Cavan Burren ParkLimestone upland under Cuilcagh with tombs, old walls and glacial boulders on it, laid out on four trails from the visitor centre.
An Cabhán
Cavan
Lakes, drumlins and old stone between the Erne and the Shannon.
- Ulster
- 20 places
- 3 events in the next 30 days
- 5 more listings
The list
Top 10 things to do in Cavan
Cavan is drumlins and small lakes, and the Shannon starts in it. The Shannon Pot on the side of Cuilcagh is where the longest river in Ireland comes out of the ground. The Cavan Burren above Blacklion is limestone country with tombs and glacial boulders sitting on it.
Cavan Burren ParkLimestone upland under Cuilcagh with tombs, old walls and glacial boulders on it, laid out on four trails from the visitor centre.
The Shannon PotA pool on the side of Cuilcagh is taken as the source of the Shannon, with a short marked trail around it.
Clogh Oughter CastleThe round 13th century tower stands on its own on a small island in Lough Oughter. You see it from the shore or you go by boat.
Dún a Rí Forest ParkForest · KingscourtMixed woodland along the Cabra river outside Kingscourt, with waterfalls, a wishing well and marked trails.
Killykeen Forest ParkForest · KilleshandraForest across the wooded islands and inlets of Lough Oughter, with a nature trail and paths along the water.
Cavan County MuseumMuseum · BallyjamesduffA former convent in Ballyjamesduff holds the county museum, with a full scale First World War trench out in the grounds.
Lough OughterLake · KilleshandraSmall lakes and drumlin islands run into each other on this stretch of the Erne, fished and boated all summer.- Moneygashel CashelFort · BlacklionThe drystone wall of this early medieval ringfort stands up to three metres, with stone steps built into its thickness, on high ground above Blacklion.
Drumlane Abbey and Round TowerMonastic site · BelturbetThe round tower stump is over eleven metres high, with the ruined church beside it, on the lakeshore at Milltown south of Belturbet.
Cathedral of St Patrick and St FelimCathedral · CavanFinished in 1942 on Farnham Street, laid out like a basilica with a marble lined interior.
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Kilmore CathedralCathedral · CavanThe Church of Ireland cathedral west of the town, completed in 1860, with a 12th century Romanesque doorway reset into it.
Cohaw Court TombPrehistoric site · CootehillA neolithic double court tomb with five chambers in a row, in a field on the R192, four kilometres southeast of Cootehill.
Tullydermot FallsWaterfall · SwanlinbarFalls on the Claddagh river about six kilometres southwest of Swanlinbar, inside the UNESCO geopark.- Belturbet Heritage Railway MuseumMuseum · BelturbetThe cut stone station on Railway Road, where the narrow gauge Cavan and Leitrim line met the broad gauge branch from Ballyhaise, kept as a museum.
Castle Saunderson DemesnePark · BelturbetThe old Saunderson estate on the Fermanagh border near Belturbet, now a scout centre, with a short signed trail through the grounds.
Castle LakeLake · BailieboroughCastle Lake is on the edge of Bailieborough, with a three kilometre and a seven kilometre forest loop around the shore.
Killeshandra Lake and Forest WalkWalk · KilleshandraSix kilometres of waymarked loop by the forest and the lake shore, starting from the picnic areas on the Cavan and Belturbet roads out of Killeshandra.
Gowlan Loop at Garvagh LoughWalk · BlacklionA looped walk right around Garvagh Lough at Moneygashel, a lake on limestone bedrock.
Cavan townTown · Co. CavanCavan town has the cathedral on Farnham Street, the Johnston Central Library and a ruined Franciscan friary.
BallyconnellTown · Co. CavanBallyconnell is a small town on the Shannon to Erne waterway, with a lock and moorings at the edge of it.
Where they are
Tap a pin to open the place.
14 of the 20 places are on the map. The rest are listed above.
in Cavan today
- Cavan Burren Park
- The Shannon Pot
- Clogh Oughter Castle
- Dún a Rí Forest Park
- Cavan County Museum
- Lough Oughter
- Drumlane Abbey and Round Tower
- Cathedral of St Patrick and St Felim
- Kilmore Cathedral
- Cohaw Court Tomb
- Tullydermot Falls
- Belturbet Heritage Railway Museum
- Killeshandra Lake and Forest Walk
- Gowlan Loop at Garvagh Lough
What’s on in Cavan
Coming up, soonest first.
Thursday 12th November
Towns
The one with enough in and around it for a page of its own.
More to see in Cavan
5 more places from Fáilte Ireland’s own listings, linked to their own sites where they have one.
Music in Cavan
Trad sessions, venues and festivals.
Where to hear it
Sessions come and go: check with the pub before you travel.
Where to stay in Cavan
12 places on Fáilte Ireland’s register of approved accommodation: the four star hotels and guest houses, plus hostels.
- Slieve Russell Hotel, Golf and Country Club4-star hotel · Ballyconnell
- Cavan Crystal Hotel4-star hotel · Cavan
- Farnham Estate Spa & Golf Resort4-star hotel · Cavan
- Hotel Kilmore4-star hotel · Cavan
- Errigal Country House Hotel4-star hotel · Cootehill
- Cabra Castle Hotel4-star hotel · Kingscourt
- Crover House Hotel4-star hotel · Mountnugent
- MacNean House4-star guest house · Blacklion
- The Arches4-star B&B · Arva
- Dungimmon House4-star B&B · Ballyconnell
- Hawthorn Lodge4-star B&B · Milltown
- Trivia House AccommodationHostel · Swanlinbar
Where to eat and drink in Cavan
11 restaurants, pubs and cafés listed with Fáilte Ireland. A list of who registered, not a ranking, linked to their own sites where they have one.
- The Oak Room RestaurantRestaurant · Abbeyland
- Breffni Arms Hotel RestaurantRestaurant · Arvagh
- The BreweryPub · Arvagh
- Conall Cearnach Restaurant at the Slieve Russell HotelRestaurant · Ballyconnell
- The Keepers Arms RestaurantRestaurant · Bawnboy
- MacNean House & RestaurantRestaurant · Blacklion
- Olde Post InnRestaurant · Cloverhill
- R&R Brasserie at Errigal Country House HotelRestaurant · Errigal
- Annalee Restaurant at The Hotel KilmoreRestaurant · Killygarry
- The Courtroom Restaurant at Cabra CastleRestaurant · Kingscourt
- The Pike Restaurant at the Pikers Lodge HotelRestaurant · Lough Gowna
Getting to Cavan
- By air
- Dublin Airport, Belfast International Airport
- By rail
- Longford and Mullingar are the nearest stations.
- By road
- The N3 and N55.
Questions
What are the best things to do in Cavan?
Our top three are Cavan Burren Park, The Shannon Pot and Clogh Oughter Castle. The full list of twenty is at the top of this page, and every place on it has a page of its own.
What can you do in Cavan for free?
Walks and open ground cost nothing to visit. On our list that includes Dún a Rí Forest Park, Killykeen Forest Park, Castle Saunderson Demesne and Killeshandra Lake and Forest Walk. Some forest parks charge for the car park, so check parking and access with the place before you go.
What is on in Cavan?
There are 3 events listed in Cavan over the months ahead. See them all.
4 min readThe best places to visit in Ireland, one for every countyOne place per county, north and south, the one we would send you to first if you had a single day there.
5 min readThe best time to visit Ireland, month by monthWhat each month is like, when the light is long, when the crowds come, and what is on, so you can pick the month that suits the trip you want.
5 min readA first-timer's week in IrelandSeven days that take in Dublin, the Boyne valley, the southwest and the Burren without spending the whole week in the car.