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County Monaghan

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Overview

County Monaghan (Irish: Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Northwest Ireland and Lakelands.

Wikivoyage guide · 12 sections

▸Introduction92 chars

County Monaghan (Irish: Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Northwest Ireland and Lakelands.

▸Towns380 chars

1 Monaghan is the county town and transport hub. It has the County Museum and a fine cathedral.

2 Clones on the border has an early medieval round tower and high cross.

3 Castleblaney is by Lough Muckno, with coarse fishing.

4 Ballybay likewise has fishing lakes and wetlands.

5 Carrickmacross is best known for lace-making. Inishkeen nearby was the home of poet Patrick Kavanagh.

▸Understand3,192 chars

Drive southwest from Clones for one km on N54 and you leave the Republic of Ireland for County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. Continue on A3 for a couple of miles (as things have become) and you re-enter the Republic. Three km later on N54 and you're back in Northern Ireland. Another two miles of A3 then you're on N54 in County Cavan in the Republic. You have just crossed the border of the European Union four times. Welcome to the strange world of the 1 Drummully Polyp, also dubbed Coleman's Island or Colooney salient.

Drummully is a pene-exclave of the Republic, cut off from it except for 110 m along the Finn River, with no bridge but its 100 or so residents could wade across. There is no road access except via Northern Ireland. Turn the tables and from the northern viewpoint Drummully is a pene-enclave, with arms of County Fermanagh either side. The eastern arm likewise ends in a pene-exclave, with two Fermanagh farms that can only be reached via the Republic or by fording the river.

Facts

Rank

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Coordinates

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

Wikivoyage

Media

From Wikipedia2,167 words

Introduction

County in Ireland County in Ulster, IrelandCounty Monaghan Contae MhuineacháinCounty Coat of armsNicknames: The Drumlin County; The Farney CountyMotto:  Dúthracht agus Dícheall (Irish)"Diligence and Best Endeavour"Interactive map of County MonaghanCountryIrelandProvinceUlsterRegionNorthern and WesternEstablished1585County townMonaghanGovernment • Local authorityMonaghan County Council • Dáil constituencyCavan–Monaghan • EP constituencyMidlands–North-WestArea • Total1,295 km2 (500 sq mi) • Rank28thHighest elevation (Slieve Beagh)373 m (1,224 ft)Population (2022) • Total65,288 • Rank28th • Density50.42/km2 (130.6/sq mi)Time zoneUTC±0 (WET) • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (IST)Eircode routing keysA75, A81, H18, H23Telephone area codesin the South of the County 042 - Carrickmacross and Castleblayney in the North of the County 047 - Clones and MonaghanISO 3166 codeIE-MNVehicle indexmark codeMNWebsiteOfficial website County Monaghan (/ˈmɒnəhən/ MON-ə-hən; Irish: Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 65,288, according to the 2022 census. The county has existed since 1585 when the Mac Mathghamhna rulers of Airgíalla agreed to join the Kingdom of Ireland. Following the 20th-century Irish War of Independence and the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, Monaghan was one of three Ulster counties to join the Irish Free State rather than Northern Ireland.

More in regions0

Blame it if you will on those who convened at the Synod of Ráth Breasail in 1111 AD: amongst other reforms, they laid out parish boundaries that persist to this day. These later tallied with the boundaries of land-holdings and of counties. The shires or counties of Ulster only became a reality in the 17th century when the Tudors crushed the last of the Irish kingdoms, with Monaghan one of the nine counties of Ulster. There were all sorts of oddities along the boundaries: an 1836 Act of Parliament facilitated their adjustment, but it only applied to true exclaves, not pene-exclaves. Perhaps the legislators just forgot, or more likely didn't see a problem: it was only the county boundary after all, not an international frontier.

But in 1921 that's exactly what it became, when Ireland was partitioned. Six of the nine counties of Ulster remained in the United Kingdom as part of Northern Ireland, while Monaghan, Cavan and Donegal joined the south, variously styled the Dominion, Free State and eventually the Republic of Ireland. This blighted the entire area, not just the farmland pene-exclaves. Trade and transport were hamstrung on both sides. The main road, railway and canal all wandered back and forth across this new border, which was meant to be temporary until a Border Commission tidied up the anomalies. There were also Catholic communities just north and Protestant communities just south whose loyalties lay the other side. The Commission made some obvious proposals but it was politically sabotaged and its report suppressed, only leaking out in 1969, so no change was made.

