Ballyhaise

Ballyhaise, a charming village situated upon the Annalee river, is teeming with historical remains which are of great interest to visitors.

A bridge over the river on the outskirts of the village is almost 300 years old. Ballyhaise House, which has been used as an agricultural college since the beginning of the twentieth century, was built in the 1730s.

A beautifully-located amenity park lies opposite the college, along the banks of the Annalee. A visit to the Roman Catholic church is also recommended. As the former cathedral church of Kilmore, it was once situated in Cavan town, but was rebuilt in Ballyhaise, stone for stone, in the 1930s/40s. In the church graveyard at nearby Castletara, there is a crude carving of a human face, known locally as 'The Druid's face'. It is probably late medieval in origin, but there is a possibility that it is pre-Christian in date.

Also in nearby Shantemon, there is a curious line of five stones, each one smaller than the other, which probably date from 2000 BC. It is referred to locally as 'Finn Mac Cool's fingers', a reference to the legendary giant. The stones are the remainder of a stone circle and they may have been used in some religious ritual, or even as a prehistoric calendar. It was also the place where rulers of eastern Breifne were inaugurated in the later middle ages.

As well as being home to one of the best GAA pitches in the county, Ballyhaise also possesses an 18-hole pitch & putt course which is open from dawn to dusk all year round.

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