The parish of Kiltoghert lies in the south-west corner of County Leitrim, on the east side of the River Shannon which at this point forms a large, almost semi-circular bend extending from Leitrim Village in the north to Jamestown Village in the south. This bend encloses, almost entirely, the parish of Kiltoghert.
The parish of Oughteragh (Ballinamore) is shaped like an irregular rectangle with the longer sides running approximately northwest and southeast. The Parish lies partly along the southeast face of Sliabh-an-Iarainn and for about three miles the boundary is the water shed on the mountain top. The lowest land, just under 200 feet under sea level, is along what is now called the Ballinamore and Ballyconnel Canal and much of the land along the canal and around the lakes is subject to flooding.
So, what is now called the Ballinamore and Ballyconnel Canal runs through Leitrim Village and so joins to the parish of Oughteragh (Ballinamore). This picture was taken in Leitrim Village (Kiltoghert Parish) showing Sliabh-an-Iarainn parish of Oughteragh in background, so you can see how near they are.
The church is on the banks of the waterway so it looks like you could live on the opposite back and "technically" be in Ballinamore parish, which can lead to all sorts of problems with red tape regarding schooling etc.
