Belturbet Voyage Tips and guide

Belturbet is a small town on the River Erne in County Cavan, with a population in 2022 of about 1600. In Irish it's Béal Tairbirt, "mouth of the isthmus", and it grew up at a ford on the river. Boating and angling are the main reasons to visit.

54°6′0″N 7°27′0″W

Map of Belturbet

Belturbet is 123 km northeast of Dublin: follow M3 / N3 via Kells, Virginia and Cavan.

4 km north of Belturbet is the border with Northern Ireland, and N3 becomes A509 to Enniskillen, for routes to Sligo and Derry. The border is unpatrolled but you must ensure that your personal and vehicle documents are valid.

From Belfast follow A3 via Armagh and Monaghan towards Cavan, branching west on R197 at Gannon's Cross.

Expressway Bus 30 runs every 2-3 hours from Dublin Busáras and Airport via Virginia, Cavan and Butlersbridge, taking 2 hr 30 min to Belturbet, and continuing northeast to Enniskillen, Ballyshannon and Donegal Town. X30 from Dublin is nonstop between Cavan and Enniskillen, bypassing Belturbet, but you could change for Leydon's Coach, which runs twice M-Sa between Cavan, Belturbet and Enniskillen. The section between Belturbet and Enniskillen is joint-operated as Ulsterbus 58.

By boat, Belturbet is at the head of the navigable River Erne. This flows north into Lough Erne, which is connected by the Shannon-Erne Waterway to Carrick-on-Shannon and the entire Irish network, all the way to Limerick, Dublin and Waterford. See Waterways Ireland for current status of locks, moorings and so on, and see below for boat rentals.

You need wheels to explore this scattered area.

• 54.1004-7.4451 The Diamond or Market Square in village centre has pleasant 19th century buildings. The statue of two seated figures outside the former post office is of two teenagers killed by a car bomb here on 28 Dec 1972, part of a wave of UVF bombings within the Republic that day.
• Church of the Immaculate Conception (RC) 100 yards southwest is from 1868.
• Belturbet island is a park west bank of the river. A grassy mound is all that's left of the Norman motte-and-bailey castle.
• Belturbet railway station closed in 1959 but has been restored as a museum, with the stationmaster's cottage converted into self-catering accommodation. It’s open F-Su noon-5PM, donation.
• Upper Lough Erne a few km north is in County Fermanagh but (with a bit of winding along the back lanes) Belturbet is a good base for visiting Crom Estate, Castle Balfour and Belle Isle Castle, with Marble Arch caves a bit further on.

• 54.0584-7.47912 Drumlane Abbey is a medieval ruin with the 11.6 m stump of a Round Tower. After the Dissolution the church remained in use by the C of I until 1820, and the cemetery is still in use. The ruins are accessible free 24 hours.
• Aughrim Wedge Tomb is from 2000 BC and was originally on the slopes of Slieve Rusheen. When that area was due to be quarried in 1992 it was relocated to the grounds of Slieve Russell Hotel.
• 54.116667-7.5833333MISSING WIKILINK Ballyconnell is a small village on Woodford River, which is part of the Shannon-Erne Waterway. You might visit for boating or angling.
• 54.117-7.6834 Bawnboy further along N87 has a Workhouse Museum. This grim institution opened in 1852 and had 70 inmates, with separate accommodation blocks for men, women and children. The workhouse closed in 1921 and the building was variously a school, dance hall, sports hall and bakery. It's now derelict, approach with caution. A "bawn" is a protective wall for livestock and "boy" means yellow, but there's nothing left of that.
• 54.1077-7.70245 Jampa Ling Buddhist Centre south of Bawnboy offers meditation classes. If you're quiet you can look around.

A town in which there is neither Papist nor Presbyterian; but, to supply that defect there are Sabbath-breakers, drunkards, and common swearers in abundance. - John Wesley the founder of Methodism, from a visit of 1760

• EH Coaching, 2 Main St, ☏ +353 83 014 9615. M-Sa. Gym and fitness classes. (updated May 2026)
• Golf: Belturbet Golf Course has nine holes, east edge of the village. There's an 18-hole course at Slieve Russell Hotel, see Sleep.
• Boat hire is available from ABC Boats at the Marina. They offer day-hire and extended cruises as far as Aghinver on Lower Lough Erne below Enniskillen.

