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Arvagh

Coordinates: 53°55′N 7°35′W / 53.917°N 7.583°W / 53.917; -7.583
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arvagh
Ármhach
Town
Market House
Market House
Arvagh is located in Ireland
Arvagh
Arvagh
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°55′N 7°35′W / 53.917°N 7.583°W / 53.917; -7.583
CountryIreland
ProvinceUlster
CountyCounty Cavan
BaronyTullyhunco
Population
 (2022)[1]
419

Arvagh (Irish: Árṁaċ/Ármhach, meaning 'division or place of slaughter'),[2] or Arva, is a town in County Cavan, Ireland, on the shores of Garty Lough and overlooked by Bruse Mountain.[3] It is located on the junction of the R198 and R203 regional roads.

It is situated in the centre of the drumlin belt on the border of Counties Longford and Leitrim. Its location is about 3 km southeast of the tripoint where the three provinces of Ulster, Leinster and Connacht meet.[4]

As of 2022, the town had a population of 419.[1]

Toponymy

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Árṁaċ, or Ármhach (meaning "Battlefield" or "Place of Slaughter"), was brought about because Arvagh is on the borders of 3 counties and provinces, Leitrim, Longford and Cavan (Connaght, Leinster and Ulster). The royal families of these counties would battle in Arvagh and as a result many died, Hence "Place of Slaughter".[citation needed] In 1836, Arvagh was recorded by John O'Donovan as Airbheach, 'a division'. Under descriptive marks it was recorded that "The town of Arvagh is small...The word Arvagh is derived from a rocky spot in the adjoining townland and on which the despensary is built, which signifies the place of blood or slaughter"[5]

Local folklore, recorded in the Dúchas Schools’ Collection, supports this interpretation, associating the name with historical battles in the surrounding area. However, as is common with early Irish toponyms, there is no definitive historical record of a specific event giving rise to the name, and it may also refer more broadly to a territorial or symbolic landscape feature. Another entry from the Schools’ Collection records that "the real name for the town is Drumalt," implying that this may have been the original name before it became known as Arva.[6]

History

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Early History

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Arva (Irish Ármhach, “battlefield”) lies at the western edge of the barony of Teallach Dhúnchadha (Tullyhunco) in County Cavan. Archaeological surveys have recorded over twenty ringforts (ráth) in and around the townland, indicating continuous settlement from the 6th to the 10th centuries.[7]

In the early medieval period the area formed part of the over‑kingdom of Bréifne, ruled by the Uí Briúin Bréifne dynasty. From the 11th century the local túath of Tullyhunco was governed by the Mág Tighearnán sept, whose chiefs administered Brehon law and collected tribute from their crannóg at Cruachan O’Cúbhrán.[8]

Between the 8th and 12th centuries Bréifne consolidated into West Bréifne (under the O’Rourke kings) and East Bréifne (under the O’Reilly kings). Tullyhunco, including Arva, was absorbed into East Bréifne by the mid‑13th century, a division confirmed by conflicts such as the Battle of Magh Slécht in 1256.[9] This Gaelic lordship remained until the Tudor conquest of Ireland in the 16th century.

Plantation and Foundation of the Town

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Gaelic control began to collapse during the late 16th century, particularly following the Nine Years’ War (1594–1603) and the Flight of the Earls (1607). These events paved the way for the Plantation of Ulster, a policy of land confiscation and colonisation carried out by the English Crown. Arva, along with much of southern Ulster, was granted to British settlers. The modern town was likely established during this plantation period in the early 17th century.[10]

18th and 19th Century Development

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During the 18th and 19th centuries, Arva developed further under the control of the Gosford estate, which was held by the Acheson family, later the Earls of Gosford. Surviving estate maps from 1822 and 1845 show a formally planned town layout centred around a market house and fair green.

In 1841, at which time the 1841 Census recorded a population of 69, there were four pubs in the village and the monthly fairs were of considerable local trade importance.[3][11]

Early 20th Century Life

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Arva on fair day (1940s)

A valuable snapshot of life in Arva during the early 20th century is preserved in the Schools’ Collection, compiled in the 1930s by local schoolchildren as part of a nationwide folklore project.

A snapshot of life in Arva during the early 20th century is preserved in the Schools’ Collection, compiled in the 1930s by local schoolchildren as part of a nationwide folklore project. One account, written by Joy Scott of Arva National School on 18 March 1938, describes how the town was transitioning into the modern era, with the arrival of electricity:

"There is electric light in the town which brightens it very much at night, there are lights along the streets and in nearly every house. Long ago there was only oil lamps on the street which did not show much light but now that is replaced by the electricity."[12]

The same contributor described the town's layout and social life during the 1930s:

"There are four streets in the town namely: Main Street, Pound Street, Broad Road and Longford Street. There are a few fine buildings in the town. There are three large dances halls namely 'St. Patrick’s Hall', 'Moonlight Pavilion' and 'Memorial Hall'. The guards barrick, the post office, three banks, a chapel and a church. There is a fair held once a month in the town and a market each week. In the summer evenings the young people play tennis, camogie, football and lots of other games and in winter there are many amusements such as pictures, dances, and concerts."[12]

Governance

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Arva is located within the jurisdiction of Cavan County Council, in the local electoral area of Ballyjamesduff, one of the three electoral areas used for local elections within the county.

