placenamesDrum
An Droim
A former market town with a distinctive group of churches, Drum preserves traces of both trading and congregational life.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- An Droim · Irish · main form · validated name
- Drum · English · main form
Place & story
The monthly fair
In 1837 Samuel Lewis described Drum as a market town on the road between Cootehill and Clones. It held a fair on the first Tuesday of every month and had a police station, a dispensary, a school and two Presbyterian meeting houses. Lewis also recorded a nearby quarry which supplied stone for the Church of Ireland chapel. His account places trade, public services and worship together at the centre of village life. [2]
Drum’s Presbyterian church
The surviving Presbyterian church at Cortober dates from about 1825 and replaced an earlier meeting house in the village. Its restrained exterior, round-headed windows and simple roof conceal notable timber craftsmanship. Inside, a gallery supported on Doric-style columns retains box pews and a panelled railing. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage identifies this gallery as a particularly important feature of the building. [3]
A chapel enlarged
Drum Church of Ireland church was built in 1828 with support from the Board of First Fruits. An addition designed by William Welland followed in 1860. The extension supplied a second aisle beside the original nave, giving the building its paired roof profile. Its limestone tower, battlements and pointed pinnacles make a conspicuous counterpart to the simpler Presbyterian church. [4]
Shops and gathering places
The council’s Drum Vision Plan records the former shops as important parts of the village’s social history. Anderson’s combined living accommodation, shop and stores, with stables and coach houses behind. Stewart’s, formerly a post office and shop, has a low frontage broken by dormer windows. During community consultation, residents remembered Stewart’s forecourt as a meeting place for villagers and farmers coming in from the surrounding countryside. [5]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Drum. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Drum: A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837 · Samuel Lewis, reproduced by A Vision of Ireland
- Drum Presbyterian Church, Cortober: 41402207 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Drum Church, Currin: 41402209 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Drum Vision Plan 2030: heritage and cultural assets, page 7 · Monaghan County Council; Sheridan Woods
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2013-11-05. How this page was prepared.