Leitrim. Image: unsplash

Leitrim

Liatroim

Leitrim is the underdog’s underdog, often left off the tourist trails, but all the more interesting for it. With the smallest population of any county in Ireland, it’s a place that keeps its cards close to its chest. But those who make the effort are rewarded with wild beauty, deep peace, and a defiant sense of identity. This is not a county that performs. It just is.

You’ll find lakes wrapped in mist, towns that hum with quiet community, and a stretch of Atlantic coastline that’s as fierce as anything further south. Leitrim has room to breathe, think, and feel, which might be exactly what the world needs more of.

With the shortest Atlantic coastline of any coastal county, Leitrim makes up for its size with an abundance of lakes, forest, and quiet river towns.

SURNAMES: Reynolds, McGowan, Flynn, McGirl, Bohan, Dolan, Shanley, McTernan, Beirne, Gallagher, McPartlin, McWeeney, Gilmartin, Farrell

HISTORY

Leitrim’s ancient past is written into the very land, from Iron Age forts to megalithic tombs. It once formed part of the Kingdom of Breifne, ruled by the O’Rourkes, whose stronghold at Dromahair saw centuries of Gaelic power and poetic patronage. Even today, echoes of that kingdom linger in the hills and heritage sites.

The county suffered heavily during the Great Famine, with huge population loss and emigration that reshaped entire communities. Many villages never fully recovered, giving Leitrim a strangely haunting, beautiful emptiness that draws creatives, wanderers, and peace-seekers to this day.

Modern Leitrim is quietly evolving. It’s a haven for artists, ecologists, and those escaping the noise. Festivals thrive in places like Carrick-on-Shannon, and the Shannon–Erne Waterway stitches its way through a landscape that’s far richer than its headlines suggest.

TOWNS: Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton, Ballinamore, Mohill, Drumshanbo, Dromahair, Kinlough, Leitrim Village, Keshcarrigan, Cloone, Tullaghan, Glenfarne, Roosky, Drumkeeran, Fenagh, Eslinbridge, Gowel, Dowra.

LANDSCAPE & TODAY

The Shannon-Erne Waterway reopened in the 1990s, reconnecting two river systems and turning Leitrim into a haven for cruisers, anglers, and canoeists.

Leitrim has become something of a magnet for artists and remote workers drawn by its low population density, affordable land, and unhurried pace of life.

Ready to explore more of Ireland? Browse all 32 counties.