﻿LEITRIM. 



LEITRIM. 



4M 



That part of the basin of Lough Allen which is in this county is 

 bounded by the Slieve-an-Ierin Mountains on the east, by the Lackagh 

 range on the north, and by a part of the Munterkenny and BrauUeve 

 ranges on the west. The group of Slievean-Ierin extends from above 

 Drumshambo into the west part of Cavan, a distance of about 1 2 

 miles. Its highest point, called Slieve-an-Ierin, is at its southern 

 extremity, and has an altitude of 1922 feet. The summits of Bencroy 

 and Tjarganacaillagh, which are farther north, rise to 1707 and 1494 

 feet respectively. East of the two latter mountains the Yellow River 

 descends by a broad and precipitous channel to Lough Garadice ; and 

 the Shannon, which has its source in Cavan, enters the northern 

 extremity of Loujjh Allen through the valley intervening between 

 Larganacaillagh and the Lackagh group. The highest sumuiit of the 

 Lackagh range is 1448 ftet, and between it ami the Munterkenny 

 group a wide valley intervenes watered by the Diffagher, the outlet of 

 Lough Bflhavel, which lies on the watershed between Lough Allen 

 and the bays of Sligo and Donegal. The Munterkenny Mountains, on 

 the west shore of Lough Allen, attain the height of 1377 feet, and 

 bound on the north the valley of the Arigna, which river for some 

 diBtance constitutes the boundary between Leitrim and Roscommoo, 

 and runs into the southern extremity of Louph AUcn through a 

 portion of the latter county. Lough Allen is 8 miles in length, and 

 from 1 to 3 miles in breadth, and lies nearly north and south. The 

 Shannon issues in a noble stream from its southern extremity, at 

 which point the scenery is highly picturesque, as well as at the oppo- 

 site end of the lake, where several islands and peninsulas diversify 

 the outline. The general aspect of the lake however is gloomy ; the 

 high grounds that bound it are bleak and deScient in grandeur, rising 

 gradually and with gentle slope from its shores. Its summer level is 

 159 feet, and its winter level 163 feet above the level of the sea at 

 low water. The Shannon, in its passage from Lough Allen to the 

 extremity of the county has a fall of 30 feet, which is principally 

 distributed over the first 7 miles of its course, where the difiBculty of 

 navigation has been obviated by the construction of lateral canals. 

 By the improvements lately effected by the commissioners for the 

 improvenjent of the Shannon, steamers of considerable size now ply 

 between Killaloe and the northern extremity of Loueh Allen. 



Beyond the range of Lackagh and the table-laud occupied by the 

 Lake of Belhavel rise four detached mountain groups, including, with 

 the heights of I.ackagh, five distinct valleys, which imite in a plea- 

 santly-situated plain occupying nearly the centre of the northern 

 division of the county. The town of Manorhamilton and the village 

 of Lui'ganboy are situated in the common terminus of these valleys, 

 and through these towns the entire inland commuLication between 

 Leitrim and Sligo and the northern counties is carried on. Of the 

 valleys the best defined is that of the Bonnet. The Bonnet, rising in 

 Lough Qlenade, near the north-western extremity of the comity, runs 

 south-east, between the heights of Dartree on the north and a pro- 

 longation of the Benbulben range in Sligo on the south, to within a 

 mile of Manorhamilton, where it is joined by the Owenmoro on the 

 left bank. The river then sweeps round nearly in a semicircular 

 course past Dromshair into Lough Qill, the waters of which are 

 discharged by the Oarogue River into the Bay of Sligo. The valley 

 of the Bonnet between Dromabair and Manorhamilton is inclosed by 

 the brow of Lackagh on the east, and on the west by the mountain of 

 Benlx) (1400 feet) and its subordinate range. The slopes on each side 

 of the valley are well wooded, and the whole scene is one of consider- 

 able beauty. North of the group of Benbo lies the valley of Olenoar, 

 watered by the Differen, which nms westward through Lough Car 

 into Sligo Bay. Olenfam, another valley terminating in the open 

 country round Manorhamilton, lies nearly due east and west, and is 

 watered by a considerable river running eastward into Lough Macnean, 

 which is included in the basin of Lough Erne. This valley is bounded 

 by the northern brow of Lackngh on the south, and by the heights of 

 Dooey on the north, the mountains rising on each side to a height of 

 1400 to 1500 feet Steep sides and flat extended summits are the 

 characteristics of all the mountains in this district of Leitrim. 



