Carlingford

Carlingford (Irish: Cairlinn) is a coastal town and townland in northern County Louth, Ireland. It is situated between Carlingford Lough (to the east) and Slieve Foy, sometimes known as Carlingford Mountain (to the west) at GPS co-ordinates: 54.02.463N 6.11.120W. Located on the R176/R173 roads between Greenore Point and Omeath townland, Carlingford is approximately 27 km north (by road) of Dundalk (15.6 km directly), 90 km north of Dublin and 11 km south of the border with Northern Ireland. Carlingford won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1988. Carlingford has many streets with a medieval aspect - the main one being Tholsel Street (Sráid an Tólsail in Irish).

Foundation

Carlingford was occupied approximately 800 years ago by Norman knight Hugh de Lacy after laying the foundation stone to a castle on a strategic outcrop of rock. As was common in those days, a settlement sprang up, close to this fortress.

The Prosperous Years

Carlingford’s strategic position on the east coast of Ireland (along with Carrickfergus and Dundalk) made it a vital trading port. This trade led to its relative prosperity during the 14th, 15th and early 16th Centuries. Carlingford's early prosperity was rocked, when in 1388, the town was burnt to the ground, by a Scots force under the command of Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale. This was a punitive raid, following Irish attacks on Galloway, the Lord of which was Nithsdale's father, Archibald the Grim. Carlingford received 5 charters in total – the first in 1326 by Edward II and the last to occur in 1619 under James I. The increased trade encouraged the rich mercantile class to build – the results of which can still be seen today in the remains of the Mint and Taffee’s Castle. In 1637 the Surveyor General of Customs issued a report compiled from accounts of customs due from each port and their "subsidiary creeks". Of the Ulster ports on the list, Carrickfergus was first, followed by Bangor, Donaghadee, and Strangford. Carlingford and Coleraine each had £244 customs due and had equal ranking.^[1]

War and Ruin

The 1640 rebellion and the subsequent Williamite wars of the 1690s all took their toll on the surrounding economy. As recorded in the Journal of Isaac Butler – Carlingford the town was in a “state of ruin” by 1744. However, the final nail in coffin was the desertion of the prosperous herring shoals that occupied the Lough to open water by the early 18th century.

The Modern Era

Carlingford’s inability to develop a heavy industry allowed for its medieval charm and archaeological artifacts to remain relatively intact. This led directly to tourism being the main source of employment. Also significant is fishing, particularly of oysters and crabs from the nearby harbour. A daily passenger ferry operates out of the village of Omeath, 5 km (3 mi) away, during the summer months. Carlingford has expanded in recent years, the most recent addition being of a Four Season’s Hotel. Source: Wikipedia