Carrickmacross offers visitors three distinct themes: the craft of lace-making, the history of the workhouse during the Great Famine, and stained glass at St. Joseph’s Church. There are also two walking routes, each described with different planning information. If you’re looking for a hotel in Carrickmacross, you might consider whether you’d like your stay to focus on crafts, historical interpretation or a walk. The sections below bring these highlights to life and help you fit visits and walking time into your own itinerary.
The Craft of Carrickmacross Lace
The Carrickmacross Lace Gallery preserves the tradition of Carrickmacross lace. This distinctive lace is made by hand using individual patterns. At the gallery, visitors can explore the history of the craft and view lace products and gifts. The focus is therefore not just on finished pieces: the handwork and individual patterns offer insight into the town’s textile tradition. The gallery can arrange demonstrations for sewing groups if they get in touch and book in advance. Confirm any such demonstration directly with the operator.
History at Carrickmacross Workhouse
Carrickmacross Workhouse has been restored as a visitor and community centre. Tours tell the story of life, death and emigration during the Great Famine of the 1840s. Visitors on the tours see the original children’s dormitory, which overlooks the Mass Famine Graves. The tours therefore focus both on the historical topics and on a specific room in the workhouse. Tours are available on weekdays year-round; advance booking is required. If you’d like to explore local history through people’s living conditions, this visit offers a different focus from learning about lace and craftsmanship.
Harry Clarke and St. Joseph’s Church
St. Joseph’s Church is a Roman Catholic church dating from 1866. It has ten stained-glass windows designed by Harry Clarke. In the summer of 1924, Clarke was commissioned to create a two-light window for St. Joseph’s Church. The St. Ceara window in the church was completed in 1925. It was the only window in Carrickmacross that Clarke designed entirely and partly executed himself. Art lovers may be interested in both the total number of windows designed by Clarke and the special attribution of the St. Ceara window.
Exploring on Foot
The Carrickmacross Historic Town Trail takes about 35 to 40 minutes on foot. The Carrickmacross SlĂ na Sláinte is 3 km long and starts and ends at the top of Main Street, by the gate to St. Finbarr’s Church. The two routes can therefore be compared using different details: an approximate walking time is provided for the Historic Town Trail, while the SlĂ na Sláinte is described by its length and endpoints. If you want to plan a route by time, the estimate of 35 to 40 minutes is useful for the Historic Town Trail; for the SlĂ, its 3 km length gives you a point of reference for planning.
Nearby, north of the town on the N2, there is a fishery with wild and stocked brown trout, as well as stocked rainbow trout. If fishing is part of your plans, check the club’s current rules in advance.
Discover more destinations: Ballybay, Doohamlat, Corkeeran, Glaslough, Clontibret, Monaghan, Mullinacross, Clones.
For the main travel guide: County Monaghan.