Loughs Macnean and Melvin stretch along the north-eastern 

 boundary of the county, separating it from Fermanagh, in which 

 they partly lie. Lough Macnean is 4 miles long by 2 miles broad ; it is 

 172 feet above the sea-level, and is connected by a short stream about 

 half a mile in length with Lough Nitty (sometimes called Lower 

 Lough Macnean), whence the superfluous waters of both lakes are 

 carried to upper Lough Erne by the Amey River. [Febmaxaoh.] 

 Lough Melvin is a dreary sheet of water 8 miles long by 2 miles 

 broad, diversified by four small wooded islands. It lies between the 

 north-eastern base of the Dartree Mountains in Leitrim, and the bleak 

 moorlands of the barony of Magheraboy in Fermanagh on the east. 

 The Leitrim shore of the lake is skirted by the road from Oarrison 

 to Kinlough, over which Aghabohad, one of the Dartree summits, 

 frowns from a height of 1346 feot. The sides of these mountains 

 present numerous ravines formed by the action of the streams that 

 rush into the lake. At the weatem extremity of Lough Melvin is the 

 Tillage of Kinlough, in an open traet expanding towards the sea, and 

 drained by the IJrowes River, which carries the surplus waters of 

 Ixnigh Melvin into the Bay of Donegal at the hnmlct of Bimdrowes. 

 The river Duff, which separates Leitrim from Sligo, runs into the Bay 

 of Donei^ at the cMton extremity of the coaet-line, Tbe coaat 



extends for about six miles along the south shore of Donegal Bay. It 

 is for the most part a rocky bluff, rising above a rough stony beach, 

 and is exposed to the whole swell of the Atlantic. There ia no 

 shelter on any part of the coast. There are salmon fisheries at the 

 mouths of the Drowes and Duff rivers. 



Communications. — A road runs from Bundrowes, through Glenade 

 to Manorhamilton, and thence by the west side of Lough Allen to 

 Carrick-on-Shannon and Drumana, whence the Dublin and Sligo road 

 nms along the left bank of the Shannon. The other principal roads 

 in the northern district pursue the lines of the several valleys radiating 

 from Manorhamilton. The chief roads in the southern district run 

 east and west, connecting the towns and villages which occupy the 

 northern and southern margins of the open limestone country, 



Geolo<^t Minerahffy^ <tc. — The varieties of surface in Leitrim indicate 

 the internal structure with peculiar precision. The flat-topped moun- 

 tain groups showiug steep escarpments and natural terraces belong to 

 the millstone-grit or Lough Allen coal-formation. The undulating 

 open country has the stratified limestone for its substratum, and the 

 rough coarse land, when not belonging to the Lough Allen basin, 

 generally consists of sandstone, conglomerate, and grauwacke. Where 

 the millstone-grit formation terminates, the stratified limestone 

 reappears, and occupies the greater portion of the district watered by 

 the Boimet and its tributaries. The grit and sandstone occur however 

 in the detached formation of Dartree, and a stripe of yellow sandstone 

 and conglomerate intervenes between the external limit of the lime- 

 stone and the sea. The only primary rock within the county occurs 

 along the western boundary of the valley of the Lower Bonnet, where 

 the granitic and trap formation of the Ox Mountains of Sligo is 

 prolonged to within a few miles of Manorhamilton. Benbo, which 

 rises about the middle of this range, is a mass of gneiss passing into 

 mica-elate. 



