Carlingford Lough

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Carlingford Lough
Loch Cairlinn (Irish)
Carlinford Loch (Ulster Scots)
Carlingford Lough.jpg
Looking east, with Warrenpoint at centre
Carlingford Lough locator.jpg
Island of Ireland relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Carlingford Lough
Location Republic of Ireland – United Kingdom border
Coordinates 54°04′24″N6°11′58″W / 54.0733°N 6.1994°W / 54.0733; -6.1994
River sources Newry River
Ocean/sea sources Irish Sea
Basin  countries Northern Ireland,
Republic of Ireland
Salinity 31.31–33.99 psu
Settlements Carlingford, Greencastle, Greenore, Killowen, Newry, Omeath, Rostrevor, Warrenpoint
Designated9 March 1998
Reference no.936 [1]

Carlingford Lough (Irish : Loch Cairlinn, [2] Ulster Scots: Carlinford Loch [3] ) is a glacial fjord or sea inlet in northeastern Ireland, forming part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down, the Mourne Mountains, and the town of Warrenpoint; on its southern shore is County Louth, the Cooley Mountains and the village of Carlingford. The Newry River flows into the loch from the northwest.

Contents

Name

The English name Carlingford and the Irish name Loch Cairlinn come from the Old Norse Kerlingfjǫrðr, meaning "narrow sea-inlet of the hag" or old woman. This may have referred to the three mountain tops, locally called The Three Nuns, frequently used as pilot points on entering the lough. [4] Its earlier Irish name was Snámh Aighneach, meaning "swift sea-channel". It could also mean "swift swimming-place", referring to a crossing point which could be swum by horses, probably Narrow Water. [4]

An older English name was Nury (Newry) Bay. [5]

Geography

The Newry River and the Newry Canal link the lough to the nearby city of Newry (the canal continues on towards the River Bann and Lough Neagh; the river, under the name River Clanrye, loops around County Down). The only other glacial fjords in Ireland are Lough Swilly and Killary Harbour. [6]

On the northern coast, in County Down, are the coastal towns of Warrenpoint and Rostrevor, backed by the Mourne Mountains. On the southern coast are Omeath, Carlingford and Greenore backed by the Cooley Mountains, all on the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth.

Tourism

The area has been a tourist destination since Victorian times when the railway between Dublin and Belfast was opened. Situated approximately halfway between the two cities, the access to the area combined with its scenery and sheltered location are still factors in its popularity today.[ citation needed ]

Flora and fauna

The northern shores have extensive mudflats and salt marshes which provide winter feeding areas for the pale-bellied brent goose (Branta bernicla hrota). [7] At the mouth of the lough are several small rock and shingle islands which are breeding areas for terns that feed in its shallow waters. [7]

Carlingford Lough looking towards the Mournes Carlingford Lough - panoramio.jpg
Carlingford Lough looking towards the Mournes

Protected areas

The lough is designated as an Important Bird Area. [8]

The Carlingford Lough Ramsar site (wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention), is 830.51 hectares in area, at latitude 54 03 00 N and longitude 06 07 00 W. It was designated a Ramsar site on 9 March 1998. It is a cross-border site, with the northern shore lying within Northern Ireland (including the lough's more extensive mudflats and a salt marsh), and the southern shore lying in the Republic of Ireland (where the Carlingford Lough Special Protection Area falls within the scope of the National Parks and Wildlife Service). [9] [10] [11]

Transport

Ferry

The Greencastle-Greenore ferry crossing opened in 2017. It is used by local and by tourists, particularly in the summer months.[ citation needed ]

Railway

Newry is the nearest station located on the Dublin-Belfast railway line with trains running on the Enterprise between Belfast Grand Central, Portadown and Dublin Connolly, whilst other trains may call at additional stations en route to Bangor.[ citation needed ]

Until its closure in the early 1950s, the southern side of the lough was served by the Dundalk, Newry and Greenore (DNG) railway line. Sections of this line now form part of the Carlingford Lough greenway. [12] [13]

The lough is navigable, and its seaward entrance is marked by the Haulbowline Lighthouse, which was built in 1824.

