If you seek a county which best symbolises the resurgence of Ireland, you need look no further than Leitrim. In times past, it was known as the Cinderella county. Official statistics admitted that Leitrim did indeed have the poorest soil in all Ireland, in places barely a covering of low fertility. Back in the sad old days of the 1950s, the county’s population had fallen to 30,000. It was doubted that it was still a viable administrative entity.
You’d be hard put to visualise those gloomy times now, more than fifty years on. Today, Leitrim prospers. The county town, Carrick-on-Shannon, is one of Ireland’s brightest and best, a bustling river port. Admittedly, there are drawbacks. The town’s very first traffic lights came into action in the summer of 2004. Formerly, there were no traffic lights in all Leitrim county. Or at least, not on the roads. The modern automated locks on the restored Shannon-Erne Waterway – whose vitality has contributed significantly to Leitrim’s new prosperity – may have had their own boat traffic lights since the waterway was reopened in 1994. But it took another ten years before the roads followed suit.
This 11 page download will lead you to all the best places to eat, drink & stay in County Leitrim.
€1.00
