Discover Drumkeeran’s Churches and Heritage Centre

Drumkeeran combines distinctive church architecture with insights into the region’s history. A walk along Main Street is also part of the tourist route The Manorhamilton to Drumshanbo and the Blueway Drive. Choosing Drumkeeran as a destination offers a chance to explore the townscape, architecture and regional cultural themes.

Church architecture in Drumkeeran

St. Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church is a detached Roman Catholic church dating from 1869. Its defining features include a T-shaped floor plan, side aisles and a nave divided into five bays. Other features include a four-storey crenellated tower and an octagonal entrance porch at the west end. Three-part lancet windows with stained glass in the transepts and west gable complete the architectural details.

Drumkeeran Church (Inishmagrath) has a different layout: it has a three-bay nave, a projecting chancel and a porch. Its tower is three storeys high and topped with crenellations and pinnacles; the nave has tracery and stained-glass lancet windows. Comparing the two churches brings different elements into focus: St. Brigid’s T-shaped floor plan and octagonal porch, and Drumkeeran Church’s projecting chancel and tower design.

History at Drumkeerin Heritage Centre

Drumkeerin Heritage Centre features a reconstructed Irish cottage and farm, both relating to the region’s history. The farm includes a traditional sweat house. Alongside the church architecture, a reconstructed farm and its buildings are therefore among the points of interest for visitors. The themes are distinct: while the churches showcase their respective architectural forms, the Heritage Centre focuses on the cottage, farm and regional history.

Main Street, Spencer Harbour and music

The route The Manorhamilton to Drumshanbo and the Blueway Drive passes through Drumkeeran and invites visitors to take a walk along Main Street. The walk through the town can therefore be seen as a distinct part of the route description. Spencer Harbour is nearby, between the village of Drumkeeran and Tarmon. It offers views of Lough Allen and a picnic area by the water.

The Irish Music Festival is also part of the area’s cultural offering. It takes place every June in honour of traditional musician John McKenna, who was born near the town. If the festival is relevant to your travel plans, check the dates before you arrive.

County Leitrim as a regional context

County Leitrim also offers its own cultural and landscape attractions, distinct from the local details of Drumkeeran. Parke’s Castle is a restored early 17th-century castle on the north shore of Lough Gill. Creevelea Abbey, meanwhile, is a Franciscan abbey built in County Leitrim in 1508. These historic sites offer a different focus from the churches in Drumkeeran: here, the main attractions are a castle and an abbey.

The different types of routes and their durations can help you plan activities in County Leitrim. The first section of the Shannon Blueway comprises 16.5 kilometres of waterways, as well as circular walking and cycling routes between Drumshanbo and Carrick-on-Shannon. The Leitrim Way is a 56-kilometre long-distance walking trail from Manorhamilton to Leitrim Village; it usually takes two to three days. The Acres Lake Boardwalk is 600 metres long and forms part of a 6.5-kilometre linear walking and cycling route from Acres Lake in Drumshanbo to Battlebridge Lock near Leitrim Village. The routes therefore include a section with waterways and circular trails, a multi-day long-distance hike, and a shorter boardwalk section within a longer route.

County Leitrim’s landscape and visitor attractions extend beyond these routes. The 15-metre-high Glencar Waterfall is near Glencar Lake and can be viewed from a wooded walking trail. Hag’s Leap is a 330-metre-high, free-standing natural rock tower in the Dartry Mountains in the north of County Leitrim. It is solely a viewpoint; there is no access for walking or hiking in this area. This access restriction is important when planning your regional itinerary, depending on whether you want to view the landscape or go for a hike.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Dromahair, Carrigallen, Fenagh, Kilclare, Manorhamilton, Cloone, Mohill, Drumshanbo

For the broader travel overview: County Leitrim.