For 50 years Monaghan and Fermanagh had a "hard" but friendly border, not routinely patrolled at the Drummully crossings. From 1960 "The Troubles" made the pene-exclaves dangerous, as neither side could effectively police them; even the air-space for helicopters was balkanised. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 defused tensions, and made movement across the border as trivial as crossing any inland county boundary. Both sides foresaw a brighter future. Then Britain left the European Union, while the Republic remained within it, and the ramifications of this are still being played out.

▸Get in617 chars

There are no railways in the county, but two transport corridors have regular buses. The north-south route is Dublin-Carrickmacross-Monaghan-Omagh-Strabane (for Derry) and Letterkenny. The east-west route is Cavan-Clones-Monaghan-Armagh-Belfast. Other buses run from Drogheda and Dundalk.

By road from Dublin follow M1 or M2 to Ardee then N2 towards Monaghan. From Belfast follow M1 then A3 through Armagh and across the border.

The county is no longer connected to the Irish navigable waterway network, but work is under way to re-build the Ulster Canal. A short section near Clones is already open to leisure boats.

▸Get around160 chars

The main towns are connected by bus, but for outlying sights you need wheels. A bike would do in this small, lowland county, but a car gets you out of the rain.

▸See1,540 chars

County Museum in Monaghan is a good introduction to the area's natural and human history.

Literary history: the best known local bard was Patrick Kavanagh. The centre at Iniskeen near Carrickmacross depicts his life and works.

Churches range from early Christian and Norman foundations (as at Clones) to modern places. The end of the Penal Laws against Catholics saw a 19th century wave of church-building, such as St Joseph's in Carrickmacross, with its fine stained-glass windows.

Drumlins: the county is covered in these hillocks of gravel and rubble left behind by glaciers. They stretch in a broad belt from Clew Bay in County Mayo to Strangford Lough in County Down, and where they're flooded by sea or lake they form a scattering of islets. On land as in this county they form a "basket of eggs" rolling countryside.

Ulster Canal courses east-west across the county, from the upper River Bann in County Tyrone through Monaghan and Clones to River Finn and Upper Lough Erne in County Cavan. It's long disused and much of it is little more than an overgrown gully, with no footpath. It was built 1825-1842 and was 74 km long, but only 12 ft (3.7 m) wide so most freight barges couldn't use it. It lost money hand-over-fist and closed in 1931. In the 2020s it's being restored, essentially a new construction to make it wide enough for leisure craft. It's now open for navigation from Lough Erne to Castle Saunderson in County Cavan, and a short detached section between Clones and Clonfad. There's no timescale for completing the rest.

▸Do554 chars

What's on? Listen to Northern Sound on 96.8 FM or read The Northern Standard published Thursday.

Check your documents if it's at all likely that you'll cross the UK border, which along several roads you might do inadvertently. The border is unpatrolled but it's your responsibility to make sure your personal and car documents are in order.

Gaelic games: Monaghan GAA play football at St Tiernach's Park in Clones. There are some 35 club GAA teams across the county.

Golf: most towns are within a few km of a course.

Festivals: see town pages for events.

▸Eat153 chars

The towns have sit-down restaurants and pubs for trad fare, plus takeaways.

Country house hotels have fine dining and are usually open to non-residents.

▸Drink151 chars

Plenty of pubs in all the towns, and these are often the best option for meals.

There's a whiskey and gin distillery at Derrylavan near Carrickmacross.

▸Sleep241 chars

Monaghan, Clones and Carrickmacross all have accommodation. But there's not much for campers or caravans: those flock to the "Costa Cavan" between Dundalk and Drogheda.

Castle Leslie is the big splurge, near the border northeast of Monaghan.

▸Stay safe134 chars

Usual precautions about road safety and care of valuables. The county doesn't have the sort of wild uplands where weather is a hazard.

▸Go next472 chars

South is County Meath, with the Boyne battlefield and Brú na Bóinne prehistoric complex near Drogheda. Loughcrew Cairns near Oldcastle is another remarkable prehistoric site.

County Cavan west is a quiet place for fishing or boating. Continue west into the cloud-wreathed scarps above Sligo.

Armagh across the border northeast is the ecclesiastic capital of all Ireland.

