Cavan has for many years been home to a remarkable line-up of pre-historic farmers, rulers, musicians, saints and scholars – 5000 years to be somewhat precise. Many powerful chieftains and warriors have fought and died for this hallowed turf and when you visit you’ll soon understand why.
A jewel in the historic crown of County Cavan is our very own Burren. Located in the west of the County, Burren is a rocky "relict" landscape. Its monuments, habitation sites and fields survive from prehistoric times and some are older than the pyramids. The fossils embedded in its limestone are the coral of a tropical sea of 350 million years ago.
We know that as far back as the 6th Century, Missionaries converted the people of Cavan to Christianity and many beautiful abbeys and churches were built around then. St. Feidhlim founded a beautiful church at Kilmore (near Cavan town), while St. Mogue set up an abbey overlooking a lake at Drumlane (near Milltown), the remains of which are still there today, along with a well preserved round tower.
In the Later Middle Ages (1200-1600), Cavan was a border area under the control of the famous Irish chieftains – mainly the O’ Reilly’s and the O’ Rourkes. The Anglo-Normans tried to conquer Cavan and built a fabulous castle on an island in the middle of Lough Oughter which was quickly re-captured back by the O Reilly’s..
In 1579 County Cavan took on the boundary that we recognise today. By the early 17th century, Cavan became home to English and Scottish families who laid the foundations for many towns and villages such as Belturbet, Killeshandra and Virginia. Cavan's history as a holiday destination dates from this time.
Cavan Heritage and Genealogy Centre Ist floor Johnston Central Library Farnham St Cavan.
The County Cavan Genealogy Research Centre offers a full genealogical research service for people with Cavan ancestry. It contains church records of baptisms, marriages, burials, civil records of births, deaths marriages census records pre and post famine land records and numerous other sources of genealogical nature.
Contact Cavan Genealogy Centre.
1st Floor Johnston Central Library,
Farnham Street,
Cavan.
Tel; +353 (0) 49 4361094
Killeshandra or Killashandra – Irish place name Cill na Seanratha meaning Church of the Old Rath (ringforts) It is 20km Northwest of Cavan town and central to County Cavan’s Lakeland and geopark region,in the unique Erne catchment of rivers and lakes.. Together with the Lough Oughter special protected area (SPA), it has been recognised by the EU programme for wild Life Natura 2000 since 2010. Killeshandra is specially noted by Failte Ireland as an Angling Centre of Excellence, as well as a Hub for the Cavan Walking Festival which takes place in May each year. There are several looped walking and cycling trails in Killykeen Forest Park.
