Carrickmacross

Carrickmacross is a town in County Monaghan. With a population of 5700 in 2022, it's the county's second-largest town and is best-known for its lace-making. The name is from Irish Carraig Mhachaire Rois, "rock of the wooded plain".

Carrickmacross is on the main road N2 from Dublin to Monaghan, Omagh and Derry.

Expressway Bus 32 runs from Dublin Busáras and Airport via Ardee, taking 90 min to Carrickmacross, and continuing north to Castleblayney, Monaghan, Omagh, Strabane, Lifford and Letterkenny. It's every two hours daily.

Collins Coach 980 runs from Dublin Nassau St via Drumcondra, Glasnevin, Slane and Ardee, taking 1 hr 40 min to Carrickmacross. It doesn't call at Busáras or the airport. It's every hour or two M-Sa with four on Sunday. Buses 980A / 980B are rush hour extras via Dublin M1 tunnel.

Bus Éireann 182 runs from Drogheda via Collon and Ardee to Carrickmacross (1 hour), continuing to Castleblayney and Monaghan. There are 7 M-F and 4 Sa Su: it starts hourly from Drogheda, but alternate buses turn back at Ardee.

Bus 170 runs from Dundalk (the nearest railway station) to Carrickmacross (30 min) and continues to Kingscourt, Bailieborough and Cavan. There are 6 daily.

53.9756-6.71911 Main Street is the town centre bus stop, at the junction with O'Neill St.

It's a sparse bus service so you need wheels to reach Iniskeen; a bike would do.

The local taxi firm is O'Grady on +353 87 717 1211.

• Town centre has St Joseph's church (Roman Catholic) of 1866, with ten stained glass windows by Harry Clarke, St Finbarr's (Church of Ireland) of 1770 but re-modelled in 1845, and Magheross (parts from 1550) the former C of I church next to the workhouse and cemetery. The castle has been obliterated beneath St Louis Convent, where the nuns made lace; it's now a school.
• Lace Gallery is primarily a shop but demonstrates the distinct style of Carrickmacross lace. It's on Market Square, open M-Sa 9:30AM-4PM.
• Bully's Acre 200 m east on Donaghmore Rd was the pauper's graveyard, and that name is also given to similar graveyards in Dublin, Longford and elsewhere. It may refer to bailiffs, who'd bury the paupers but first search the threadbare jackets for any last ha'pence to defray the public expense.
• 54-6.5931 Iniskeen is a small village 10 km east near the boundary with County Louth. The Round Tower is a stump, the Norman motte-and-bailey is just a mound, and the abbey is a scrap of wall; sic transit. The main attraction is the Patrick Kavanagh Centre, celebrating the life and works of yer man (1904-1967): he's best known for The Great Hunger and On Raglan Road. The Centre is open M-F 10AM-4:30PM, adult €10. They put on literary events here, notably the Oct / Nov weekend.
• See Dundalk for Castle Roche and other antiquities further east.
• 53.919-6.7932 Dún na Rí Forest Park is 10 km southwest on R179, see Kingscourt.

• Golf: Mannan Castle GC is 3 km north of town. White tees 5785 yards, par 70.
• Fishing: lots of small lakes for coarse angling.
• Carrickmacross Street Festival is over the May / June holiday weekend.
• Patrick Kavanagh Weekend celebrates the life and work of that poet. It's in Iniskeen in early Oct, see Centre (above) for details.

• Main St has a small shopping centre and a collection of East European stores. There are ATMs outside AIB and Bank of Ireland.
• The main stores and filling stations are 1 km south on R179 Ardee Rd. Aldi is open M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 9AM-9PM, and Lidl is open M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-9PM.

• Courthouse Restaurant, 1 Monaghan Place A81 X066 (opposite Shirley Arms), ☏ +353 42 969 2848. Thu- Sat 5-9PM, Sun 2-7PM. Good dining on trad and continental fare. (updated Jul 2026)
• Dinkin's is a bakery and cafe on Market Square, open M-Sa 8:30AM-5PM.
• Cavallino's, 20 Farney St A81 HK16, ☏ +353 42 966 4925. Wed-Sun 5-9:30PM. Friendly place for Italian cuisine. (updated Jul 2026)
• Hughes' Coffee Shop is in the shopping centre on Main St, open M-Sa 9AM-5PM.
• Homebake Cafe is at 6 O'Neill St A81 KX56, open Tu-Sa 8:30AM-4PM, Su 10AM-3PM.

• Main Street pubs are JJ Cunningham, Deery's, Nallo's, Bellview, McArdle's, Abhaile and Hughes, with Callan's south edge of town.
• Old Carrick Mill at Derrylavan A81 YV10 distils whiskey and gin; no tours.

• Shirley Arms Hotel, Main St, Carrickmacross A81 NF24, ☏ +353 42 967 3100. Grand Georgian building at the head of Main St, gets good reviews for service and food. B&B double €180. (updated Jul 2026)
• 53.9632-6.69631 Nuremore Estate, Tullynaskeagh East A81 V521, ☏ +353 42 942 8338. Good spa and country club hotel, walking distance to town. B&B double €180.  (updated Jul 2026)
• 53.9512-6.63942 The Riverbank, Killany A81 W886, ☏ +353 41 685 5883. Country pub and restaurant with rooms, just across the boundary into County Louth.  (updated Jul 2026)

As of July 2026, Carrickmacross and its approach roads have 5G from all Irish carriers.

• Monaghan has the county museum.
• Head through Clones on the border to Lisnaskea and Enniskillen on the scenic Erne lakes.
• Dundalk is industrial but has beaches to the south. Northeast is Cooley Peninsula and routes to the Mourne Mountains.
• Kells has remains of the abbey that for centuries housed the Book of Kells, now on display in TCD Library in Dublin.

Derry ← Monaghan ←

N  S

→ Slane → Dublin