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 Cavan is the county town of County Cavan . It has seen some turbulent times in its history, once when it was burned to the ground in 1576, apparently by one of the women from the O'Reilly clan in a fit of jealously. She followed in the footsteps of a Franciscan friar who burnt down the 14th century friary in 1451.
The natural unspoilt beauty of County Cavan is to be savoured. Its highest point is Cuilcagh Mountain, in the mountainous projection of the county which reaches north-westwards between Leitrim and Fermanagh. Though a landlocked county, its variety of waterways provide excellent scenic and activity-based resources. The Shannon-Erne Waterway, a major new development, links the two main rivers which have their sources in the area. The abundance of meandering rivers, gentle streams and tree-lined lakes provide the visitor with excellent opportunities for boating, cruising, fishing and swimming.
Cavan County Museum was established in 1996 to collect, conserve, document and display all aspects of the culture, history and traditions of County Cavan in an informative and entertaining manner to promote an awareness of Cavan's rich heritage. While Cavan Crystal is Ireland's second oldest glassworks.
The Life Force Mill shows milling in Cavan since Medieval times. Make the most of the opportunity to bake your own brown bread in traditional fashion. While Carraig Craft Visitors' Centre is a natural craft museum with audio-visual presentation.
Aras Cillian is a 15 minute audio-visual presentation and exhibition that deals with Saint Killian and his times, work, martyrdom and subsequent cult. It brings to life a glorious era in Irish Church history and the work of Irish missionaries in Europe in the 6th and 7th centuries, with maps, photographs, statuettes, manuscript facsimilies and art reproductions. The exhibition also traces the development of Gaelic script from the Ogham writing of the 4th to 7th centuries and the Wurzburg Glosses (the earliest example of written Irish c.750), to the illuminated script of the Book of Kells.
Killykeen Forest Park boasts an equestrian centre, woodland walks, cycling, fishing and boating and Cavan Town is well placed for other activities. You could walk the Cavan Way; a pleasant hill and valley walking connection between the Leitrim Way at Dowra and the Ulster Way at Blacklion village. The walk follows quiet valley and river-sided landscapes to the more enclosed uplands section. Take a pleasure cruise with Cavan Cruisers, down the Shannon.
One of the activities Cavan is most famous for its fishing and there are many waterways to enjoy and most visitors to the county come to fish in the lakes - it is said that County Cavan has a lake for every day of the year. The fishing is excellent, offering mostly coarse fishing for pike, bream and roach but also some game angling on Lough Sheelin.
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