Leitrim

Names prominent in this county include: Clancy, Consnave, Coogan, Curneen, Dorcey, Finn, Ford, Forde, Gallon, Ganly, Gilhooley, Gilhooly, Gilmartin, Goggan, Gourtney, Kenny, MacClancy, MacConsnave, MacCoogan, MacGanly, MacGilhooley, MacGourtney, MacRannall, MacShanley, MacSharry, McClancy, McConsnave, McCoogan, McDorcy, McFergus, McGanly, McGilhooley, McGoldrick, McGourtney, McGourty, McGowan, McKeon, McMorrow, McRannall, McShanley, McSharry, McTeigue, Meehan, Mulvey, O'Carrol, O'Cuirneen, O'Curneen, O'Dorcey, O'Gallon, O'Mulvey, O'Rodeham, O'Rourke, Ranall, Rannal, Rannall, Reynolds, Roddy, Rodeham, Rogan, Rourke, Shanley, Sharry

Once the western most part of the historical Kingdom of Breffni, Leitrim was a stronghold of the O’Rourke family in the Medieval period. As the once heavily forested county was cleared the general poverty of Leitrim’s farmland encouraged many of Leitrim’s sons and daughters to emigrate to North America and, especially, Maryland. Leitrim was particularly hard hit by the Famine and the trickle of eighteenth century emigration became a flood tide in the second half of the nineteenth century as survivors left behind the loughs of Leitrim for the cities of America. Despite Leitrim’s agricultural poverty, Leitrim was always a culturally rich area and has been home to some of Ireland’s most notable poets and musicians. - notes by Sarah Nagle

One of a series of Irish District tartans designed (and copyrighted) by Polly Wittering of the House of Edgar in 1995. This is not an 'officially sanctioned' District tartan but has proven popular.