Dowra's bridge over the River Shannon
Dowra is the first village on the river Shannon where she emerges from the mountains of west Cavan, and has a number of shops, pubs, a post office, and a weekly livestock mart.
Trail marker on the Cavan Way, as it runs along the Shannon River:
this photo was taken about a half-mile from the house
A burren forest park is a short drive away, Lough Allen can be reached by bicycle, and a number of marked walking trails pass within a mile or two of the house.
Lough Allen, snapped while driving by on the road to Drumshanbo
Anywhere you drive from here, the nearby roads take you past spectacular beauty and mountain views.
Just 20 minutes away is Lough MacNean and the border with Northern Ireland at Blacklion, where Chef Neven Maguire's family's restaurant draws visitors from across the country.
Lough MacNean at sunset
The Organic Centre and the Leitrim Sculpture Centre are just over a half-hour's drive to Manorhamilton and Rossinver. Sligo town and the Atlantic Ocean aren't much farther : just short of an hour's drive west.
To the north, Enniskillen offers all the shopping you could want, or to buses that will take you across the north, but if you need to travel to Dublin or Galway, a half-hour's drive south to Carrick-on-Shannon takes you to several cross-country motorways or Irish Rail (Dublin is 2.5 hours away from Carrick by train). Nearest airports are Sligo and Knock.
