Cavan sits right on the border between Ireland and Northern-Ireland, with the villages of Blacklion and Belcoo on either side of that border. The 9-hole golf club was designed by famous Irish course architect Eddie Hacket and opened for play back in 1962. The course plays along the shores of Upper Lough MacNean where the waters ultimately find their way via the Erne River, Lough Erne towards Ballyshannon and the Atlantic Ocean. The 9 holes are genly sloping towards the lake and water comes into play on several of the holes. At over 180 yards of the back tee, this hole is a tough hole to par on any given day. With a Par of 72 for 18 holes and although modest in length, accuracy and strategy of the tee is important in order to find the smallish greens. Blacklion Golf is a welcoming club with no tee sheet in operation and with visitors welcome all days. Busy days are Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays. Blacklion Golf sits on the outskirts of Blacklion village in the corner of Cavan and Fermanagh. The village itself sees an influx of visitors all coming to dine at one of Ireland’s most famous chefs, Neven Maguire. His MacNean house attracts people from all over Ireland and abroad to sample some of the best local produce prepared by a battery of chefs, many of whom are local. Neven is an ambassador for the region and a proud sponsor of our golf club. The area around Blacklion Golf is one of outstanding natural beauty. Just across from the golf club, the Cavan Burren Park, formed 340 million years ago, is pretty special. It is in every sense a ‘relict’ landscape. The numerous megalithic structures and field walls survive from prehistoric times. The Glacial Erratics scattered around the site are a testament to the sheer power of glaciers during our last Ice Age. The fossils you can see embedded in limestone around the site are further evidence of the coral of a tropical sea of 340million years ago. Just across the border in Co Fermanagh, the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark is an area recognised by UNESCO (the United National Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as having exceptional geological heritage. Superstition and fear kept the caves free from visitors and complete darkness prevailed until 1895 when two intrepid explorers disturbed the silence and natural order of the caves, and the first beam of light pierced the blackness, breaking the long sleep of the Marble Arch Caves.It was French cave explorer Edouard Alfred Martel, accompanied by a young Dublin born scientist named Lyster Jameson, who first ventured into the darkness of the cave in 1895 and they were totally amazed by what they found. Martel was a highly experienced cave explorer and at that time was considered the world’s leading expert on caves. In addition to the caves, the Cuilcagh Mountain Park takes in 2500 hectares on the northern slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain and is at 665 metres above sea level, Cuilcagh is the highest point and the only true mountain in this part of the island of Ireland. It is quite mind-boggling to think that as you ascend to the summit of Cuilcagh Mountain, you are climbing up through geological time, covering a period of about 8 million years in just less than 700metres. Another notable fact is that the river Shannon starts near Glangevlin. The Shannon Pot or Legnashinna is a pool in the karst landscape near Cuilcagh Mountain in County Cavan, Ireland. An aquifer-fed naturally fluctuating pool, it is the traditional source of the River Shannon. The pool itself is about 16 m wide. Our nearest town is Enniskillen with it’s castle. Enniskillen Castle, situated beside the River Erne in County Fermanagh, was built almost 600 years ago by the ruling Gaelic Maguires. Guarding one of the few passes into Ulster, it has been strategically important throughout its history. Today, the historic site houses two museums, Fermanagh County Museum and The Inniskillings Museum. The town has plenty of shops, restaurants and pubs and takes about 20 min. As you can read above, there is plenty to see and do in and around Blacklion Golf Club. Make sure to drop in for a quick game when you’re next in the area.