County Fermanagh northwest has navigable lakes and rivers overlooked by castles and stately mansions.

Geography and subdivisions

[edit] County Monaghan is the fifth-smallest of the Republic's 26 counties by area, and the fourth smallest by population. It is the smallest of Ulster's nine counties in terms of population. Historical populationYearPop.±%16002,988—    16104,663+56.1%16535,801+24.4%16599,734+67.8%1821174,697+1694.7%1831195,536+11.9%1841200,442+2.5%1851141,823−29.2%1861126,482−10.8%1871114,969−9.1%1881102,748−10.6%189186,206−16.1%190174,611−13.5%191171,455−4.2%192665,131−8.9%193661,289−5.9%194657,215−6.6%195155,345−3.3%195652,064−5.9%196147,088−9.6%196645,732−2.9%197146,242+1.1%197950,376+8.9%198151,192+1.6%198652,379+2.3%199151,293−2.1%199651,313+0.0%200252,593+2.5%200655,997+6.5%201160,483+8.0%201661,386+1.5%202265,288+6.4% Baronies[edit] Main article: Baronies of Ireland Cremorne (Irish: Críoch Mhúrn) Dartree (Irish: Dartraighe) Farney (Irish: Fearnaigh) Monaghan (Irish: Muineachán) Truagh (Irish: An Triúcha) Civil parishes and townlands[edit] Main articles: List of civil parishes in County Monaghan and List of townlands in County Monaghan Towns and villages[edit] Ballinode Ballybay Carrickmacross Castleblayney Clones Clontibret Doohamlet Drum Emyvale Inniskeen Glaslough Killanny Knockatallon Magheracloone Monaghan Newbliss Oram Rockcorry Scotshouse Scotstown Smithborough Threemilehouse Tydavnet Tyholland Largest towns[edit] As of the 2022 census: Monaghan – 7,894 Carrickmacross – 5,745 Castleblayney – 3,926 Clones – 1,885 Ballybay – 1,329 Geography[edit] Shannahergoa countryside. Notable mountains include Slieve Beagh (on the Tyrone and Fermanagh borders), Mullyash Mountain and Coolberrin Hill (214 m, 702 ft). Lakes include Lough Avaghon, Dromore Lough, Drumlona Lough, Lough Egish, Emy Lough, Lough Fea, Inner Lough (in Dartrey Forest), Muckno Lough and White Lough. Notable rivers include the River Fane (along the Louth border), the River Glyde (along the Louth and Meath borders), the Ulster Blackwater (along the Tyrone border), and the Dromore River (along the Cavan border, linking Cootehill to Ballybay). Monaghan has a number of forests, including Rossmore Forest and Dartrey Forest. Managed by Coillte since 1988, the majority of trees are conifers. Because of a long history of intensive farming and recent intensive forestry practices, only small pockets of native woodland remain. The Finn Bridge is a border crossing point over the River Finn to County Fermanagh. It is close to Scotshouse. Clones Round Tower

Geology

[edit] Lead used to be mined in County Monaghan. Mines included Annaglogh Lead Mines and Lisdrumgormley Lead Mines.

History

[edit] Monaghan has a number of ancient burial sites (court cairns, dolmens and wedge tombs) spread across the county. In 1585, the English Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir John Perrot, visited the area and met the Irish chieftains. They requested that Ulster be divided into counties and land in the kingdom of Airgíalla be apportioned to the local chiefs. A commission was established to accomplish this and County Monaghan came into being. The county was subdivided into five baronies: Farney, Cremorne, Dartrey, and Monaghan controlled by MacMahon and Truagh by McKenna. After the defeat of the rebellion of The Earl of Tyrone and the Ulster chieftains in 1603, the county was not planted like the other counties of Ulster. The lands were instead left in the hands of the native chieftains. In the Irish Rebellion of 1641, the McMahons and their allies joined the general rebellion of Irish Catholics. Following their defeat, some colonisation of the county took place by Scottish and English families.

Inland waterways

[edit] County Monaghan is traversed by the derelict Ulster Canal. However, Waterways Ireland are embarking on a scheme to reopen the canal from Lough Erne into Clones.

