stones (Historical) in Leitrim
Cloonmorris church and Ogham Stone Co. Leitrim A church, built around 1200, which served as an auxiliary to the Augustinian Priory of Mohill. The church has simple but attractive east and south lancet windows. The moulding on the outside of the east window ends with two upturned heads. The plain north doorway was inserted in the 15th century. Beside the entrance to the graveyard an Ogham stone has been re-erected - it is the only one in Co. Leitrim. All that can be read of the inscription is the name of the person commemorated: 'Qenuven'; the other letters have been defaced. Show me all the details for Cloonmorris church and Ogham Stone

10. Abbeys	Go to ALL Abbeys in Leitrim
Fenagh Abbey Co. Leitrim About 3km from Ballinamore lies a ruined medieval church built on the site of an early Christian monastery founded by St Caillin. The Abbey was used for a time as a place of Church of Ireland worship until the present church was built nearby circa 1798. Show me all the details for Fenagh Abbey

11. Friaries	Go to ALL Friaries in Leitrim
Creevelea Franciscan Friary Co. Leitrim This Franciscan Friary, founded by Owen O'Rourke and his wife Margaret in 1508, was the last Franciscan friary to be founded in Ireland before the Suppression of the Monasteries. The church has a nave, choir, tower and south transept. The west doorway and the window above it are well preserved, as is also the east window, but the windows in the south transept have vanished. The transept has a number of recesses. The tower was converted into living quarters in the 17th century. To the north of the church a number of domestic buildings surround the cloister. The cloister is irregular in shape, and in the centre of the north side there are a number of interesting carvings on the pillars. One of these shows St. Francis with the stigmata, and with an inscription crossing his body. Another shows the same saint in a pulpit with birds perched on a tree; legend says that he understood the language of the birds. On the east side of the clositer are three rooms, that nearest the church being a sacristy, and beyond these rooms is a passage joining the cloister with the outside world. In the north wing is the refectory and kitchen; the buildings in the north western part are later additions. On the first and second floors were dormitories and other rooms. The friary was accidentally burned in 1536, but it was probably impossible to restore it completely before it was suppressed five years later. It was still in use in 1574, but its woodwork was burned when Bingham took over the friary and used it as stables in 1590. the friars took possession again in 1601-2 and the church was repaired again by some Franciscans in 1642, but the Cromwellians forced them to leave. It later fell into the hands of a man named Harrison who, on being paid a fantastic rent, allowed the friars to return once more and roof the church with thatch. But they probably left finally towards the end of the 17th century. Show me all the details for Creevelea Franciscan Friary

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