Carrick-on-Shannon

Carrick-on-Shannon is the county town of County Leitrim in the Republic of Ireland. It is the largest town in the county of Leitrim and the smallest main county town in the entire country. A smaller part of the town lies in County Roscommon. The population of the town was 5,931 in 2016. It is situated on a strategic crossing point of the River Shannon. The Leitrim part of the town is in the civil parish of Kiltogert which is in the ancient barony of Leitrim. For ecclesiastical purposes, the town is in the parish of Kiltoghert in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise The nearest Anglican church is in Drumshanbo in the Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh.HistoryCarrick-on-Shannon is situated on a fording point of the Shannon. In the vicinity of Drumsna, on the County Roscommon border, are the remains of an Iron Age fortification. Corryolus townland on the Shannon remembers Eolais Mac Biobhsach, ancestor of the Muintir Eolais who were the most famous ancient Leitrim sub-septs in Mohill (barony) and Leitrim (barony). Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, a famous Battle of Áth an Chip occurred near Carrick on Shannon.