County Leitrim: Ireland’s Best-Kept Secret

County Leitrim is Ireland’s least populated county, and that fact alone should tell you something. This is a place where the roads narrow, the hedgerows thicken, and the landscape opens up into a patchwork of drumlins, small lakes, and quiet waterways that feel entirely untouched by modern tourism. Leitrim does not shout. It whispers. And those who listen are richly rewarded.

Glencar Waterfall and Lough

Glencar Waterfall is one of those places that inspired a poet and then somehow fell off the tourist radar entirely. W.B. Yeats wrote of it in “The Stolen Child” — “Where the wandering water gushes / From the hills above Glen-Car” — and the waterfall is every bit as magical as his words suggest. The 15-metre cascade tumbles through a mossy amphitheatre of rock, surrounded by ancient oak and ash woodland. On a misty morning, it feels like stepping into another century.

Glencar Lough, just below the falls, is a calm lake hemmed in by steep green slopes that have been compared to Norwegian fjords. A small car park and well-maintained path make the waterfall easy to access, yet midweek you may have it entirely to yourself.

Carrick-on-Shannon: A Town Reborn

The county town of Carrick-on-Shannon sits at one of the Shannon’s most scenic bends. Once a quiet market town, it has reinvented itself as a food and river-tourism destination. The marina is the starting point for cruising holidays on the Shannon-Erne Waterway — one of Europe’s finest inland waterways, connecting two of Ireland’s great river systems through a restored 19th-century canal.

In the town centre, The Costello Chapel is one of the smallest chapels in Europe — just 5 metres by 3.6 metres — built in 1877 by a heartbroken merchant to house the remains of his wife. Carrick’s restaurants punch well above their weight, with several drawing food lovers from Galway and Dublin.

The Shannon-Erne Waterway

The Shannon-Erne Waterway is a 63-kilometre navigation channel that winds through the heart of Leitrim, connecting the River Shannon to Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh. Originally built in the 1850s and abandoned within just nine years, it was magnificently restored in the 1990s as a cross-border peace project. Today it is one of the most tranquil boating experiences in Europe — 16 locks, quiet stretches of canal lined with bulrushes, and barely another boat in sight.

You do not need your own boat. Several operators in Carrick-on-Shannon hire fully equipped cruisers for anything from a weekend to a fortnight. The pace is wonderfully slow — you will cover perhaps 30 kilometres a day and arrive somewhere you have never heard of, which turns out to be exactly where you needed to be.

Parke’s Castle and Lough Gill

Parke’s Castle, a fortified plantation manor on the shores of Lough Gill, was built in 1610 on the site of an earlier O’Rourke tower house. It has been beautifully restored by the OPW and offers panoramic views across the lake toward Sligo. Boat trips from the castle jetty take you to the Isle of Innisfree — yes, the very island that inspired Yeats’s most famous poem. The island itself is tiny and unremarkable, but seen from the water on a still afternoon with the mountains reflected in the glass-like surface, you understand entirely why Yeats could not stop writing about it.

Drumshanbo and the Shed Distillery

Drumshanbo, a small town on the southern shore of Lough Allen, has become famous far beyond its size thanks to the Shed Distillery, home of Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin. The distillery offers tours that trace the gin-making process from the copper pot still to the Oriental botanicals (including gunpowder tea) that give it its distinctive character. Drumshanbo is also the starting point for the Lough Allen blueway — a kayaking and canoeing trail that leads into some of Leitrim’s wildest countryside.

Practical Tips for Visiting Leitrim

Leitrim is best explored by car, though the Shannon-Erne Waterway offers a magnificent alternative by boat. Carrick-on-Shannon is roughly two and a half hours from Dublin and has good bus and rail connections. Combine Leitrim with neighbouring Sligo (to the north) and Roscommon (to the south) for a week of Ireland at its most authentic. The county’s tiny strip of Atlantic coastline at Tullaghan — Ireland’s shortest coastline at just 4.6 kilometres — is worth a detour for the novelty alone.

Secure Your Dream Irish Experience Before It’s Gone!

Planning a trip to Ireland? Don’t let sold-out tours or packed attractions spoil your journey. Iconic experiences like visiting the Cliffs of Moher, exploring the Rock of Cashel, or enjoying a guided walk through Ireland’s ancient past often sell out quickly—especially during peak travel seasons.

Booking in advance guarantees your place and ensures you can fully immerse yourself in the rich culture and breathtaking scenery without stress or disappointment. You’ll also free up time to explore Ireland’s hidden gems and savour those authentic moments that make your trip truly special.

Make the most of your journey—start planning today and secure those must-do experiences before they’re gone!