Welcome to Loughrynn.net (and Mohill.com), a website dedicated to the history of Mohill, Lough Rynn and County Leitrim.
Mohill history
Some excerpts from By Hereditary Virtues: a history of Lough Rynn are published here, including pieces on the Workhouse in Mohill, and Mohill during and after the Famine.
There are also short pieces on the early history of the Mohill/Lough Rynn area and of Lough Rynn during the 1970s.
Through the summer of 2020 and again in early 2022, the Leitrim Observer published a series of articles on the history of Mohill and Lord Leitrim.
Most of the articles focus on the mid-19th century, and cover topics like the Famine, crime, evictions, land ownership, population and town activity.
Valentine's Day in Mohill
Who knew that one could buy Valentine's Day cards in Mohill in 1858?! An ad for cards ranging in price from a penny to 5 shillings is intriguing. This article traces the origins of Valentine's Day and the practice of sending cards to lovers in 19th century Ireland.
20th Century History
From the murder of Dr Muldoon and other elements of Mohill's 20th century history, click on the image above.
To read about Mohill's role in the Anti-Jazz movement, and events commemorated by Mohill History Society, click the button below.
A chronology of Mohill's history from pre-history to the present
Text originally published on the mohill.com website, published in the late 1990s. I have not attempted to edit it, and links have not been updated or checked.
Celebrating great Mohill women
So much of our history is written by and about men. But women, ordinary women, built families, businesses and created the town and countryside of Mohill that we know today.
In this walk and talk, I told the story of some of those women.
Click on the map below to download a pdf with snippets about some of the great women we remembered and celebrated on the evening. Also published in the Leitrim Guardian 2025.
Notable people from Mohill
Read about notable Mohill people like O'Carolan and some lesser known figures like Charles Reynolds and Rev. J.G. Digges.
(Click here to read about
Lord Leitrim)
Books by Fiona Slevin
This website originated to host research on the history of Lord Leitrim and the Lough Rynn estate near Mohill, Co Leitrim. This later turned into a book, By Hereditary Virtues: a history of Lough Rynn.
Drawing on various primary and secondary sources, By Hereditary Virtues describes how the Lough Rynn estate emerged from early times up to the end of the 19th century. It focuses largely on the 3rd Earl of Leitrim including, his management of the Lough Rynn estate, his role during and after the famine and his eventual demise.
The 2020 edition includes includes additional research on the famine and post-famine era and a new chapter on Lord Leitrim's relationships with the women in his life.
‘A marvellous read providing a wonderful insight into landlordism in 19th century Ireland. A beautifully-presented, well-researched scholarly work.’ Brendan Kennelly
'This is the classic local history, a scholarly mosaic of political, social and cultural life which is marked by lucidity, elegant prose, [and] sharp psychological and social observation. We need this kind of intelligent, analytical history.’ Professor Michael L. O'Rourke, Trinity College Dublin
‘A most welcome book that deals with [Leitrim's] most famous, or infamous, character, William Sydney Clements, Lord Leitrim. All is revealed in this excellent book.’ Seán Ó’Suilleabháin, Leabharlann Chontae Liatroma
‘Another fascinating book of West of Ireland history . . . a must for anyone interested in the social history of 19th Century Ireland.’ Desi Kenny, Kenny's Bookshop (www.kennys.ie)
'A real treasure, that I'll come back to time and again. Fiona has that rare gift of balancing diligent research with engaging story telling. The wonder of this book is that the reader gets lost in the drama of the day, and picks up a rich historical understanding as a by-product.' AlanG | April 2021
'A MOST rewarding read; insightful and erudite. Research has been developed into remarkable prose and first-class writing. This is a book that is not just of local interest, but is truly of national relevance.' Brian Hall | October 2020
Recipes and Remedies of Lough Rynn is based on original journals by the housekeeper at Lough Rynn, dating from the late 1800s. Read more here >>>
The book has been published as a.
Available as a print-on-demand paperback and hardback at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
I have a small number of copies to sell directly, if you prefer to buy directly from me.
A book about Dublin, tells the story of the Upper Leeson Street Area Residents’ Association (Ulsara). It covers the architectural and social history of the area as well as the 50 year campaign by residents to resist uncontrolled development and indiscriminate destruction of its architectural heritage and residential community.
It is available via print-on-demand from Amazon - or directly from me.
Books about Mohill and Leitrim
There are a number of wonderful books about Mohill and Leitrim, or by people connected to the area. These range from novels to history, and all provide essential insights and knowledge about our people and our past.
Research sources
There is a wealth of sources on the history of Co Leitrim.
The Research page provides a guide to sources in Leitrim County Library as well as direct links to online sources, including:
- Leitrim and the Revolution.
- Census Returns, Griffith's Valuation, Tithe Applotment Books.
- NLI digitised rent books from Lord Leitrim’s estate at Lough Rynn.
- Irish Folklore Commission, The Schools’ Collection 1937-39.
- Historic 6" and 25" maps of towns.
- National Library images of Leitrim.
Events and activities
Mohill has an active award-winning historical society (formally Mohill & District Historical & Heritage Society) and runs frequent events, including walks, talks, and even a film or two. There are also a number of walks, talks and events run as part of Heritage Week, ranging from films and talks commemorating the decade of centenaries, to celebrating the ordinary people of the area through story and song.
Read more here >>>
Young Historian programme
The Young Historian programme for Transition Year students was launched in 2021 by Fiona Slevin and Natalie Fryde, and supported by Leitrim County Library. T
he programme is designed to encourage young people to engage with their personal and local history and to develop the skills of history.
Young Historian Award winners are announced in May.
© Fiona Slevin | Last updated January 2025
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.