of venues, and home to the Livin' Dred Theatre Company. The theatre also engages in community-based and amateur work through Ramor Players who present a number of shows each year. Virginia has been home to the annual Virginia Agricultural Show for over seventy years and hosted Ireland's only pumpkin festival in 2007. The Virginia Pumpkin Festival takes place every October bank holiday weekend at Halloween. It took a break in 2017. Demographics The town population was 2,648, as of the 2016 census. The ethnic makeup (of those stated) was 81% White Irish, 12% Other White, 2% Black/Black Irish, 2% Asian/Asian Irish and 2% Other. Education A large primary school in the town is St Mary's NS, located next to St Mary's Roman Catholic Church. The school's population is over 400 pupils. The primary school received an extension in 2014. Virginia College, Cavan, formerly Virginia Vocational School, is the only secondary school in Virginia. Situated beside Lough Ramor, it is a mixed school educating approximately 740 pupils. With three extensions built over the years (most recent in 2012), the school now has three ICT suites and a language lab. The Virginia school celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2012, this was later followed by a visit to the school by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. Common surnames The most common Virginia surnames to appear during the census of 1901/1911 were: Kellett, Fitzsimons, Sheridan, Smith, Reilly, Carroll, O'Reilly, Lynch, Brady, Reynolds, Duffy, Hopkins, Soden, McNamee, Preston, McEnroe, Skelly. Notable people Thomas Fitzpatrick (18321900), noted London physician Annie Lynch (18701938), known as Mother Mary Xavier, Australasian provincial for the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary Agnes O'Farrelly (18741951), founding member of Cumann na mBan, from Rafoney Michael Router (born 1965), Roman Catholic prelate, current auxiliary bishop of Armagh and titular bishop of Lugmad, grew up in Rahardrum Sir Josias Rowley (17651842), 1st Bt. and Royal Navy Admiral, a native of County Leitrim whose brother, Rev. John Rowley, was an Anglican clergyman and incumbent at Virginia during the period that the First Fruits church was built; Admiral Rowley also helped to finance its reconstruction after a major fire destroyed the roof on Christmas night 1830 Richard Brinsley Sheridan (17511816), playwright and grandson to Thomas Sheridan Thomas Sheridan (16871738), master of a classical school and later headmaster of Royal School Cavan Jonathan Swift (16671745), penned Gulliver's Travels while staying nearby at Quilca,