Everything about Cavan totally explained
Cavan (; ) is the
county seat of
County Cavan in
Ireland. The town lies in the northeast of the
island, along the border with
Northern Ireland. The
N3 road connects the town to
Dublin.
History
The O'Reilly family (still a very common surname in the area) established a castle in the town in the late 13 century. A
Franciscan monastery was also established at around the same time. In the 15 century the local ruler,
Bearded Owen O'Reilly, set up a market which attracted merchants from
Dublin and
Drogheda. King
James I of England granted the town a charter in
1610. In the early 19 century, the Maxwells, Lords Farnham of Cromwellian origin, built a new wide street that still bears the name
Farnham Street. This was lined with comfortable town houses, public buildings (such as the courthouse which dates from
1825), and churches. The term
life of Reilly was credited to the Reilly clans due to their great wealth and power, having issued their own currency during the
1600s.
In the late 19 century, Cavan became an important rail junction between the midland and western lines and those of the Northern Railways. The Town Hall was built in
1909. In
|1938, work began on the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Felim. Three miles west of Cavan town is the Anglican Kilmore Cathedral, which contains a
Romanesque doorway dating from the 12 century. Farnham House, to the northwest of Cavan, is one of the largest houses in the county. It is believed to have been built for the Maxwell family in
1810, and designed by Francis Johnston, a Dublin architect. It was recently sold by the widowed Lady Farnham to a local entrepreneur, and the house and estate has now been converted to a luxury hotel and leisure complex under the
Radisson SAS international hotel group.
Cavan has been twinned with
Jaunay Clan, in the
Vienne département of
France.
Transport
Road
There are about 30,000 people living within a 16 km radius of the town, so infrastructure is very important. The town is located on the junction of two national routes, the N3 to
Dublin and
N55 to
Athlone. The National Development Plan, 2000-2006, provides for a major upgrading of the N3 route with a motorway from
Kells to
Dublin (under construction) and
type 2 dual carriageway from
Kells to Cavan, which will also eventually bypass Virginia. The N3 and N55 eastern
bypass around Cavan town was fully completed in March 2006, eliminating the need for heavy traffic to enter the congested town.
Rail
Cavan used to have two railway stations (GNR and CIÉ) on the end-on junction of the Belfast-Cavan and the Cavan-Dublin, via the Inny Junction and
Mullingar lines. A branch of the Cavan-Leitrim Railway was also indirectly linked to Cavan town via
Belturbet (the C&L terminus) and Ballyhaise on the GNR line. When the Stormont Government closed the section of the Belfast line from
Portadown to
Glaslough in
1957, it was found to be uneconomical to keep running the rump section from Monaghan to Cavan. All these lines (including the Cavan-Leitrim Railway) were closed by
1960. The Virginia Road Station also once serviced the route between Kells and Oldcastle. Cooperation between the Cavan and Westmeath county councils are striving to integrate this into the national and regional development plan. Cavan railway station opened on
8 July 1856, closed for passenger services on
14 October 1957, and finally closed altogether on
1 January 1960.
Future infrastructure
Ongoing infrastructural evolution continues in order to meet a programme deadline of
2020 for embracing road, rail and telecommunication infrastructures, according to the National Development Plan. These will permit a better integration with the neighbouring
Dublin and
Midlands Gateways, also, the
Monaghan,
Sligo, and
Ulster hubs, and thus allowing the promotion of business and tourism within the region.
Education
Vocational Education in County Cavan is coordinated by the Cavan Vocational Educational Committee, while voluntary secondary schools are coordinated by the Department of Education and Science. The town has four second level schools, Saint Bricins Vocational School, Saint Patrick's College, Loreto College, Breifne College, and the Royal School. The town is served by a third level college,
Cavan Institute (formerly Cavan College of Further Studies), which has been located in Cavan since 1985 and is the largest provider of FETAC courses in the northeast region.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cavan'.
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