Visit Carrick-on-Shannon

The Dock is situated in the beautiful town of Carrick-on-Shannon (Irish: Cora Droma Rúisc, meaning "weir of the marshy ridge"). It is the county town of Leitrim, the largest town in the county situated on a strategic fording point of the River Shannon.

Carrick-on-Shannon was granted a royal charter and named a borough with its own seal in 1607. Throughout at least the 19th and 20th centuries, three annual fairs were held at Carrick on 12th May, 11th August and 21st (or 22nd) November. Historic buildings are the "Carrick Castle", the Workhouse and Famine Graveyard, Hatley Manor (a restored Georgian period home of the St. George Family), St George's Church of Ireland and the Costello Chapel.

It is considered the gateway to the Shannon–Erne Waterway, Lough Key, Acres Lake and Lough Allen via the villages of Cootehall, Knockvicar, Jamestown, Leitrim Village, Drumshanbo and Keshcarrigan and is only a short distance away from the Glens of North Leitrim.

Until the early 19th century, the head of the Shannon Navigation was Drumsna. In the 1840s the improvement of the navigation entailed extensive dredging of the river, the cutting of Jamestown Canal, the construction of locks at Drumsna and Knockvicar, and the building of a new bridge and Quays at Carrick-on-Shannon. The new bridge, built in 1846, took the place of a nine arch stone bridge, which in turn replaced a wooden structure.

For over a century, until the closing of the Grand Canal Company in 1960, Carrick was a major depot for river trade; timber, cement, hardware, and especially Guinness stout were all transported here from Dublin, Athlone, and Limerick.

To find out more about this beautiful town on the majestic river Shannon visit mycarrick.ie