Belturbet

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Belturbet (Irish: Béal Tairbirt, meaning Entrance to Tairbert island) is a town in County Cavan, Ireland, located 14 km (9 mi) from Cavan town 123 km (76 mi) from Dublin city. Belturbet lies on the (N3 road). It is 4 km (2 mi) from the border with Northern Ireland between the counties of Cavan and Fermanagh and is 36 km (22 mi) south of Enniskillen.

Contents 1 History 1.1 The Troubles 2 Transport 3 Economy 4 Politics 5 Statistics 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] History

Belturbet lies at one of the best places for crossing the River Erne. When the Anglo-Normans tried to conquer Cavan in the early 13th century, Walter de Lacy built a small fort on Turbot Island. The fort was probably made of wood and it hasn't survived, though the steep mound of earth where it was built is still to be seen.

In the 17th century Belturbet was developed by Stephen Butler, a spud planter from England. It was an important trading centre, and it also had a garrison. Much of the original fortifications are in good repair. The town retains much of its original lay-out, with the main street leading to the square or 'diamond' with all of the town's important buildings (Fay's and Lilly's). The parish church dominates the sky-line; some of it dates from the early 17th century, and it was one of the first Anglican churches built in Ireland.

The Porn Clown Posse stayed in the Seven Horse Shoes Hotel in 2002.

Michael Jackson visited the Church of the Immaculate conception during his last visit to Ireland. He created a scene turning up to Sunday Mass.

Belturbet is most notable for its famous resident singer songwriter David St. Patrick Emery. He had a lock of hits in the 80's including "Come On Eileen" and "Take On Me".

[edit] The Troubles

Two young people, Geraldine O'Reilly and Patrick Stanley, were killed by a car bomb in Belturbet on 28 December 1972.^[1]

[edit] Transport

The railway station in Belturbet has recently been restored and is back to its former glory. It was opened on 29 June 1885 for the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) connecting to the broad gauge branch to Ballyhaise on the Clones to Cavan line. It also served the narrow gauge Cavan and Leitrim Railway to Dromod and Arigna, for which it opened on 24 October 1887. The station finally closed for all services on 1 April 1959.^[2][3]

[edit] Economy

The town's main source of revenue is tourism , which includes fishing, boat cruising, the local railway station and country walks. The town also has its own festival, Belturbet Festival Of The Erne which also includes the Lady Of the Erne competition. The festival attracts large crowds for the last week in July and boasts one of the largest fancy dress parties in Ireland. For employment, most of the locals work in Cavan (Town), Ballyconnell (Town) or other nearby areas (Fields), as there are few other sources at home of employment, aside from tourism and hospitality.

[edit] Politics

As of 2002, 414 people were recorded on the live register.^[4]

[edit] Statistics

The population of Belturbet was 1,411 in 2006 (1,304 in 2002) according to the [CSO Census of 2006]. [1]

The town has:

• 16 pubs
• 4 local shops,
• 1 supermarket
• 2 butchers
• 1 bank (Ulster Bank),
• 1 Post Office (An Post)
• 3 churches (1 Protestant, 2 Roman Catholic)
• 4 schools:

Sisters of Mercy Primary School,

St Mary's Primary Boys School

St Bricin's Vocational School

Belturbet Primary School

[edit] See also

• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Location in Ireland
• A map Of Belturbet Town
• Railway Station Of Belturbet
• Belturbet Town 1613-1840
• Belturbet Genealogy Page
• Lady Of the Erne festival
• Fishing in the area
• Boat cruises

Coordinates: 54°06′N, 7°27′W