Railways

[edit] The Ulster Railway linked Monaghan with Armagh and Belfast in 1858 and with the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway at Clones in 1863.: Map 8  It became part of the Great Northern Railway (GNR) in 1876.: xiii  The partition of Ireland in 1922 turned the boundary with County Armagh into an international frontier, after which trains were routinely delayed by customs inspections. In 1957, the Government of Northern Ireland made the GNR Board close the line between Portadown and Armagh, and all lines between Armagh and County Monaghan. This left the GNR Board with no option but to withdraw passenger services between Armagh and Clones as well.: Map 39  CIÉ took over the remaining section of line between Clones, Monaghan and Glaslough in 1958, but withdrew goods services between Monaghan and Glaslough in 1959 and between Clones and Monaghan in 1960, leaving Monaghan with no railway service.: Map 39 

Governance and politics

[edit] This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: to reflect more recent general and local elections. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (June 2022) The island of Ireland, showing location of County Monaghan. Local government[edit] Main article: Monaghan County Council At the 2024 local election, County Monaghan was divided into three local electoral areas, each of formed a municipal district: Ballybay–Clones, Carrickmacross–Castleblayney, and Monaghan. 2024 local electionMonaghan County Council Party Seats Change Sinn Féin 8 +2 Fine Gael 6 +1 Fianna Fáil 3 -1 Independent 1 -2 Former districts[edit] The towns of Ballybay, Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Clones and Monaghan were formerly represented by nine-member town councils which dealt with local matters such as the provision of utilities and housing. These were abolished in 2014 under the Local Government Reform Act 2014. National politics[edit] For elections to Dáil Éireann, the county is part of the constituency of Cavan–Monaghan which elects five TDs. In the 2024 general election, there was a voter turnout of 64%. For elections to the European Parliament, the county is part of the Midlands–North-West constituency.

Culture and architecture

[edit] County Monaghan is the birthplace of the poet and writer Patrick Kavanagh, who based much of his work in the county. Kavanagh is one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Irish poetry. The poems "Stony Grey Soil" and "Shancoduff" refer to the county. Castle Leslie County Monaghan has produced several successful artists. Chief among these is George Collie (1904–75), who was born in Carrickmacross and trained at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. He was a prolific exhibitor at the Royal Hibernian Academy throughout his lifetime and is represented by works in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland and the Ulster Museum. County Monaghan was also the home county of the Irish writer Sir Shane Leslie (1885–1971), 3rd Baronet of Glaslough, who lived at Castle Leslie in the north-east corner of the county. A Catholic convert, Irish nationalist and first cousin of Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Leslie became an important literary figure in the early 1900s. He was a close friend of many politicians and writers of the day including the American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940), who dedicated his second novel, The Beautiful and Damned, to Leslie. Monaghan County Museum is recognised as one of the leading provincial museums in Ireland, with a Council of Europe Award (1980), among others, to its credit. Located in Hill Street, Monaghan Town, the museum aims to reflect the history of County Monaghan and its people in all its richness and diversity. The best of the county's architecture developed in the Georgian and Victorian periods and ranges from the dignified public spaces of Church Square and The Diamond in Monaghan Town to the great country houses of Lough Fea, Carrickmacross; Hilton Park, Clones and Castle Leslie, Glaslough. Significant ecclesiastical buildings include St Joseph's Catholic Church in Carrickmacross; the Gothic-Revival St Patrick's Church of Ireland Church, Monaghan Town, and St Macartan's Catholic Cathedral, Monaghan Town, by James Joseph McCarthy (1817–1882).

Economy

[edit] Agriculture is a significant part of the County Monaghan economy, employing about 12% of the population in 2011 (compared with 5% nationally). The county is the main source of egg supplies in the Republic of Ireland.