For national representation, Arva is part of the Dáil constituency of Cavan–Monaghan. At the European level, Arva falls is in the Midlands–North-West constituency, which elects five Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

Demographics

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Historical population data for Arva often refers to the wider **civil parish of Arvagh**, which encompasses the town and surrounding rural area, rather than the town alone. The parish historically covered approximately 17,074 statute acres.[13] In 1837, the population of the **parish** was recorded as 4,580, of whom 422 resided in the **town** itself.[14] Throughout the 19th century, the parish population declined significantly, reflecting trends in rural depopulation, famine, and emigration.

Population of Arva parish and town (1837–2022)
Year Arva Parish Arva Town
Population ±% Population ±%
1837 4,580[14] — 422[14] —
1861 6,294[15] — no data available —
1871 5,777[16] −8.2% no data available —
1881 5,606[17] −3.0% no data available —
1891 4,912[18] −12.4% no data available —
1901 4,381[19] −10.8% no data available —
1911 3,994[20] −8.8% no data available —
1921 no data available — no data available —
1931 no data available — no data available —
1941 no data available — no data available —
1951 no data available — no data available —
1961 no data available — no data available —
1971 no data available — no data available —
1981 no data available — no data available —
1991 no data available — no data available —
1996 no data available — 327[21] —
2002 no data available — 357[22] +9.2%
2006 no data available — 364[23] +2.0%
2011 no data available — 380[24] +4.4%
2016 no data available — 411[25] +8.2%
2022 no data available — 419[26] +1.9%

Language Proficiency

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The 2022 Census reported the following language proficiency among Arva residents:

  • English only: 96.2%
  • Irish speakers: 28.5%
  • Other languages: 3.8%

Of those who spoke Irish, a small percentage used it daily outside the education system.

Events

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Each year the Arvagh Agricultural Show takes place in the village.[4][27][28] The "3 Province Festival" also takes place here over 10 days from the last weekend in July until the first weekend in August. The festival includes music, theatre, comedy, art, competitions and other events.[29]

Transport

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Bus

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Whartons Travel operate bus route 975 on behalf of the National Transport Authority. It serves the village six times a day (not Sundays) providing services to Longford via Drumlish and Cavan.[30][31] Bus Éireann route 465, (Carrigallen-Killashandra-Cavan) serves the village on Tuesday.

Rail

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Arva Road railway station on the erstwhile Killashandra branch was the nearest station to Arvagh. Nowadays bus route 975 provides a link to Longford railway station.

Angling

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The Arvagh area has numerous angling sites such as Garty Lough, Hollybank Lake, Gulladoo Lake, Guiniken Lake and Rockfield Lake.[32] The Arvagh International Fishing Festival takes place in Arvagh every September.[4]

Sport

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Arva St Patrick's is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Census Interactive Map – Towns: Arvagh". Census 2022. Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Ármhach/Arvagh". Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie). Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Dublin City University. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b O'Neill, Kevin (2003). Family and Farm in Pre-Famine Ireland. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 29–30. ISBN 0-299-09844-3.
  4. ^ a b c "Arva". Cavan Tourism. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Ármhach/Arvagh".
  6. ^ "My Home District". Dúchas.ie. National Folklore Collection, UCD. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  7. ^ O'Kelly, Patrick (1995). Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan. The Stationery Office. ISBN 9780101710921. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  8. ^ O'Reilly, J. J. (1895). History of Breifne: An Account of the Settlement, Rulers, Ecclesiastical Writings, and Antiquities of Ancient Breifne. Sealy, Bryers & Walker.
  9. ^ MacCotter, Paul (2008). Medieval Ireland: Territorial, Political and Economic Divisions. Four Courts Press. ISBN 9781846820690. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  10. ^ Perceval-Maxwell, M. (1973). The Scottish Migration to Ulster in the Reign of James I. Routledge. ISBN 9780710075387. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  11. ^ "Arvagh - County Cavan". Discover Ireland. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  12. ^ a b "Arvagh". Dúchas.ie. The Schools’ Collection. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  13. ^ Marriages, Births, and Deaths Registered in Ireland 1891 (PDF), Registrar-General (Ireland), 1892, archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2021
  14. ^ a b c Lewis, Samuel (1837). A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. London: S. Lewis & Co. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  15. ^ Marriages, Births, and Deaths in Ireland 1869 (PDF), Registrar-General, 1872, archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2021
  16. ^ Marriages, Births and Deaths in Ireland 1871 (PDF), Registrar-General, 1874, archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2021
  17. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.cso.ie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.nisra.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.nisra.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.nisra.gov.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ "Census 1996" (PDF). www.cso.ie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2020.
  22. ^ "Census 2002" (PDF). Central Statistics Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2020.
  23. ^ "Census 2006 – Table 5" (PDF). Central Statistics Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2020.
  24. ^ "Census 2011 – Table 5" (PDF). Central Statistics Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2019.
  25. ^ "Sapmap Area: Settlements Arva". Census 2016. Central Statistics Office. 2016. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  26. ^ "Population of Towns by Size, Census 2022". Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  27. ^ "The Breffni Challenge". 14 April 2012. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012.
  28. ^ "Arva Show - Arva Agricultural Show Society". Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  29. ^ "Arva 3 Province Festival | Arva 3 Province Festival is a GO!!! Starts with the Arva Show & finishes August Bank Holiday". 26 August 2018. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Route 975 Cavan - Arvagh- Longford Bus Service Commences - National Transport AuthorityNational Transport Authority". Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  31. ^ "Whartons Travel - Cavan to Longford Bus - Longford to Cavan Bus". Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  32. ^ "Angling Ireland – Arva". Inland Fisheries Ireland. 19 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
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