Drum carries its character quietly: a strain of Ulster-Scots heritage reflected in its churches and its Protestant Hall. It sits among the drumlins of west County Monaghan, where droim is Irish for ridge, between three small lakes. The reason to come is the water and the setting.
The lakes and walking
Drum Lough lies to the north, Quarry Lough to the west and Long Lough to the south, so the village sits in a shallow bowl of water and farmland. The Drum Development Association, formed in 1996, built an amenity area at Drum Lough with support from Monaghan County Council. Look for local signs and use established paths. Quarry Lough and Long Lough lie nearby, but check access before assuming that the three can be linked as a single walk. Give waterbirds space and keep children back from the water’s edge. Early morning is a good time to watch the birds.
Ulster-Scots heritage and village life
The Protestant Hall is the centre of village life. A blue plaque on the hall remembers John Deyell (1775–1878), a Drum-born surveyor who emigrated and founded Millbrook in Ontario, Canada, one of several local men who left a mark across the water, along with the Hamilton, Ontario merchant Thomas Stinson and the Canadian politician Joseph Rutherford Dundas.
The village has a full set of churches for its size. The Presbyterian congregation traces its roots to the early 1700s, though the present church was built in the 1820s. The Church of Ireland church is younger than it looks, put up in the early 1800s and enlarged in 1860, and there is a Free Presbyterian church, a Gospel Hall and a Protestant primary school.
Practical information
A minor road off the Monaghan-to-Cootehill route leads into Drum. Check local signs for where to park and which paths are open before you set off. A car or bicycle is the practical way in. Drum sits about 15 km south-west of Monaghan town and 10 km north of Cootehill. For up-to-date visitor information see Monaghan Tourism.
Nearby stops
Drum is a quiet base for west Monaghan. Clones, with its ancient high cross and round tower, is about 10 km west and is the place to visit for its historic centre; Dartrey Forest has longer woodland walks and monuments; and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, near Newbliss, is a working artists’ retreat in a converted country house. Cootehill has the nearest cafés and shops. Check current route and parking arrangements before setting off.