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Cavan, Irish An Cabhán
(The Hollow Place), one of the three counties of the old province
of Ulster, but now part of the Irish republic. With an area of
730 sq mi (1,891 sq km), it is bounded by Counties Monaghan (northeast),
Meath, Westmeath, and Longford (south), and Leitrim (northwest).
Northern Ireland lies to the north. Northwestern Cavan comprises
uplands, intersected by valleys, declining toward the main valley
of the River Erne, where the main features are the drumlins (long,
oval mounds) that alternate with lakes, rivers, peat bogs, and
pastures. East of the Erne Valley is a line of slate and shale
hills.
The Cavan district is mentioned
in accounts of the life of St. Patrick (flourished 5th century).
Cavan formed part of the kingdom of Bréifne, which included
Leitrim, of which the O'Rourkes were princes. In later times
Cavan, or East Bréifne, became distinctively Bréifne
O'Reilly; and West Bréifne, or Leitrim, became Bréifne
O'Rourke. Bréifne long resisted colonization by the Anglo-Normans,
and the O'Reilly's of Cavan were not brought under permanent
English rule until the late 16th century. Cavan, previously part
of Connacht, was designated a part of Ulster in the early 17th
century and included in the Ulster plantation from 1608 onward,
when it was settled by Scots and English colonists.
Only one-quarter of the people
of Cavan live in villages and towns; Cavan, the county seat,
Cootehill, and Belturbet are the largest. The Roman Catholic
cathedral of Kilmore diocese is in Cavan, the Protestant cathedral
in Kilmore. Farms in Cavan average 30–40 ac (12–16
ha); and one-tenth of the improved land is used for crops, one-fifth
for hay, and the rest for pasture. Creameries are common, and
the towns are market centres with industries such as plastics,
food processing, synthetic fibres, and wallpaper manufacturing.
Main roads converge on Cavan from Belfast, Dublin, and Athlone.
Pop. (1986) 53,965.
Source: http://www.britannica.com
Popular Surnames
from County Cavan
Reilly, Smith, Brady, Lynch, McCabe, Clarke,
Farrelly, Maguire, Sheridan and Galligan
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County
Towns
Cavan, Cootehill, Bailieborough, Killeshandra,
Virginia, Belturbet, Ballyjamesduff and Kingscourt
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Archives and
Libraries
Query Resources
County Cavan, Ireland Query Board
RootsWeb Message Board
Genuki-Cavan
 GENUKI
- County Cavan
ONLINE MATERIALS
ADDED AT THIS SITE!
SPECIAL
PROJECTS
All
Ireland Birth Index
I have begun transcribing the 1864 All
Ireland Birth Index. The 1864 and other years are is available
on micfofilm at LDS Family History Libraries. If you would like
to help with this project and are able to get to an FHC near
you, we could place this project online at IrelandGenWeb. If
interested in working on this project, please email
me. The films can be ordered from Salt Lake City if they
are not on indefinite loan at your FHC.
Email
Lists for Ireland and Other British Isles' Interests
On-Line Records - Fianna
Other Cavan Resources
Civil
Parishes of County Cavan
Irish Roots
Magazine - [from the magazine staff on March 6, 2002:
Hi Denise, Yes, we have just published issue number 41 - first
issue of 2002. A subscription - 4 issues costs 12.70 Euro, £10.stg.,
20US$, 28Can$, 28Aus$ surface postage included - can be ordered
via e-mail by using a credit card number, or payment can be made
by mailing a personal cheque, international money order, cash,
or credit card number to:
IRISH ROOTS Magazine,
Belgrave Publications,
Belgrave Avenue,
Cork, Ireland.]
Cavan Towns/Townlands
Common
Elements in Irish Place Names
Irish Books and Book
Sources
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