LEITRIM

Irish Liatroim (Gray Ridge) county in the province of Connaught (Connacht), Ireland. With an area of 589 square miles (1,525 square km), it is bounded on the north by County Donegal, on the east by Northern Ireland and Cavan, on the south by Longford, and on the west by Roscommon and Sligo. The southern part of the county is a lowland covered by glacial drifts; most of it is used as farmland, though there are peat bogs and many small lakes. The western boundary follows the River Shannon, on which boats can ascend to Carrick-on-Shannon, the county town (seat). At Drumshanbo, close to Lough (lake) Allen, the terrain changes to a series of plateaus, mainly 1,400 feet to 1,800 feet (425 m to 550 m) high. There are relics of past ironworks in the south and some coal seams, with many traces of past mining. The plateaus are split up by a number of deep valleys, in one of which Lough Allen covers about 14 square miles (36 square km). Leitrim formed part of the ancient kingdom of Brifne, the country of the O'Rourkes. In 1588 Sir Brian O'Rourke sheltered 1,000 Spaniards after the Armada had been destroyed by the English fleet; for this he was driven from the country and executed in 1591. Since 1841 the population of Leitrim has declined consistently. Less than one-fifth of the people live in towns and villages, of which the largest is Carrick-on-Shannon. The county has a county council and is united with Sligo under a county manager. In 1891 several parts of the county ranked as congested districts because of their poverty, but the reduction of population made possible the union of farms into larger holdings. Much of the land is poor, with pasture as the main use. In the uplands there are sheep as well as cattle, but in the south cattle are the main stock. Potatoes and oats are the principal crops. The towns are small market centres. Industries include textiles, electrical accessories, and automotive parts. Pop. (1986) 27,035.