Leitrim, County Down

Hamlet in Northern Ireland

Human settlement in Northern Ireland

Location within County Down

Population150 (only includes Leitrim townland.) (2011 Census)District

Newry, Mourne and Down

County

County Down

CountryNorthern IrelandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townCASTLEWELLANPostcode districtBT31Dialling code028Police Northern Ireland Fire Northern Ireland Ambulance Northern Ireland UK Parliament

South Down

NI Assembly

South Down

List of places: UK; Northern Ireland; Down

54°17′08″N 5°59′54″W / 54.285506°N 5.9982461°W / 54.285506; -5.9982461

Leitrim (from Irish Liatroim 'grey ridge'), is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, approximately 3 miles from Castlewellan, near Dromara, in the parish of Drumgooland. It is set between the Dromara Hills (Slieve Croob) and the Mourne Mountains. It is claimed to be home to the MacCartan clan of Kinelarty. ^[1]

Within the centre of Leitrim village there is a Catholic church,^[2] a shop and a bar. Along the Backaderry road there is also a pre-school, ^[3] an animal feed factory and the local Gaelic club.

Leitrim's Gaelic club (Liatroim Fontenoys GAC) is reputed to be the oldest in Down – being founded in 1888.^{[citation needed]} Leitrim has developed friendly rivalries with Kilcoo GAC and Castlewellan GAC. Most years Leitrim will hold a festival in and around the club grounds.

Although there is only one village named Leitrim in south down, near Hilltown there is a small forest area and camping site named Leitrim lodge. ^[4]

History

Legananny Dolmen, a megalithic dolmen or cromlech, is located nearby on the slopes of Slieve Croob.^[5]

Leitrim railway station, which opened on 24 March 1906, was closed on 2 May 1955.^[6]

Gallery

Shop, bar and church on the crossroads at Leitrim
The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Leitrim
Bridge at the centre of the village
1916 Easter Rising Memorial at the Leitrim crossroads

Notable people

Tom Herron, Northern Irish motorcyclist. Although Born in Lisburn, County Antrim, Herron spent most of his childhood in Leitrim. After Herron's death he was buried at Leitrim Presbyterian church, not far outside the village.^[7]