The smelting of iron was carried on in several places round Lough 

 Allen while the woo<l of the native forests lasted. The iron-ore of 

 the Lough Allen basin, and especially that raiaed in the Arigna mines, 

 is very rich, yielding when roxsted 58*2 per cent, of metallic iron. 

 The chief workable beds of coal are in the Slieve-an-Ierin Mountains 

 and in the valley of Arigna, where they are worked to some extent 

 for smelting purposes. Lead-ore is abundant, but no mines are now 

 worked. Copper-ore and manganese are found on the north side of 

 Benbo. Fullers'-earth, potters'-clay, steatite, and marls are also 

 obtained in the district between Dromahair and Lurganboy. Chalybeate 

 springs are numerous on the borders of the Lough Allen district. 



Climate, Soil, Agriculture. — The climate is raw and damp in the 

 northern division of the county. In the sheltered vicinities of 

 Dromahair and Manorhamilton, there is a kindly soil resting on a 

 limestone bottom, and the vegetation is luxuriant. The southern 

 division is more genial, if not less damp, than the northern. The soil 

 is for the most part stiff, cold, and very retentive of wet : but fertile 

 in the valleys where the subsoil is limestone. The best tracts are 

 aloug the Shannon, Rinn, and Bonnet rivers, and in the vicinity of 

 Drumsna, Mohill, Dromahair, and Manorhamilton. The principal 

 crops are potatoes, cats, and hay. In 1853 there were 84,695 acres 

 under crope, namely : — wheat, 238 acres ; oat^<, 29,516 ; barley, bere, 

 rye, ]>eas, and beans, 516; potatoes, 22,601 ; turnips, 1635 ; mangels, 

 carrots, parsnips, cabba^re, and green crops, 1746 ; flax, 1316 ; meadow 

 and clover, 27,127. Including an equivalent for detached trees, in 

 1811 there were 4628 acres growins; timber. The system of agricul- 

 ture is rude and backward in the extreme. Leitrim is more a grazing 

 than an agricultural county. Large quantities of young stock, chiefly 

 homed cattle, are raised on the pasturable plains of the southern 

 district. On 14,206 holdings in 1852 there were 3188 horses, 6100 

 mules and asses, 77,898 head of cattle, 10,450 sheep, 15,729 pigs, 

 4789 goata, and 167,571 head of poultry. The totol value of the live 

 stock thus enumerated was estimated at 675,622^. Turf fuel is every- 

 where abundant. 



The occupations of the people are almost entirely agricultural ; 

 linens and coarse woollens for domestic use are the only manufactures 

 of any importance. Some coarse pottery is made at Dromahair. The 

 trade of the county is chiefly in com, butter, and live stock. 



IHviiiam and Towtu. — The county is divided into five baronies : — 

 Kossclogher, north ; Dromahair, between Roesclogher and Lough 

 Allen ; Carrigallen, south-east ; Leitrim, south-west ; and Mohill, south. 

 Caurick-ok-Shannon, Manorhahiltun, and Mouill, the only towns 

 of any importance in the county, are noticed under their respective 

 titles. 



The following places may be noticed : the populations are those of 

 1851 : — Ballinamore, a neat and thriving market-town with 704 inha- 

 bitants, is situated on the Yellow River, nearly mid-way between 

 Lough Qaradice and St. John's Lough, 14 miles N.E. from Carrick-on- 

 Shannon. It contains a court-house in which quarter and petty 

 sessions are held, a bridewell, a chim:h, and chapels for Roman Catho- 

 lics and Methodists. There is a dispensary. The market is h"ld 

 weekly on Tuesday, and fairs are held on May 12th and November 

 12th. CarrigalUn, is situated 16 miles E. from Carriuk-on-Sliannon, 

 and consists chiefly of one long miserable street : population, 387. A 

 market is held weekly on Momiiiy, and five yearly fairs are held. In 

 the neighbourhood are Drumsillagh, the residence of A. O'Urieu, Esq., 

 and Uoucanick Caatle, the eeat o{ H. Simpson, Esq. Cathcarnyan, 



