Dromahair
Ireland · Other
About Dromahair
Manorhamilton is a town in County Leitrim in northwest Ireland, 26 km east of Sligo. With a population in 2022 of 1700, it's the only town of any size in the north of the county, from Lough Allen to the Atlantic coast. This page therefore describes sights and amenities throughout this thinly-populated district, including the villages of Glenfarne, Kiltyclogher, Rossinver, Tullaghan, Glenade and Dromahair.
Originally a settlement called Cloneen lay on the west bank of the River Owenbeg. In 1620 soldier-of-fortune Sir Frederick Hamilton was awarded lands seized from the Irish chieftain O'Rourke; he built up the castle, created the town on the east bank, and named it after himself. That town was oriented NW / SE along Main Street, but in modern times a loop of N16 bypassed this then swung west to intersect, known as "New Line".
Dromahair travel guide
Getting there
By road from Dublin follow M4 / N4 towards Carrick and Sligo, but at Drumsna cut across country on R299 / 280 via Leitrim village, west bank of Lough Allen, and Killargue. If night is falling and you're unsure of your navigation, stay on N4 to Sligo then take N16 east through Glencar. Bus Éireann 458 runs daily every 2 hours from Ballina to Enniscrone, Sligo (for trains and buses from Dublin), Manorhamilton, Belcoo on the border, and Enniskillen (for buses from Belfast). Sligo to Manorhamilton takes 30 min. The main 1 bus stop is by the central crossroads. These buses also stop at Our Lady's Hospital east edge of town. Local Link Bus 567 runs four times a day from Carrick railway station and town, taking 90 min via Leitrim and Drumshanbo.
Getting around
The bus can take you along N16 to Glenfarne, Manorhamilton itself, Glencar Lough for the waterfall, and Sligo. But that's a narrow east-west corridor through an area that stretches away north-south, so you need your own wheels to explore it properly. No local taxi, it would have to come from Sligo or Carrick.
See
Manorhamilton Castle, on Castle Street strangely enough, is the shell of a fortified house built 1634-38. The deeply unpopular Sir Frederick Hamilton needed stout walls to hide behind. It was burnt out in 1652 during the Cromwell wars. First Protestant Church, a block south of Main St, was built about the same time as the castle and is just as ruined. St Clare's is the RC church built 1883, on New Line east side of town. 1 Glenade Lough is in a U-shaped glaciated valley between the Dartry Mountains west and the Arroo Mountains east. The best view is near its south tip, by the lane signposted off R280. You're unlikely to spot the lough monster, the Dobhar-chú, pronounced “Dowarcoo”, which hasn't eaten anyone since Grainne Ni Conalai in 1722. Grainne's husband shot the monster then was pursued by its mate, but this too was slain. Still, there might be offspring biding their time. 2 Glencar Lough is a scenic lake straddling the boundary with County Sligo. A couple of crannogs indicate its prehistoric importance, and a trail leads up Benbulbin. The main sight is Glencar waterfall feeding its northeast end, 8 km west of Manorhamilton off N16. It inspired WB Yeats to describe a child being stolen away into the spirit-world: in pools among the rushes / that scarce could bathe a star...., though he may have had an imperfect grasp of stellar masses. 3 Rainbow Ballroom of Romance at the junction of N16 and R281 is a preserved dance-hall of the showband era 1950-70, now a museum of those Brylateen evenings. It's open M-F 9:30AM-4PM. Glenfarne Demesne is a forest park, entered from R281 just after it turns off N16 at the Ballroom. This was the estate of Sir Edward Harland, co-founder of Harland & Wolff shipbuilders. Myles Big Stone is a megalith close to the entrance. Drive down the narrow lane branching right for 3 km to the shore of Upper Lough MacNean; there are walking trails with sculptures, and the ruins of Glenfarne (or Tottenham) Hall somewhere in the undergrowth. Pity
Do
What's on? - check the Leitrim Observer. Milltown Wood on the ridge above Lurganboy 2 km west of Manorhamilton has easy walking trails. Benbulbin: see Sligo for the ascent of this limestone scarp north of Glencar Lough. Wonder what a red van's doing here. Royal Mail, up a remote Irish back lane? No, the van hasn't strayed, you have. That little bridge one km back was the border, you've crossed into County Fermanagh in the United Kingdom, and have left the EU. So you begin to fathom the implications for communities on both sides if this ever again became a "hard" border.
Buy
Mace is open M-Sa 7AM-11PM, Su 8AM-10PM. Rooney's Supervalu is open M-Sa 7AM-9PM, Su 8AM-9PM. Farmers Market is in Beepark Community Centre on New Line, Friday 10AM-2PM. There's a filling station east where Main St rejoins N16, and another on N16 west edge of town. Credit Union on Main St has an ATM.
Eat
Apache Pizza on Main St does takeaway daily 3PM-1AM. Mountain View is a Chinese restaurant on Main St open daily 4PM-2AM. Loft Cafe on Main St is open W-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 10AM-5PM. Harvey's does fast food on Old Church St daily 3:30-9PM. ÓstaW8 is on Church Lane, see Sleep. It's open daily 9AM-3PM plus Th-Su 5-9PM.
Drink & nightlife
Gurn's Milestone is on New Line by the town crossroads, open W 7-11:30PM, Th F 4-11:30PM, Sa Su noon-midnight. O'Mahoney's on Main St is open M-Sa 10:30AM-11:30PM, Su 12:30-11PM. Heraghty's on Main St is open daily 5-11PM.
Sleep
W8 Village, Church Lane, Manorhamilton F91 KNX3 (town centre), ☏ +353 83 383 3615, [email protected]. Modern self-catering accommodation in town centre, units have 3 bedrooms (sleep 5) so they're for family stays rather than couples. OstaW8 cafe and restaurant is on site. (updated Sep 2025) Five Glens Inn, 1 New Line, Manorhamilton F91 XR79 (town crossroads). Good value self-catering. Double (room only) €100. (updated Sep 2025) Sligo has much more choice of accommodation. Consider also Carrick, or Bundoran on the coast.
Go next
Sligo west is surrounded by brooding cloud-wraithed limestone crags and prehistoric monuments. Carrick-on-Shannon south is a complete contrast, a pastoral landscape of river boats and fishing lakes. Donegal Town north has a ruined abbey, but that county's main attractions are its wild scenery further north. Enniskillen in County Fermanagh east has the obligatory ruined castle and two outstanding Georgian mansions. Come this way for the loughs of Erne.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.