Town of CAVAN

"Cavan, an incorporated market and post-town, (formerly a parliamentary borough) in the parish of Urney, barony of Upper Loughtee, county of Cavan (of which it is the chief town), and province of Ulster, 25½ miles (S. E. by S.) from Enniskillen, and 55 (N. W. by W.) from Dublin ; containing 2931 inhabitants. This town was, from a period of remote antiquity, the scat of the O'Reillys, tanists of the district now forming the county to which it gives name, and who had a castle here, of which there are no other remains than some vaults and part of the foundation." [From Lewis' Topographical Dictionary (1837)]

"CAVAN, a market, post, and county town of the county of Cavan, in the parish of Urney, in the barony of Upper Loughtee, province of Ulster, Ireland, 70 miles N.W. of Dublin by road, or 85¾, by the Midland Great Western railway, which has a branch to Cavan. It may also be approached by the Irish North-Western, which likewise has a branch to Cavan. It has a most picturesque situation about 3½ miles E. of Lough Oughter, on a stream falling into the Annalee. It is a nominal borough, having been incorporated by James I., and returned two members to the Irish parliament before the Union. It is now governed by the county magistrates, and the assizes and petty-sessions are regularly held here. The original town, said to be of early date, was destroyed by fire in 1690, when a detachment of English troops, under the Duke of Berwick, was defeated by Captain Wolsey. The present town, consisting mainly of one long street, extends along the road from Dublin to Enniskillen, and contains, according to the census of 1861, 481 houses, inhabited by a population of 3,107, of whom 2,346 are Roman Catholics, 631 belong to the Established Church, 55 Methodists, and 5 of other persuasions. The houses in the main street are for the most part old and irregularly built; but the western suburb, comprising the public buildings, is remarkably handsome. It contains the parish church of Urney, the court-house, gaol, union poorhouse, fever hospital, several banks, barracks, and police station. In 1824 a commodious Roman Catholic chapel was erected in the town, at a cost of £1,000. Over the altar is a painting of the Descent from the Cross. There are also Presbyterian and Methodist chapels, and a public pleasure-ground, bequeathed by the late Lady Farnham, for the recreation of the inhabitants. The royal school is of ancient foundation, and has a revenue of £642, with five exhibitions at Trinity College, Dublin. Mr. Sheridan, the friend of Dean Swift, for some time was head-master. There are also a National and several other schools. It supports a newspape of its own, called The Anglo-Celt. In 1300 the Abbey of Keadue was founded by the O'Reillys, where was buried Owen O'Niel, the Irish general, who was poisoned in Clonghoughter Castle in 1649, notable also for being the prison of Bishop Bedell in 1641. The remains of the abbey may still be seen standing on an islet not far from Lake Killikeen. The principal residences in the neighbourhood are Farnham House (the seat of Lord Farnham), Castle Saunderson, and Kilmore. The market day is Tuesday. Fairs are held on the 1st February, Easter Monday, 14th May, 30th June, 14th August, 25th September, and 12th November." [Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868 by Colin Hinson ©2018]