Donegal holdiays Ireland

Counties Cavan and Monaghan were originally part of Ulster, and were settled by English and Scottish farmers. Many of the towns are laid out in estate style, exactly as they were planned several hundred years ago. They are all small and easy-paced, nestling in between the rolling green hills, drumlins, lakes, rivers, and boglands. The counties are dotted with small farms, and the countryside is a chequer-board of fields, divided by hedges. They are not very well organised when it comes to visitors, as the signs tend to point to pieces of water rather than the next village, which can make navigating a bit of a struggle! However, if the waterways attract you, the main centre in Cavan is Ballyconnell, which has some lovely holiday homes to rent, and until a few years ago was a sleepy little village but is now a well-to-do boating town.

If you prefer to keep your feet on dry land, there are two excellent equestrian centres, one at Killykeen, the other at Redhills - Ireland is a great place to stay if you want a riding holiday. For the more energetic, this is walking country, with the Ulster Way, and the Cavan Way offering a choice of routes up in the hills, and plenty of paths around the lakes, which may be easier on the feet, but with all the twists and turns it is easy to get lost. Renting a self-catering house here means you can explore lots of the county by foot or on horseback - a holiday cottage in Monaghan or Cavan gives you the freedom to do what you want when you want.

The only town of any real size is Monaghan, which used the association with Ulster to become quite wealthy on the back of the linen trade, and this is reflected in the town’s Victorian architecture. There are three squares, a vast rocket-shaped drinking fountain, and the 250ft spire of St Macartan’s Cathedral, which dominates the town, and inside there is a magnificent hammer-beam roof. There is a weekly market, which displays the counties’ products, chief amongst these are poultry and mushrooms.

The other main product of this area is lace making, and the two main centres are Carrickmacross and Clones, and there are demonstrations of the art can be seen at the Carrickmacross Lace Gallery. However the specialist work that is produced is more for the collector than for every-day use.

Irish tourist information

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