• Gala at The Diamond is open M-F 7AM-8PM, Sa Su 8AM-8PM.
• Erne Hill Shopping Centre is on R197 Deanery St east edge of the village. Centra is open M-Sa 7AM-9PM, Su 9AM-9PM.
• Fuel: Top Oil has a filling station west edge of the village and another on N3.

• Café Nua is at 2 Main St, open Tu-Sa 9:30AM-4PM.
• Castle Sports Bar, 4 The Diamond H14 WK20, ☏ +353 49 952 4103. M-F 4-11:30 PM, Sa 12:30PM-12:30AM, Su 12:30-11PM. Friendly pub with TV sport and good food. (updated May 2026)
• Genesis at 18 Main St is a reliable Chinese, open daily 5PM-12:30AM.
• Indian Palace is a takeaway at 36 Holborn Hill, open daily 3:30PM-midnight.
• Marco's at 16 Main St is a takeaway for fish & chips, burgers, pizza and other fast food. It's open M-Th 4-11PM, F Sa 3-11PM, Su 4-10PM.
• Bedrock Cafe, Erne Hill Shopping Centre H14 D792, ☏ +353 49 952 2130. M-Sa 9AM-4:30PM. Good all-day breakfast, caters for coach excursions. (updated May 2026)

• Railway Bar is at 4 The Diamond.
• Widow's Bar, 11 Main St, ☏ +353 49 952 2274. Welcoming village pub, usually has live music on Saturday night. (updated May 2026)
• Yukon Bar, Main St, ☏ +353 49 952 2811. Has a lounge area and playing pool and darts, jukebox, and sheltered heated veranda. Sometimes live music. (updated May 2026)

• Seven Horse Shoes, 12 Main St H14 WN22, ☏ +353 49 952 2166. Reliable bar and restaurant with rooms in village centre. It has a large function room. (updated May 2026)
• 54.0856-7.53191 Dungimmon House, Clonamulig H14 AV62 (5 km west of village), ☏ +353 49 952 6479. Peaceful welcoming countryside guesthouse, dog-friendly. B&B double €140.  (updated May 2026)
• 54.0971-7.55752 Slieve Russell Hotel, Cranaghan H14 FE03 (seven km west of village), ☏ +353 49 952 6444. Upscale hotel, spa and golf resort out in the countryside. Great comfort, dining and service. B&B double €220.  (updated May 2026)
• 54.074-7.34063 Fortview House, Cloverhill H14 X680 (2 km east of Cloverhill), ☏ +353 49 433 8185. Farmhouse B&B, comfy and good cooking. Flying Saucer Pub is a quarter mile down the road.  (updated May 2026)
• Angler's Rest, Main St, Ballyconnell H14 CY24, ☏ +353 49 952 6391. Good pub with meals and rooms on the navigable riverbank. (updated May 2026)
• 54.1163-7.33534 Clonandra Cottages, Clonondra H14 YF98, ☏ +353 86 264 4263, [email protected]. Self-catering cottages for anglers on the banks of Lough Garrow, with 1, 2, 3 and 5 bedrooms.  (updated May 2026)
• 54.0627-7.47225 Hawthorn Lodge, Money H14 DX00, ☏ +353 49 952 2371. Smart welcoming guesthouse by Lough Ardan.  (updated May 2026)

As of May 2026, Belturbet and its approach roads have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from Eir and Three. The signal extends across the border almost to Enniskillen.

They also have 4G from all UK carriers, but the signal gives out a few km further south.

• Manorhamilton is the main village in the north of County Leitrim, with a medieval castle and prehistoric sites.
• Enniskillen in County Fermanagh is between the navigable Upper and Lower Lough Erne.

Ballyshannon ← Enniskillen ← continues as ←

NW  SE

→ Cavan → Dublin