County Cavan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids County Cavan Contae an Chabháin
Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  The Breffni County
Motto(s):  Feardhacht is Fírinne  (Irish) "Manliness and Truth"
Country	Ireland
Province	Ulster
Region	Northern and Western
Dáil Éireann	Cavan–Monaghan
EU Parliament	Midlands–North-West
Established	21 August 1579
County town	Cavan
Government
• Type	County Council
Area
• Total	1,932 km2 (746 sq mi)
Area rank	19th
Highest elevation (Cuilcagh)	665 m (2,182 ft)
Population  (2016)
• Total	76,176
• Rank	25th
• Density	39.429/km2 (102.120/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC±0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (IST)
Eircode routing keys	A82, H12, H14, H16 (primarily)
Telephone area codes	042, 049 (primarily)
Vehicle index mark code	CN

County Cavan (KAV-ən; Irish: Contae an Chabháin) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the province of Ulster. The county is named after the town of Cavan. It is based on the old Gaelic area called East Breffny. Cavan County Council is the local government for the county. In 2016, about 76,176 people lived there.

Exploring County Cavan's Landscape

Cavan shares its borders with six other counties. To the west is Leitrim. To the north are Fermanagh and Monaghan. Meath is to the south-east, Longford to the south-west, and Westmeath to the south. A 70 km (43 mi) border connects Cavan with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland.

Cavan is the 19th largest county in Ireland by area. It is the 25th largest by population. Among Ulster's nine counties, it is the sixth largest in size. It is the seventh largest by population.

Historic Areas: Baronies and Townlands

Cavan has eight historic areas called baronies. These are old divisions that are still officially recognized.

• Castlerahan
• Clankee
• Clanmahon
• Loughtee Lower
• Loughtee Upper – where the main town, Cavan, is located.
• Tullygarvey
• Tullyhunco
• Tullyhaw – the largest barony in the county.

Townlands are the smallest official land divisions in Ireland. County Cavan has about 1,979 townlands.

Towns and Villages in Cavan

Here are some of the main towns and villages you can find in County Cavan:

Cavan's Natural Beauty: Lakes, Rivers, and Hills

Lough Oughter is one of Cavan's many lakes.

Cavan is famous for its rolling hills called drumlins. It also has many lakes. The north-western part of the county is mountainous and not many people live there. The highest point is Cuilcagh mountain, which is 665 meters (2,182 feet) tall.

Many rivers start in Cavan. The Shannon Pot on Cuilcagh mountain is where the River Shannon begins. This is the longest river in Ireland. The River Erne also starts in Cavan and flows for 120 km (75 mi). Other rivers include the Blackwater River, the River Annalee, and the Cladagh River.

Cavan is known as 'The Lakeland County' because it has so many lakes. People say there are 365 lakes, one for every day of the year! Lough Sheelin is the largest lake, covering 18.8 square kilometers (7.3 sq mi). It touches three counties: Meath, Westmeath, and Cavan. Many lakes in the north and west, like Lough Oughter, are protected areas for wildlife. Other important lakes are Lough Gowna and Lough Ramor.

Cavan has nearly 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres) of forests. This covers about 3.6% of the county's land. Some forests you can visit include Bellamont Forest, Killykeen Forest Park, and Dún na Rí Forest Park.

Cavan's Weather

Cavan has a mild, wet climate. Winters are cool, and summers are mild and humid. Temperatures usually don't get too extreme.

• January: Average high temperature is about 8.2°C (46.8°F).
• July: Average high temperature is about 19.8°C (67.6°F).

The sunniest months are usually May and June. October is the wettest month, while May and June are the driest. Snow showers can happen between November and March. In December 2010, Cavan recorded its lowest ever temperature, -15.4°C (4.3°F).

A Look Back: Cavan's History

Cloughoughter Castle is a historic site in Cavan.

Long ago, in medieval times, the area of Cavan was part of a small kingdom called East Bréifne. It was ruled by the O'Reilly family. This is why the county is sometimes called the Breffni County. The hills and lakes helped protect the area from invaders.

Cavan used to be part of the western province of Connacht. But in 1584, it became part of Ulster. The southern part of Cavan, around Lough Sheelin, was part of Leinster until the late 1300s.

The Normans came to parts of Cavan in the 12th century. You can still see the remains of their forts, like Cloughoughter Castle. Monasteries were also built around this time, and you can see their ruins in places like Drumlane.

In the 1600s, new towns like Bailieborough, Cootehill, and Virginia were started. This was part of the Plantation of Ulster, where English and Scottish settlers moved to the area. Existing towns like Cavan and Belturbet grew into important trading centers. Later wars led to even more settlers coming to Cavan. This also helped the flax and linen industry grow.

The Great Famine (1845–1849) hit some parts of Cavan very hard. Many people died from hunger and diseases like typhus. There were also times when landlords forced people off their land. The famous song "By Lough Sheelin Side" tells the story of one such event.

