Longford Hotels & Information

Longford is situated in the northwest corner of Leinster, bordered by Cavan, Westmeath, Roscommon and Leitrim. County Longford lies in the Shannon basin and the upper catchment area of the River Erne and is one of the loveliest of the midland counties.

County Longford got its name from a chieftain called Farrell who travelled westward after the battle of Clontarf in 1014. This is one of the most frequently found surnames in Longford to the present day. One of the most important historical find in recent years was Lough Kinale Shrine, found at Lough Kinale near Granard, now restored and preserved in the National Museum of Ireland.

For the water enthusiast there are beautiful rivers and lakes, wonderful cruising on the Shannon, coarse and game angling, with easy access to some of the most unpolluted waters in Europe.

Longford has an 18 hole championship golf course and some of Irelands top golf courses within easy reach. There are manor houses, castles, heritage centres and gardens. The county is pleasant and unspoilt, almost untouched by mass development with lakes, rivers, gentle hills (the highest point of the county, Cairn Hill, is only 270m high) and breathtaking scenery. Longford is the ultimate destination for the relaxing break.

Longford Town is located on the Camlin River, this is Longford's county town and administrative centre for the area. This is a pleasant town with wide streets. The County Museum is situated here. St.Mel's Cathedral is a 19th century Renaissance building well worth a visit. The town is a good base for touring the county.

Ardagh village lies southeast of Longford Town and is a designated Heritage Village. Saint Patrick reputedly founded a church here in the fifth century and installed Saint Mel as bishop. The ancient ruins of Saint Mel's Cathedral are near the present Church of Ireland and Saint Mel himself is said to be buried within the walls. Ardagh House, now Saint Brigid's Training Centre run by the Sisters of Mercy, was the ancestral home of Lady Fetherston,who rebuilt the village in the 1860's. Considerable archaeological remains have been discovered in the Ardagh region, which have been excavated by the noted archaeologist Liam de Paor. The village features in Goldsmith's 'She Stoops to Conquer'.

Abbeyshrule is located east of Ballymahon in a picturesque valley of the River Inny. A Cistercian Abbey was founded here in 1150 and was one of the earliest in the country. The only airfield in the midlands is located here and each year its festival is a highlight for flying enthusiasts from home and abroad.

Drumlish village is the starting point for the climb of Cairn Hill, the highest point in the county. It is a pleasant climb and there are extensive views from its summit, which is crowned by a cairn.

Edgeworthstown has a long association with the celebrated family of Edgeworth, who first settled here in 1583. Among the eminent members of the family were Richard Lovell Edgeworth, inventor and surveyor and Maria the novelist, best known for work such as "Castle Rackrent". Edgeworthstown House is now a nursing home being run by the Sisters of Mercy. A new visitor Centre is being developed in the town which will interpret the many famous people and events associated with the area.

Granard was the home of Kitty Kiernan, girlfriend of Michael Collins and he was a frequent visitor to the area. The great Famine had its effects on Granard. A large number of people died in the workhouse, now the site of the Secondary School in Barrack Street. A number of these unfortunate people were buried in a mass grave near Carra Church (known as "Bully's Acre") where a plaque was recently errected in their memory.

Lanesborough is located on the river Shannon at the northern entrance to Lough Ree. Ireland's first turf-fired electricity generator was sited here. It is a thriving little town which has long been recognised as one of the foremost angling centres in Ireland. Lough Ree, one of the largest lakes in Ireland, is well known for sailing, boating and cruising, as well as angling. Cloontuskert Abbey, founded by Saints Brendan and Faithleach about AD520, may be seen in this area.

Newtowncashel, winner of the National Tidy Towns Competition in 1980. includes a number of fine outdoor sculptures by bog-wood sculptor Michael Casey, which create a unique atomosphere in the village. The restored Abbey of Saints Island is to the left of the village and Barley Harbour on the right. Elfeet Bay near Newtowncashel provides a pleasant amenity for walking, boating, picnicking and fishing along the Lough Ree shoreline.

Other towns/villages include Abbeylara, Aughnacliffe, Ballinalee, Ballymahon, Keenagh, Moyne and Newtownforbes.

Local Attractions/Activities
Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre, Kenagh, interprets an Iron-Age bog road, the largest of its kind to be uncovered in Europe. This dates from 148 BC. Bord na Mona and the Heritage service have carried out major work on the surrounding bog to ensure the road is preserved.

Ardage Heritage Centre, Ardagh, is located in the old schoolhouse, which was built in 1898. The exhibition tells of the history, literature and the area's association with Oliver Goldsmith, Sir Walter Scott and Maria Edgeworth.

Carrigglas Manor, 5km north of Longford town, is a beautifully restored Gothic Revival style Manor house, built by Thomas Lefroy in 1837 and has been the Lefroy family seat ever since. The internationally acclaimed James Gandon designed the magnificent stable-yard; today it is the only surviving example of his 'agricultural' work. The manor, stables, gardens and costume and lace museum are open to the public during the summer.

Angling
At the heart of the lakelands of Ireland, Longford is the undiscovered host of the best coarse fishing available, with a choice of over thirty lakes, rivers and canals never more than ten minutes away. These include the longest county shoreline of the River Shannon, the Inny River, the Camlin River, Lough Gowna and Lough Ree.

Good fishing can be enjoyed from the shore in all areas with local information available on the most productive sites. Game fishing is also a popular activity in the region, with numerous locations where excellent catches can be taken. The quality and quantity of the pike and bream in the extensive river and lake systems provide excellent opportunities to catch bumper weights of pike, bream, roach and tench.

Canoeing
Ballymahon has one of the country's best white water rivers, The River Inny with rapids to test the ability of any canoeing standard. With many tributaries flowing into the Inny, the river holds its volume throughout the season making canoeing accessible to all paddlers twelve months a year.

Walking
With its spectacular, low lying, unspoilt scenery, Longford is perfect for the walker.

The Royal Canal constitutes one of the most attractive walking routes in Ireland, traversing as it does some of the most interesting and historic countryside.

Derrycassan Wood hugs the shoreline of Lough Gowna and is the perfect place for a leisurely amble through the forest and along the lakeshore. There are lovely walks to choose from, which can bring you along the river, by the lakeshore and through the lovely native flora and fauna. There are also the remains of 'Rath' in this wood, which would have been a dwelling place of some of the earliest inhabitants of these parts.

The County Longford Golf Club is one of the foremost golf courses in the midlands. It is an 18 hole parkland course overlooking Longford town, with magnificent views of the surrounding country side. A new club house has just been completed, with bar and restaurant.

Greyhound racing, boating, swimming, tennis, pitch and putt, horse riding, archery and go-karting are also available.

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