The main part of the town, the County Leitrim part, is in the civil parish of Kiltoghert, which is in the barony of Leitrim, while Cortober, which is the County Roscommon side of the town, is in the civil parish of Killukin, in the barony of Boyle.

In the vicinity of Drumsna, on the County Roscommon border, are the remains of an Iron Age fortification.

Carrick is considered the gateway to the Shannon–Erne Waterway, Lough Key, Acres Lake and Lough Allen via the villages of Cootehall, Knockvicar, Jamestown, Leitrim Village, Drumshanbo and Keshcarrigan and is only a short distance away from the Glens of North Leitrim.

Carrick-on-Shannon is served by the Leitrim Observer which is published every Wednesday and the fortnightly free Northwest Express newspapers.

In the 1840s the improvement of the navigation entailed extensive dredging of the river, the cutting of Jamestown Canal, the construction of locks at Drumsna and Knockvicar, and the building of a new bridge and Quays at Carrick-on-Shannon.

For over a century, until the closing of the Grand Canal Company in 1960, Carrick was a major depot for river trade; timber, cement, hardware, and especially Guinness stout were all transported here from Dublin, Athlone, and Limerick.

Thomas Fitzgerald, the priest responsible for its construction, is buried within the chancel in front of the Blessed Sacrament Altar.

The Priest's Lane is a long-standing name for the road leading from Main Street to St. Patrick's Park.

It is also reputed to have been the home of Turlough O'Carolan, the harpist and composer when he came to Carrick as a boy with his family from Nobber, County Meath in 1684.

It was opened in 2005 and hosts a theatre, art galleries, artists' studios, workshop spaces, a coffee shop and bar as well as The Leitrim Design House.

Carrick on Shannon experiences a year-round mild, moist, temperate and changeable climate, due to the prevailing winds of the Gulf Stream.

Rain is the most common form of precipitation - hail, sleet and snow are rare in the town, though will sometimes be experienced during particularly cold winters.

The town is located on the N4 National Primary Route, linking Dublin in the east to Sligo in the west.

[citation needed] Carrick-on-Shannon, while the county town of Leitrim, straddles the river Shannon.

[4] "Carrick Carnival" is an annual festival based in the town which takes place around the June Bank Holiday weekend.

[20][21] Lasting about 10 days, events include air shows, water sports, fireworks, and live music.

[citation needed] The home ground of Leitrim GAA, Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, is also in Carrick-on-Shannon.