Notable people

[edit] This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) See also: Category:People from County Monaghan Literature and scholarship[edit] John Robert Gregg (1867–1948) – Pioneer of modern shorthand writing. Sir Tyrone Guthrie (1900–1971) – Writer, theatrical director and founder of the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. Born in Royal Tunbridge Wells, his maternal grandmother was from Newbliss. He settled at Annaghmakerrig House in County Monaghan late in his life. Patrick Kavanagh (1904–1967) – Poet Sir Shane Leslie, 3rd Baronet (1885–1971) – Writer and political activist, 3rd Baronet of Glaslough and first-cousin of Sir Winston Churchill. Resided at Castle Leslie. Eugene McCabe (1930–2020) – Playwright, novelist and screenwriter, also a member of Aosdána. Lived in Clones. Patrick McCabe (born 1955) – Novelist and member of Aosdána Evelyn Shirley – Writer and antiquarian. Resided at Lough Fea House near Carrickmacross. Politics and military[edit] Andrew, 11th Baron Blayney (1770–1834), a prominent military commander with the British Army, especially during the Napoleonic Wars. Also had Castleblayney, his estate town, rebuilt in the early nineteenth century. Sir Charles Gavan Duffy (12 April 1816 – 9 February 1903), Irish Nationalist and Australian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Colony of Victoria. Born in Monaghan town. Joseph Finegan (17 November 1814 – 29 October 1885), Confederate General and victor at the Battle of Olustee Francis Fitzpatrick (1859–1933), recipient of the Victoria Cross James Gillespie (1747–1805), an officer in the North Carolina militia in the American Revolutionary War and a United States Congressman Thomas Hughes (1885–1942), Soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross. Sir Basil Kelly (1920–2008) - UUP politician and senior-ranking Northern Irish judge. He served as the last Attorney General for Northern Ireland under the old Stormont regime, serving in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Born in County Monaghan but raised and educated in Belfast. Charles Davis Lucas (1834–1914), A native of County Armagh who was the first-ever recipient of the Victoria Cross. Resided for a time at Castleshane.[citation needed] Jim Lynagh, Commander East Tyrone Brigade IRA Juan Mackenna (1771–1814), veteran of the Chilean War of Independence and Co-Liberator of Chile. Heber MacMahon, Lord Bishop of Clogher - Catholic prelate who also served as a military commander for the 'Confederation of Kilkenny' during the 1640s. He commanded at the Battle of Scarrifholis, near Letterkenny, in 1650. Bishop MacMahon was born in Inishkeen. Séamus McElwaine, OC South Fermanagh Brigade IRA Patricia McKenna, former MEP David Nelson, recipient of the Victoria Cross General Eoin O'Duffy (20 October 1892 – 30 November 1944), turns Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army, Commissioner of the Garda Síochána and leader of the Blueshirts and of Fine Gael. He was also Commander of the Irish Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. Born near Castleblayney. Fergal O'Hanlon (1936–1957), IRA volunteer, killed during the Border Campaign. Rory O'Hanlon, politician, former Ceann Comhairle and former cabinet minister. Born 1934. David Storey (1856–1924), member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly Thomas Taggart (1856–1929), United States Senator and Mayor of Indianapolis. Sir William Whitla (1851–1933), physician and politician. Born and raised in Monaghan Town. Sport[edit] Dame Mary Bailey (1890–1960), aviator who was the daughter of The 5th Baron Rossmore and wife of Sir Abe Bailey, the South African 'Randlord'. Tommy Bowe (born 1980), Rugby Union player, born in Monaghan town Kevin McBride, Olympic Boxer Barry McGuigan (born 1960), world boxing champion 1985. Born in Clones. Daniel McKenna (born 1987), rally driver John McKenna (1855–1936), the first manager of Liverpool Football Club along with W.E. Barclay. James Cecil Parke (1881–1946), Tennis and rugby player. Olympic silver medalist in tennis, twice winner of the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title and Australian Men's Singles title winner. Captain of the Irish rugby team Music and entertainment[edit] Oliver Callan (born 1980), satirist and mimic, born County Monaghan Terry Cavanagh, video game designer[citation needed] The Flaws, indie rock band from Carrickmacross "Big Tom" McBride (1936–2018), country singer Ryan Sheridan, singer and guitarist Acting[edit] Caitriona Balfe, fashion model and actress Aoibhinn McGinnity, actress Charlene McKenna, actress Ardal O'Hanlon, actor and comedian Art[edit] Alexander Williams (1846–1930), artist, born in Monaghan town. Religion[edit] Dr John Darley (1799–1884), Church of Ireland Lord Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, 1874–84. George Jeffreys (1889–1962), Welsh founder of the Elim Pentecostal Church, which was first established in Monaghan town in 1915. The movement now has some 9,000 churches worldwide. Ellen McKenna (1819–1883), Irish Sisters of Mercy nun, American civil war nurse and teacher.

Twin cities

[edit] See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Republic of Ireland County Monaghan is twinned with the following places: Geel, Flanders, Belgium Prince Edward Island, Canada Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada Peterborough, Ontario, Canada