County Leitrim

Leitrim (Liath Druim in Irish Gaelic, meaning "grey ridge") is one of the counties in the west of Ireland, and is part of the province Connacht. In ancient times the western half of the kingdom of Breifne, Leitrim was long influenced by the O'Rourke family, centered in Dromahair. Close ties existed with east Breifne, now County Cavan, and the O'Reilly clan there. The Normans invaded in the thirteenth century and occupied the south of Leitrim until the 1620 exile of Irish landholders.

The Lord Deputy Sir John Perrott had marked the current county borders in 1583. Inside, the five forests of Leitrim stood through the seventeenth century; the loss of the trees transformed the southeast into a wet marsh. With land suitable only for cows and potatoes, Leitrim's 155,000 residents (1841 census) were devastated by the Potato Famine. It has an area of 1526 km2, and 25,057 inhabitants (1991). Leitrim has Ireland's shortest coastline: two miles of beach surround the town of Bundoran. The county town is Carrick-on-Shannon (1868 inhabitants).

External Link

• Tourism site with good history section

Map from www.irelandstory.com

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