Béal Átha na nEach

Ballinagh, or Bellananagh, or Béal Átha na nEach. The first two spellings are the English names, and the third is the Irish. Apparently the first is the correct one, even though the second appears on some road signs and maps. Actually, road signs and maps use either, depending on the mood of the person who printed them, as far as I can tell, as it seems fairly random. I think it would be confusing for someone looking for directions if they didn't know that the two were the same town.

It's a small town, with about 2 main streets, but 2 or 3 pubs, of course. My grandmother was born in this town, which was the reason we visited it, as it isn't exactly a major tourist mecca. It was interesting to see Ballinagh from a historical/family perspective, as my grandma mentioned it many times, and it was good to finally see the place. It seems to be a friendly town, as most people said hello to us on the street, even though we were obviously complete strangers; a far cry from some other towns and cities, such as the one I currently live in, and another that I have lived in. Clicking here will magically transport you to some photos of the town.

After Bellananagh we returned to An Cabhán to take a look around and walk down the main street in the old part of the town. It's much bigger than Béal Átha na nEach, yet still a fairly small town. More photos from Cavan can be found here.