Arvagh

Arvagh (Irish: Ármhach, meaning "Battlefield") or Arva, is a town in County Cavan, Ireland, on the shores of Garty Lough and overlooked by Bruse Mountain.[1] It is located on the junction of the R198 and R203 regional roads.

It is a scenic town situated in the centre of the drumlin belt. It lies on the border of Counties Longford and Leitrim and is famous as the town where the three provinces of Ulster, Leinster and Connacht meet, being located about 3 km southeast of the tripoint.[2]

Arva on fair day (1940s)

Facilities

History

The Arvagh area was settled by Scottish planters in the early 17th century. A story is told that one of them, John Brown, sold the land here for a horse. The Earls of Gosford, the descendants of the man who bought it, developed the town in the early 19th century, building a Market House which is still standing.[3] In 1841 there were four pubs in the town and the monthly fairs were of considerable local trade importance.[1]

Ármhach (meaning "Place of Slaughter") was brought about because Arvagh is on the borders of 3 counties and provinces, Leitrim, Longford and Fermanagh (Connaght, Leinster and Ulster). The royal families of these counties would battle in Arvagh and as a result many died, Hence "Place of Slaughter".

Events

Places of interest

Transport

Bus

Whartons Travel operate bus route 975 on behalf of the National Transport Authority. It serves the town six times a day (not Sundays) providing services to Longford via Drumlish and Cavan.[5][6] Bus Éireann route 465, (Carrigallen-Killashandra-Cavan) serves the town on Tuesday.

Rail

Arva Road railway station on the erstwhile Killashandra branch was the nearest station to Arvagh. Nowadays bus route 975 provides a link to Longford railway station.

Angling

The area is very popular for fishing and lakes such as Hollybank, Gulladoo and Rockfield offer excellent angling all year round. The Arvagh International Fishing Festival takes place in Arvagh every September.[2]

Demography

In the 1841 Census Arvagh had a population of 615.[1]

People

William H. Bleakley (1888–1929), born in Arvagh, went to America in 1905. He was a pioneer of aviation and was the first to perform the aerobatic feat of looping the loop.[3] He attempted to set an altitude record in 1928 and crashed and died in 1929.[7]

Siva Kaneswaran (1988-), member of British-Irish boyband The Wanted.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 O'Neill, Kevin (2003). Family and Farm in Pre-Famine Ireland. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 29–30. ISBN 0-299-09844-3.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Arva". Cavan Tourism. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Arvagh - County Cavan". Discover Ireland. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  4. ↑ "Arvagh Market House". Irish Antiquities. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  5. ↑ http://www.nationaltransport.ie/news/route-975-cavan-arvagh-longford-bus-service-commences/
  6. ↑ http://www.whartonstravel.com/longford-bus.html
  7. ↑ "William H Bleakley". Early Aviators. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  8. ↑ "Siva Kaneswaran". Retrieved 18 July 2013.

Coordinates: 53°55′N 7°35′W / 53.917°N 7.583°W / 53.917; -7.583

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