County Louth Information

Louth may be the smallest county in Ireland, known as the ‘wee county’, but on closer inspection, its petite area reveals great historical and cultural depth. The birthplace of numerous myths, legends & stories, mostly centred on the Cooley peninsula, Louth is a great place to explore the ancient history of Ireland.

Located half-way between Dublin and Belfast, Louth is easily accessible from the airports of both cities. Bordered by Meath, in Leinster and Monaghan, Armagh & Down in Ulster, Louth is a gateway to the Boyne Valley with its ancient sites, Dublin city centre and Northern Ireland. Drogheda and Dundalk are its two largest towns.

Drogheda is a vibrant, lively place, located in the south of the county, close to the Dublin border. It has plenty to see and do, lots of accommodation options, and is within striking distance of all the county has to offer. Drogheda is set on the River Boyne, and has history dating back to Viking times, but the town itself is Norman in origin. Monasterboice, located around 6 kms from Drogheda, has examples of sculptured High Crosses dating to the 10th Century, while nearby Mellifont Abbey was the first Cistercian monastery to be built in Ireland.

Dundalk is situated in the far north of the county and is home to the excellent Louth county museum. The museum celebrates the county’s interesting, multi-layered history from ancient, mythical times through to its development into modern times in three exhibition galleries.

The Cooley peninsula extends 19 km into the Irish Sea in the north of Louth, between Carlingford Lough and Dundalk Bay. It has a rich cultural and mythical history, and is the setting of the ancient battle between Queen Meabh of Connacht and the warrior Cúchulainn over the Brown Bull of Cooley (Táin Bó Cuailgne). The 26km Táin Trail, is a circular long-distance walking route, which winds its way around the peninsula taking mountain paths and the views are quite spectacular at its highest point, sweeping out over the Lough to the Mourne Mountains. It is quite a taxing route and requires decent equipment and a reasonable level of fitness to complete.

Carlingford itself is a pretty fishing village with plenty of cafes, pubs & restaurants.  Its adventure centre offers a range of sports from sailing, windsurfing, canoeing to climbing, abseiling and archery. The village is home to Carlingford Heritage Centre, which explores the area’s history, and the ruins of King John’s Castle on the lough.