Leitrim, County Down
Leitrim
| |
|---|---|
 Leitrim from the view of Mccartans road, July 2022 | |
  Location within County Down | |
| Population | 190 (2021 Census) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CASTLEWELLAN |
| Postcode district | BT31 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
Leitrim (from Irish Liatroim 'grey ridge'; /ˈliːtrəm/ LEE-trəm), is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, approximately 3 miles from Castlewellan, near Dromara, in the parish of Drumgooland. It is set between the Dromara Hills (Slieve Croob) and the Mourne Mountains. It is claimed to be home to the MacCartan clan of Kinelarty.[1]
Within the centre of Leitrim village there is a Catholic church,[2] a shop and a bar. Along the Backaderry road there is also a pre-school,[3] an animal feed factory and the local Gaelic club.
Leitrim's Gaelic club (Liatroim Fontenoys GAC) is reputed to be the oldest in Down – being founded in 1888. Leitrim has developed friendly rivalries with Kilcoo GAC and Castlewellan GAC. Most years Leitrim will hold a festival in and around the club grounds.
History
Early history
Legananny Dolmen, a megalithic dolmen or cromlech, is located nearby on the slopes of Slieve Croob, it is one of the earliest still existing signs of life within the area.[4]
Dolly's Brae
On 12 July 1849 up to 1400 armed Orangemen marched from Rathfriland to Tollymore Park. On their journey, they passed through the mainly Catholic area of Dolly's Brae, on the outskirts of Leitrim, where a party of 300–400 armed Catholic Ribbonmen, many of which from the local area, were stationed along the road, ready to open fire on the procession, however they were persuaded by the local Catholic priest, Father Morgan, to hold their fire. The Orangemen then passed through without any further trouble.
However, on the Orangemens' return home, this would not be repeated, the Ribbonmen had moved to station themselves upon Magheramayo Hill. As the tail of the procession was passing beneath the hill, an unknown party set off a squib. Two shots then rang out, followed by a volley from the Ribbonmen. The firing then became general. None of the Orangemen were harmed, but in retaliation, the Orangeman burnt down Catholic homes, killed at least four civilians[5][6], and caused damage to Gargary chapel, which was the oldest standing Catholic Church in the Leitrim area, being constructed in 1784. [7]
Church of Immaculate Conception
The Church of Immaculate Conception is the main centre for Catholic worship within Leitrim village, it was constructed in 1786, atop land donated by the McCartan clan on the site of an old Mass rock. The church was renovated for the first time in 1835, the original church was described as a plain, rectangular building, with open seats and a gallery. In 1840, a plot of land next to the church was purchased to be used as a burial ground.
The church was then rebuilt under Rev. Arthur J. Finnegan in 1871, the architect, Timothy Heavy, with donations from the community, constructed a mosaic floor, marble steps, the Stations of the Cross and the church's stained glass windows. However the church's spire remained unfinished until it was subsequently completed in 1874.
The church's interior was redecorated almost completely in 1924, although most of the work completed in the 1871 reconstruction remained untouched. The final renovation of the church took place in 1998.[7]
Leitrim railway station
Leitrim railway station, opened on 24 March 1906, served as part of Great Northern Railway, linking Banbridge to Castlewellan. The station served the village for 49 years until its eventual closure on 2 May 1955.[8] Following the closures of many smaller railway stations like Leitrim, the Great Northern Railway formally dissolved in may 1958.[9]
Gallery
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Shop, bar and church on the crossroads at Leitrim -
Bridge at the centre of the village -
1916 Easter Rising Memorial at the Leitrim crossroads
Notable people
- Tom Herron, Northern Irish motorcyclist. Although Born in Lisburn, County Antrim, Herron spent most of his childhood in Leitrim. After Herron's death he was buried at Leitrim Presbyterian church, not far outside the village.[10]
See also
- List of townlands in County Down
- List of places in County Down
- List of towns and villages in Northern Ireland
References
- ^ "Banbridge". Travel Now. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
- ^ "Drumgooland parish website - The church of immaculate conception, Leitrim".
- ^ "Education authority of Northern Ireland - Leitrim community playgroup".
- ^ "Banbridge". Travel Now. Retrieved 11 December 2007.
- ^ "Parades and Marches – Chronology 2: Historical Dates and Events". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 28 January 2010.
- ^ Moulden, John (2006). "Chapter 14: Dolly's Brae". The Printed Ballad in Ireland: A Guide to the Popular Printing of Songs in Ireland, 1760–1920 (PhD thesis). National University of Ireland, Galway.
- ^ a b "Drumgooland All". Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ "Leitrim station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
- ^ Baker, Michael H.C. (1972). Irish railways since 1916. Ian Allan. ISBN 0711002827.
- ^ "Tom Herron Tribute".
