County Monaghan

Of all Ireland’s counties, it is Monaghan which is most centrally placed in the drumlin belt, that strip of rounded glacial hills which runs right across the country from Strangford Lough in County Down to Clew Bay in Mayo. Monaghan, in fact, is all hills. But as very few of them are over 300 metres above sea level, the county takes its name from Muineachain - “Little Hills”. Inevitably, the actively farmed undulating country of the little hills encloses many lakes, and Monaghan in its quiet way is a coarse angler’s paradise.
 
Much of the old Ulster Canal is in Monaghan, while the rest is in Armagh and Tyrone. Once upon a time, it connected Lough Erne to Lough Neagh. It has been derelict for a very long time, but with the success of the restored Shannon-Erne Waterway along the line of the old Ballinamore-Ballyconnell Canal bringing added vitality to Leitrim, Cavan and Fermanagh, the even more ambitious vision of restoring the Ulster Canal is being given serious consideration, and local enthusiasts have been restoring some of the old canal’s basic structures.

Vision of a different sort is the theme at Annaghmakerrig House near the Quaker-named village of Newbliss in west Monaghan. The former home of theatrical producer Tyrone Guthrie, since 1981 it has been a sanctuary for writers and artists who can stay there to complete ‘work in progress’.

In the east of the county at Castleblayney, there’s a particularly attractive lake district with forest park and adventure centre around Lough Mucko. Southwards of Castleblayney, we come to the bustling town of Carrickmacross, still famous for its lace, and a Tidy Towns award winner.

And at Clontibret in northeast Monaghan, there’s gold in them thar little hills. Whether or not it’s in sufficient quantities to merit mining is a continuing matter of commercial debate, but the fact that it’s there at all is another of Monaghan’s more intriguing secrets. Another is the county’s uncrowded character. The recent Census revealed that Monaghan’s population has risen by only 2.8%, the smallest increase of any county, bringing Monaghan’s total population to a modest 52,772. In an overcrowded world, this is surely interesting news.    



Local Attractions and Information

Carrickmacross Carrickmacross Lace Gallery 042 9662506

Carrickmacross (Kingscourt Rd) Dun a Ri Forest Park 042 9667320

Castleblayney Lough Muckno Leisure Park 042 9746356

Clones Clones Lace Exhibits 047 51051

Glaslough Castle Leslie Gardens 047 88109

Inniskeen Patrick Kavanagh Centre 042 9378560

Monaghan town Tourism Information 047 81122

Monaghan town Monaghan County Museum 047 82928

Monaghan town (Newbliss Rd.) Rossmore Forest Park 047 81968

Newbliss Annaghmakerrig (Tyrone Guthrie Centre) 047 54003

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