Drumshanbo

A quiet market town famous for gin, traditional music, and Iron Mountain — the real Leitrim for those who skip the stag parties.

Drumshanbo's main draw is The Shed Distillery, opened in 2014 by PJ Rigney and his wife Denise. They make Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin — a botanical blend with gunpowder tea and grapefruit that changed the Irish gin game. Tours and tastings run in a purpose-built space on the edge of town. The story of how a small-town entrepreneur built an export brand is genuine.

The town itself is modest. Main Street has a few pubs, a supermarket, a hardware store. The population is around 900. What it lacks in noise it makes up for in character — no chain restaurants, no franchise anything, no weekend party circuit.

Music is woven into the place. Every July, the Joe Mooney Summer School brings traditional musicians from Ireland and abroad for a week of workshops, sessions, and concerts. Pubs fill with fiddles and bodhrán. If you are here during the school, book ahead — rooms go.

Sliabh an Iarainn (Iron Mountain) rises to the north. The area has coal mining history from the 17th century, though the mines closed decades ago. Walks up the mountain are solid, and the views across the county are good.