On 25 July 1878,
schoolmaster Michael McCabe took his pupils on a boat trip on Lough Sillan. After travelling a short distance the vessel
capsized and sank, claiming 17 victims: the school principal, his wife, two school staff, and 13 pupils. It was one of Ireland's worst inland drowning tragedies. In July 2004, a plaque was unveiled at the lake shore adjacent to the path used by those who died. == Facilities ==