Located in Ireland, County Cavan has 365 lakes and multiple rivers, the two largest ones being the Erne and Shannon rivers. Nicknamed Pan County for its shape, the area has mountains to the northwest and other geographical features scattered throughout it.[6] Cavan Burren Park, Dun a Ri Forest Park, and Killykeen Forest Park are located in County Cavan and offer hiking trails, wildlife viewings, and outdoor opportunities.[3] Some of the activities around the district include the Cavan County Museum, Gartlan's Pub, the Farnham Estate Spa, the Cough Oughter Castle, Tullydermot Falls, and the Marble Arch Caves.[2] Because of the fluctuating weather, tourists that come to the section of Ireland where County Cavan is located often visit from the middle of June to the middle of August. Over the course of a year, temperatures likely fall somewhere between 35 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit. Precipitation falls annually, specifically in January and October. With little to no humidity and consistent cloud cover, County Cavan rarely has temperatures that go below 26 degrees Fahrenheit or exceed 74 degrees.[7] Animals that dwell throughout the area include birds, mammals, and plants, some of which are common, including moorhens, barn owls, common snipes, red foxes, European fallow deer, bush vetches, great horsetails, and cornflowers.[8]
Cavan, the central city in County Cavan, has multiple nicknames for various reasons, some of which are Lake County and Pan County. Because of its 365 lakes and two main rivers, fishing, boating, and angling are possible activities. The nickname "Pan County" was given to County Cavan because of its shape. Various towns and cities reside in the region, along with mountains to the northwest, along with small rounded hills and rolling drumlins.[6] With a total population of 76,176 people in County Cavan, 5,354 of which are in the town of Cavan, the average population density is 31.04 per kilometer squared.[4]
Multiple landscapes and other geographical features are dotted throughout the area. Cavan Burren Park, one of these locations, contains trails along with prehistoric landscapes. Having opened in May 2014, the physical land of Cavan Burren Park is around 349 million years old. Dun, a Ri Forest Park, is known for its animals, including rabbits, stoats, otters, and hares. With multiple features, namely the Cabra Cottage, the Cabra Village, Cromwell's Bridge, and Fleming's Castle, Dun a Ri Forest Park also features an ice house and wishing well. Killykeen Forest Park is known for its scenic areas and the ruins that are scattered throughout the area. Some of the trails that are available within the park include the Canal Walk, the Castle Lake Walk, and the Deerpark Forest Walk.[3]
As the main town in the county, Cavan houses a variety of attractions within its borders. Other attractions are situated a few minutes away. Visiting the Cough Oughter Castle is a more common thing that tourists do. Another attraction is the Cavan County Museum, which features information about World War I trenches and famines. Other than these main attractions, things like the Marble Arch Caves, the Farnham Estate Spa, Tullydermot Falls, and Gartlan's Pub are within the general vicinity of the town.[2]
County Cavan is located in Ireland, specifically up against the border of Northern Ireland. It houses multiple cities, lakes, and rivers. Cavan, the city that County Cavan is named after, is located in the central part of the region. Other towns located in the area include Virginia, Cootehill, Bailyconnell, and Killashandra. Aside from the towns, one of County Cavan's features is the lakes and loughs such as Lough Ramor, the Nadreegeel Loughs, Lough Oughter, Corglass Lough, Farfiny Lough, Inishmuck Lough, and Derreskil Lough. In the northwestern section of the county are multiple mountains and hills, some of which are Cuilcagh and Eagle Hill. Rivers are also common in this area, and some of these rivers include the Owensallagh River, River Blackwater, and River Claddagh.
Because County Cavan has multiple forests and lakes, birds can be found throughout the area. Birds like common kingfishers, moorhens, Eurasian coots, willow ptarmigans, Eurasian curlews, and common greenshanks can be found in more wet places. In contrast, common snipes, Eurasian woodcocks, barn owls, stock doves, corn crakes, and Eurasian kestrels dwell in more forested regions. Multiple species of mammals also call forests their home, and some of these are European fallow deer, Eurasian red squirrels, European rabbits, European badgers, red foxes, common hedgehogs, and multiple types of bats. Plants can also be found throughout County Cavan, with some of them being great horsetails, maidenhair spleenwort, wall-rues, white clovers, bush vetches, large-leafed lupines, meadowsweets, cornflower, Colt's-foots, ragworts, and silver maples.[8]
Cavan has weather that fluctuates throughout the year. Temperatures in the area often fall between 35 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit and rarely reach above 74 degrees Fahrenheit or below 26 degrees Fahrenheit. More often than not, July holds the highest temperature at about 66 degrees Fahrenheit. February, on the opposite side of the scale, often receives 35 degrees Fahrenheit conditions. In Cavan, the wet season lasts around 7.5 months, from the beginning of August to the middle of March. January often experiences the most precipitation, while April usually has the lowest chance of rain or snow. Over the course of a year, it is common for the month of October to receive the highest amount of rainfall. In Cavan, humidity is not high, and the environment is drier than not. Because of these reasons, tourists often visit between the end of June and the middle of August.[7]
Home to settlers since the prehistoric period, Cavan was first settled in 1579 by the O'Reillys.[9] When the O'Reilly family came to the area and established a castle in the main town, a Franciscan monastery was also created. King James I of England gave the town a charter in 1610. As a result, the O'Reilly clans gained more power and wealth after having created their own currency during the 1600s. A phrase was created for the O'Reilly clans, and the term is "Life of Reilly."[5]
In 1601, County Cavan got involved with the Ulster Plantation scheme, which led to changes in the population. During this time, towns such as Bailieborough and Virginia were established. Cavan and Belturbet were incorporated and planted. Cavan city was the first to be incorporated as a result of being the first Ulster town under the Plantation scheme. In 1641, the rising caused violence in Cavan. As a result, British Protestants provided the town with social and cultural information. An uprising was held in 1649, and during the event, the Irish general, Owen Roe O'Neill, died at Clogh Oughter. After the rebellion ended, things calmed down for a few years until 1794, when Ballinagh was burned down.[9]
During the Great Famine, which was a potato blight that occurred between 1845 and 1849, a particularly bad winter in 1847 caused a high level of deaths and caused diseases like cholera and typhus to spread through the area.[1] Over the course of the famine, the population of Cavan dropped from 243,158 people to 174,064.[9]
Cavan later became a critical rail junction between the western and midland lines, along with the Northern Railways. Throughout the 19th century, multiple things occurred in the city of Cavan. In 1909, the Town Hall was built, and later in 1938, construction on the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Felim began.[5]
Cavan experienced a relatively high death rate during World War I in the early twentieth century, with at least 657 fatalities. In 1916, Sean Mac Diarmada received some of his education in Tullynamoyle School, which was located in County Cavan.[9]
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