Jamestown Arch
Jamestown (Irish: Baile Shéamais) is a village on the banks of the River Shannon in the south of County Leitrim, Ireland. It lies some 5 km south-east of the county town, Carrick-on-Shannon. Historically called Kilshreenan (Cill Srianáin), it was named after King James I of England. Jamestown was built as a walled town in the 1620s, during the Plantation of Leitrim, for English settlers. It was on the site of an older Irish church settlement. Formerly, the main Sligo to Dublin road (N4) passed through Jamestown, and is known for the narrow old town gate that straddles the road. The arch was damaged by a lorry in the early 1970s and the top was removed. At Christmas, a lighted skeletal arch has been erected by the local community. Two pubs and a church mark the centre of the village. Jamestown has a quay and is a popular stopping point for boats. Navigation for cruisers is not possible downstream of Jamestown, boats being required to use the Jamestown Canal and Albert Lock, which links to the Shannon south of Drumsna.
