County Louth

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County Louth (Irish: Contae Lú)^[1][2] is a county on the east coast of Ireland, on the border with Northern Ireland.

The county town is Dundalk, which is also the largest town in Louth.^[3] The majority of the county's population live in either Dundalk or Drogheda. The 2006 Census^[4] confirmed Dundalk and Drogheda as not only the largest towns in the county, but also the largest towns in Ireland.

Drogheda has a population marginally larger than that of Dundalk. This however, includes areas and suburbs of Drogheda which lie in County Meath.^[5]

County Louth is affectionately called "the Wee County" being the smallest county^[6] in Ireland having a total area of only 821sq kilometres (317sq miles).^[7]

[edit] Origin of name

The original Irish name of the county Lughbaidh comes from the place of worship of the Celtic god Lugh whose festival was celebrated at Lughnasa. The Irish month Lughnasa and day of the week De Luain are both derived from Lugh, also.

The names for both county and village have been revised to An Lú. This is is taken from the Irish for the least,^[8] due to Louth being the smallest county in Ireland.^[9]

[edit] History

This is a county steeped in myth, legend and history, going back to the pre-historical days of the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cooley Cattle Raid, see Cúchulainn). Later it saw the influence of the Vikings as seen in the name of Carlingford Lough.

There are a number of historic sites in the county, including religious sites at Monasterboice and Mellifont Abbey

In the early fourteenth century the Scottish army of Edward Bruce (brother of Robert of Bannockburn fame) was defeated in the battle of Faughart near Dundalk, Edward losing not only his claim to the High Kingship Of Ireland, but also his life. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries featured many skirmishes and battles involving Irish and English forces. Oliver Cromwell attacked Drogheda in 1649 slaughtering the Royalist garrison (Siege of Drogheda).

Towards the end of the same century the armies of the warring Kings, James and William, faced off in North Louth during the build-up to the Battle of the Boyne - the battle takes its name from the river Boyne which reaches the sea at Drogheda.

[edit] Notable settlements in County Louth

[edit] Towns

• Ardee
• Drogheda
• Dundalk
• Dunleer
• Greenore

[edit] Villages

[edit] References

[1] Central Statistics Office Census 2006 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland (April 2007).

Categories: County Louth | Geography of County Louth