Doohamlat: Heritage and Nature

When looking for a hotel in Doohamlat, it is worth first deciding what you want to focus on during your stay: the church, post box and water pump reflect the area’s architectural and local history, while Eamonn’s Way and the biodiversity garden bring walking and ecology into the picture. This can help you explore the destination through the themes that interest you most.

Church, post box and water pump

All Saints’ Catholic Church was built between 1857 and 1860, rebuilt, and bears the date 1882. It is a detached, rendered Catholic church in the Early English Gothic style. Its features include stained-glass windows depicting the Crucifixion, decorative porch doors and exposed roof trusses. The church also holds considerable social significance for the local Catholic community. Its architecture, fittings and role in the community offer different perspectives on the building.

A smaller piece of local history is the Doohamlat post box: this wall-mounted cast-iron letter box was made around 1905. It bears the royal monogram of Edward VII and a crown motif. The Doohamlat water pump, meanwhile, is notable for its elaborate design details. It is centrally located in the village of Doohamlet. Water pumps of this kind played an important social and practical role in 19th- and 20th-century Ireland: they served as a shared water source and popular meeting places.

Walking trail and biodiversity garden

Eamonn’s Way is a walking trail around the Doohamlet GAA grounds. It opened in November 2023. Before setting out, check locally whether the trail is currently open. A biodiversity garden with a stream is located at the Doohamlet Community Centre. The garden, Gairdín na gClog, includes an outdoor classroom that has been used for ecology and biodiversity workshops. The walking trail and garden offer different points of interest: one is described as a circular route around the GAA grounds, while the other combines a stream with a place for ecological learning.

The garden is accessible to everyone. The public areas, meeting rooms and toilets at the Doohamlet Community Centre are on one level and accessible to wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments. Check the current visiting and usage arrangements before you arrive.

More to explore in the wider destination of County Monaghan

The wider destination of County Monaghan also has distinctive cultural attractions. Monaghan County Museum, at the Peace Campus in Monaghan Town, offers exhibitions and events about the county’s history. In Inniskeen, the Patrick Kavanagh Experience tells the story of the poet’s life through artefacts, multimedia, texts and films. The tour includes the main exhibition, a visit to Patrick Kavanagh’s grave, a short walk around Inniskeen and the Poetry Jukebox at the River Fane. Check the current terms and conditions before booking.

Carrickmacross Workhouse has been restored as a visitor and community centre. Tours there explain life, death and emigration during the Great Famine of the 1840s. At Carrickmacross Lace Gallery, you can view and buy Carrickmacross lace; demonstrations are available on request. Check the current arrangements for tours and demonstrations in advance.

The routes in County Monaghan differ in their course and theme. The Monaghan Greenway is a shared walking and cycling route along the old towpath of the Ulster Canal. The Kavanagh Trail is a walking and cycling route through the drumlin landscape of South Monaghan and past many places associated with the poet’s work. The Monaghan Way runs for almost 18 kilometres from Inniskeen to Lough Muckno and includes three loop walks; its route takes in quiet country roads, cross-country paths, riverside paths and sections along lake shores. These routes can be compared by their landscape, character and stated length.

Lough Muckno Leisure Park in Castleblayney covers 900 acres of woodland. Activities include fishing, walking trails, watersports and picnic areas. As the availability of individual activities may change, check before making plans.

Discover more destinations: Clontibret, Lisnalong, Clones, Tedavnet, Carrickmacross, Mullinacross, Corkeeran, Glaslough.

For the wider travel guide: County Monaghan.