Virginia (Ireland)

For other places with the same name, see Virginia (disambiguation)

Virginia is a small town in County Cavan in the north of the Republic of Ireland, with a population in 2022 of 3200. Like the US State, it's named for Elizabeth I, and was settled from 1612 as a "plantation" town. This faltered as the site was poor, and the town only got going from the 1750s. It stands astride the highway from Dublin to Cavan and Donegal and has become a commuter town for the city. So travel time is short, but Virginia has not yet been bypassed so traffic thunders through on the N3 at all hours.

Get in

Lough Ramor

Expressway Bus 30 / X30 runs every hour or two from Dublin Busáras and Airport to Virginia, taking 90 min, and continuing northeast to Cavan Town, Butlersbridge, Belturbet, Enniskillen, Ballyshannon and Donegal Town.

Bus 109X runs every hour or two daily from Dublin Busáras via Glasnevin, Finglas, Blanchardstown, Navan, Kells and Carnaross to Virginia, continuing to Cavan.

Bus 187 runs four times M-Sa from Kells to Carnaross, Virginia, Ballyjamesduff and Oldcastle.

By road from Dublin follow M3 / N3, it should take little over an hour.

Get around

Public transport is sparse and you need your own wheels.

See

• Lough Ramor bordered by Deerpark Forest is the main sight in Virginia. It has a few islets but not the drumlins seen further north: it's shallow and surrounded by reeds and wetland. It's drained by the River Blackwater, which courses southeast to join the River Boyne at Navan.
• 1 Ballyjamesduff is a village on the old highway to Cavan and Enniskillen. Cavan Museum describes the area's prehistory and history.
• 2 Mullagh is the village in the southeast corner of the county where Rev Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels. St Killian's Heritage Centre west side of the village is a small museum open Apr-Sep: Tu-F 10AM-6PM, Sa Su 10AM-2PM; Oct-Mar: M-F 10AM-5PM.
• 3 Loughcrew Cairns to the southwest are megalithic tombs. They're across the boundary in County Meath, see Oldcastle.

Do

• Golf: Virginia Golf Club is by Virginia Park Lodge, see Sleep. It's a nine-hole lakeside course, twice around from white tees is 4169 m, par 64, visitor fee €15.
• Ramor Theatre is on Virginia Main St.
• Virginia Agricultural Show is in August. Dates for 2021 are TBA.
• Virgina Pumpkin Festival, The Showgrounds, Rahardrum. Held in Virginia on the last Friday in October. Music, artisan food and crafts, costumes, and pumpkins. (updated Jul 2024)

Buy

• Lidl in Virginia is open M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-9PM.

Eat

Christ Church, Ballyjamesduff

• Virginia has Little Italy, Riverfront (see Drink), and Mason's Apron Bakery. But the standouts are the two hotels, Virginia Park Lodge and St Kyran's, see Sleep.
• Ballyjamesduff choices include Town Diner, Mizzoni Pizza and Royal Bar.
• Pork or what is it? Liffey Meats is a company in Ballyjamesduff that backed an annual "pork festival" launched in 1994: "Race 'em then eat 'em" was the concept. However in 2008 they were among several companies embroiled when Irish pork was found to contain dioxin, through contaminated feed for the pigs. They've since concentrated on beef, but in 2013 beef products across Europe were found to be adulterated with horse meat and pork; Silvercrest in nearby Monaghan was caught up in this. Even now it's hard to say how much was criminal fraud and how much was carelessness, but a major factor was lack of traceability in the supply chain. So what with all the hoo-hah plus a lack of enthusiasm by the pigs themselves, the festival has lapsed.

Drink

• Riverfront is a bar and grill restaurant at 5 Main St Virginia, open Su-Th 9AM-11:30PM, F Sa 9AM-2:30PM.
• MacGabhann's and Whistlestop are two more along Main St.
• Cladagh Pub and Royal Bar are in Ballyjamesduff; McCarthy's has closed down.

Sleep

• 1 Lough Ramor Caravan and Camping Park, Ryefield, Virginia A82 Y058, ☏ +353 87 282 5976. Clean well-run site at south end of lough. (updated Mar 2021)
• Skelly's B&B, Main St, Virginia A82 K270, ☏ +353 86 820 9999. Comfy B&B, but the front rooms get traffic noise from the busy N3. (updated Mar 2021)
• 2 St Kyran's Country House, Dublin Rd, Virginia A82 X8P6, ☏ +353 49 854 7087. Smart lakeside hotel gets great reviews for comfort and dining. (updated Mar 2021)
• 3 Virginia Park Lodge, Virginia A82 T2N6, ☏ +353 49 854 6100. Upscale hotel in a Georgian hunting lodge; they also have cottages and glamping huts. The estate backs onto Lough Ramor with fishing, golf and formal gardens. Restaurant is open W-Su. B&B double €250. (updated Mar 2021)

Connect

As of March 2021, Virginia has 4G from all Irish carriers, but 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• County Meath to the south has Kells, home of the sacred book now in TCD Library Dublin, Brú na Bóinne Archaeological Park, and the site of the 1690 Battle of the Boyne.
• Cavan Town is in the drumlin belt; Lough Oughter is studded with islets.
• Belturbet and Ballyconnell are on the navigable Shannon-Erne network of waterways.