Places to Visit in County Cavan

Cavan has many interesting places to explore, from ancient sites to beautiful natural parks.

Historic and Cultural Sites

• Magh Slécht
• Castle Saunderson
• Cabra Castle
• Cloughoughter Castle
• Drumlane Monastery
• Saint Kilian Heritage Centre
• Killeshandra Church of the Rath
• Cavan County Museum

Natural Wonders

• Killeshandra Loop Walk
• Dún na Rí Forest Park
• Killykeen Forest Park
• Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark
• Lough Sheelin
• Cuilcagh
• Shannon-Erne Waterway

Getting Around Cavan: Transport

Roads

Two main national roads go through Cavan: the N3 and the N16. The N3 is the longest, crossing 60 km (37 mi) of the county. It goes from Virginia through Belturbet into County Fermanagh. The N16 is shorter in Cavan, about 7 km (4 mi), ending in Blacklion.

Other important roads include the N87, N54, and N55. Bus Éireann provides bus services to towns and villages. You can even take a direct bus from Cavan to Dublin Airport.

Trains

Trains used to be very important for Cavan's economy. They carried people and goods all over Ireland. The first railway station in Cavan opened in 1856. Railways also helped the sport of GAA grow, as fans could easily travel to games.

After World War II, many train lines closed because they were too expensive to run. In 1947, all passenger services stopped. By 1959, all remaining train services ended, and stations closed. Today, Belturbet railway station is open as a railway museum.

Waterways

Long ago, water transport was very important in Cavan. People used the many lakes and rivers to travel. Today, waterways are mainly used for fun activities like boating and fishing. The River Erne and Shannon-Erne Waterway are popular for leisure boats.

Who Lives in Cavan?

In 2016, County Cavan had a population of 76,176 people. Most people living in Cavan are from Ireland. Other common nationalities include people from the UK, Poland, and Lithuania.

Religion in Cavan

The 2016 Census showed that most people in Cavan, about 82%, are Roman Catholic. About 11% follow other religions, and 5% said they had no religion.

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Felim in Cavan town is an important Roman Catholic church. St Fethlimidh's Cathedral near Cavan town is a Church of Ireland cathedral. There are also Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches, and an Islamic Cultural Centre in Cavan town.

Common Surnames in Cavan

Here are the most common surnames in County Cavan from the 1901 Census:

• O'Reilly
• Brady
• Smith
• McGovern
• Lynch
• Smyth
• Clarke
• McCabe
• Sheridan
• Maguire

Cavan's Economy

Cavan town is the largest town in the county.

Agriculture is the biggest industry in Cavan. This includes dairy farming, pig farming, and beef farming. Cavan's land has heavy clay soils, which are good for growing grass for animals. About 144,269 hectares (356,500 acres) of land are farmed in the county. There are about 219,568 cattle in Cavan. Lakeland Dairies Group, a large dairy company, is based in Killeshandra.

Cavan is also a top county for pig production. About one-fifth of all pigs in Ireland are raised here. Besides farming, Cavan has other industries like quarrying (getting stone from the ground), energy production, and manufacturing. As of 2014, Cavan produced 113.14 MW of wind energy from 9 wind farms. The largest is the Bindoo wind farm. Peat (a type of fuel) is also cut in the north-west of the county. Companies like Quinn Quaries and Gypsum Industries are important employers.

Sports in Cavan

Cavan (blue) playing against Queen's University in a 2009 game.

Gaelic football is the most popular sport in County Cavan. The Cavan GAA team plays in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. They have won this championship 5 times between 1933 and 1952.

Cavan also has a senior hurling team, which was reformed in 2017. They compete in the National Hurling League and the Lory Meagher Cup.

The first GAA club in Cavan was Ballyconnell in 1885. The most successful club in Cavan is Cornafean, with 20 Senior Football Championship titles.

There are also several athletics clubs in Cavan, including a running track in Shercock. Cavan has two rugby clubs: Co. Cavan R.F.C. and Virginia R.F.C.

Fishing is very popular in Cavan because of its many rivers and lakes.

Here are some sports clubs in Cavan:

Famous People from County Cavan

Many notable people have come from County Cavan:

• Gerard Beirne – a writer
• Henry Brooke – a writer
• Charlotte Brooke – a writer
• Dallán Forgaill – an early Christian poet
• Marcus Daly – a famous American businessman
• Séamus Dolan – a politician
• Thomas "Broken-Hand" Fitzpatrick – a famous American frontiersman
• Michael Harding – a writer
• Neven Maguire – a chef and TV personality
• Owen Roe McGovern – a former Cavan Gaelic footballer
• Patrick O'Rorke – a US Union Army colonel
• Mary Anne Sadlier – a writer
• Edward James Saunderson – an Irish Unionist politician
• Brendan Smith TD – a former government minister
• John P. Wilson TD – a former politician and All Ireland SFC winner

Images for kids

• 

  The official crest of County Cavan.

• 

  Map showing the location of County Cavan in Ireland.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Cavan para niños