Lovely Leitrim

Lovely Leitrim

‘Last night I had a pleasant dream, I woke up with a smile,
I dreamt that I was back again in dear old Erin’s Isle.
I thought I saw Lough Allen’s banks in the valley down below,
It was my Lovely Leitrim where the Shannon waters flow’.

The words of this song, immortalised by Larry Cunningham, remind us of one of the most beautiful places in Ireland. Lovely Leitrim, surrounded by six counties, is a tourist’s paradise to which visitors return again and again.

The Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, winds its way through the county and its lakes and waterways attract thousands of tourists year after year. For those interested in river cruising the Shannon / Erne Waterway, reopened in 1994, provides the opportunity to navigate their way through Counties Cavan, Fermanagh and Leitrim.

Anglers from many countries are drawn to Leitrim by the prospect of being able to fish on any of the forty-one lakes situated within a radius of 10kms. of Carrick – on – Shannon.

Many visitors choose to explore the county on foot. The North Leitrim Glens attract both the experienced and the amateur hill - walker.

Glencar waterfall, immortalised by Poet W. B. Yeats, is one of the beauty spots most frequently visited by tourists.

Lough Allen, famed in song and story, is the first lake on the river Shannon. This lake acts as a reservoir for the Power Station at Ard na Crusha, near Limerick.

But Lough Allen is probably best remembered for a terrible tragedy that occurred in 1831. It was customary for many of the people who lived on the northern side of the lake to make the weekly journey by boat to the market in Drumshanbo. They brought with them their farm produce. With the money made from its sale they bought the provisions needed at home.

On the Good Friday morning of 2nd April twenty-five people assembled at Corry shore, intending to make the journey to Drumshanbo. But the boat could only accommodate eighteen people, so seven had to return home. When the farm produce had been loaded into the boat the sails were unfurled and the oars manned.

As they disembarked at Drumshanbo they agreed to meet again at three o’ clock to begin the journey home. This would give them enough time to cross the lake before darkness fell.

Due to a number of unforeseen delays they did not manage to assemble together at the boat until seven o’ clock. They loaded the vessel with the potatoes and seed they had purchased at the market. By the time all of the passengers had entered the boat it was much lower in the water than it should be.

Mrs. Forde, a passenger who had made the journey several times, felt very uneasy about the situation. She expressed her concern to Paddy Travers, one of her neighbours. They decided to leave the boat and to stay overnight with friends who lived at Mount Allen. Two other passengers, men from Ballinageera, also left the boat. They decided to walk home.

The weather was favourable for the journey as the boat left Drumshanbo. But conditions soon deteriorated. The wind began to rise and it was not very long before a gale was blowing, whipping the lake into a frenzy. Darkness had fallen at this stage, which made conditions even more difficult. The boat, which by this time had travelled about two miles, was in no condition to withstand the battering it received from the huge waves.

Overloaded by its heavy cargo and unsettled by some panic – stricken passengers, the small craft had little chance of completing the journey. The boat soon capsized and its cargo and passengers were thrown into the dark swirling waters of the lake. The unfortunate passengers had no chance of survival and within a short time all were lost.

On the shore some of the local people had been watching the boat as it attempted to make the journey. But it soon disappeared in the darkness. They scanned the shore – line and much of the lake with lamps, hoping to spot some survivors. But it soon became evident that the lake had claimed the lives of all the occupants of the boat.

At dawn the following morning some of the local men set out in boats, seeking to locate the bodies of those who had perished. They used grappling irons to recover the bodies. These were then placed in boats and taken to Corry. In Kilbride Cemetery the fourteen coffins were buried side by side in a mass grave.

This tragedy has never been forgotten and countless visitors have sat and listened as some of the older generation retold the story.

The locals also tell of how their ancestors had the privilege of listening to St Patrick as he faithfully preached the Gospel in Co. Leitrim. Patrick saw many of the local people converted from Paganism to Christ. His message from the Scriptures was as follows -

(a) We are ALL sinners: ‘For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’. (Romans Ch.3 v 23)

(b) Every sinner is subject to sin’s penalty: ‘(They) shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone’. (Revelation Ch. 21 v 8)

(c) Salvation cannot be earned through good works or religious exercises: ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast’. (Ephesians Ch.2 vs 8, 9)

(d) God has provided ONE way of Salvation:

‘Jesus saith unto him – “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me…For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” ’ (John Ch.14 v 6 ; Ch.3 v 16)

(e) Every sinner needs to repent: ‘Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish’. (Luke Ch.13 v 3)

(f) Faith in Jesus Christ is necessary for Salvation: ‘Therefore being justified by FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’. (Romans Ch. 5 v 1)

St Patrick preached the Word of God to the people of Leitrim. He told them of how Jesus had died upon the cross as a Substitute for sinners, paying the penalty for the guilt of their sins. Because of what Christ had done on their behalf their sins could now be forgiven and they could be saved from Hell. Patrick encouraged them to repent of their sins and to put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Friend, as we have been thinking of the drowning tragedy on Lough Allen we have been reminded of the brevity of life and the suddenness of death. What a terrible tragedy it would be if you neglected to avail of the Salvation that God has provided for you -

‘How shall we escape, if we neglect so great Salvation…’ (Hebrews Ch.2 v 3)

What a tragedy it would be if you neglected to accept this FREE GIFT of Salvation - ‘..The GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’. (Romans Ch. 6 v 23)

Why not respond TODAY? Acknowledging the fact that you are a sinner, turn to the Lord in sincere repentance, asking Him to forgive you and trusting Him to save you.