There is a deep water cargo port at Greenore, and a smaller fishing harbour at Carlingford. [14] [15] A commercial marina lies north of Carlingford town, close to the start of the greenway. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Down</span> County in Northern Ireland

County Down is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of 961 sq mi (2,490 km2) and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the north, the Irish Sea to the east, County Armagh to the west, and County Louth across Carlingford Lough to the southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrenpoint</span> Port town in County Down, Northern Ireland

Warrenpoint is a small port town and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It sits at the head of Carlingford Lough, south of Newry, and is separated from the Republic of Ireland by a narrow strait. The town is beside the village of Rostrevor and is overlooked by the Mournes and Cooley Mountains. Warrenpoint sprang up within the townland of Ringmackilroy, and is locally nicknamed "The Point", which also represents the town's full name in Irish, An Pointe".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rostrevor</span> Village in County Down, Northern Ireland

Rostrevor is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the foot of Slieve Martin on the coast of Carlingford Lough, near Warrenpoint. The Kilbroney River flows through the village and Rostrevor Forest is nearby. 7.5 miles (12 km) south-east of Newry, the village is within the Newry, Mourne and Down local government district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narrow Water Castle</span> 16th-century tower house in Northern Ireland

Narrow Water Castle is a 16th-century tower house and bawn near Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland. It is beside the A2 road and on the County Down bank of the Clanrye (Newry) River, which enters Carlingford Lough a mile to the south. It is a historic monument in state care in the townland of Narrow Water, in Newry and Mourne District Council district, at grid ref: J1256 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Lough</span> Large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland

Belfast Lough is a large sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to the Irish Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenore</span> Port village in County Louth, Ireland

Greenore is a village, townland and deep water port on Carlingford Lough in County Louth, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlingford, County Louth</span> Town on the Cooley Peninsula, County Louth, Ireland

Carlingford is a coastal town and civil parish in northern County Louth, Ireland. For the purposes of local government, the town is part of the Dundalk Municipal District. It is situated on the southern shore of Carlingford Lough with Slieve Foy mountain as a backdrop, sometimes known as Carlingford Mountain. It is the main town on the Cooley Peninsula. Located on the R176/R173 roads between Greenore and Omeath village, Carlingford is approximately 27 km (17 mi) north east from Dundalk, 90 km (56 mi) north of Dublin and 11 km (7 mi) south of the border with Northern Ireland. Carlingford won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R173 road (Ireland)</span> Road in Ireland

The R173 road is a regional road in Ireland, running its full length in County Louth. It loops around Cooley Peninsula, mainly along the coast. It nearly encircles the Cooley Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slieve Foy</span> Mountain in Louth, Ireland

Slieve Foy or Slieve Foye is a mountain on the Cooley Peninsula in Louth, Ireland. It rises to 589 metres (1,932 ft), making it the highest of the Cooley Mountains and the highest in Louth. It overlooks Carlingford Lough and the village of Carlingford, and is sometimes called Carlingford Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omeath</span> Village in County Louth, Ireland

Omeath is a village on the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth, Ireland, close to the border with Northern Ireland. It is roughly midway between Dublin and Belfast, very near the County Louth and County Armagh / County Down border. As of the 2016 census, Omeath had a population of 603, up from 439 during the 2006 census. It is approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) from Carlingford and about 8 km (5.0 mi) from Newry. By sea, Omeath's nearest land neighbour is Warrenpoint on the south County Down coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newry River</span> River in Northern Ireland

Newry River, also known as the River Clanrye, is a river in Northern Ireland flowing through counties Down and Armagh. The river passes through the city of Newry and empties into Carlingford Lough near Warrenpoint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newry railway station</span> Railway station in County Armagh, Northern Ireland

Newry railway station serves Newry and Bessbrook in Northern Ireland. The station is located in the northwest of Newry, County Armagh on the Dublin-Belfast line close to the Craigmore Viaduct. It is the most southerly railway station in Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killowen</span> Village in Northern Ireland

Killowen, alternatively spelt Cill Abhainn is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is near Rostrevor and on the shore of Carlingford Lough. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 159 people. It lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrenpoint ambush</span> IRA attack on British forces in 1979

The Warrenpoint ambush, also known as the Narrow Water ambush, the Warrenpoint massacre or the Narrow Water massacre, was a guerrilla attack by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 27 August 1979. The IRA's South Armagh Brigade ambushed a British Army convoy with two large roadside bombs at Narrow Water Castle outside Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland. The first bomb was aimed at the convoy itself, and the second targeted the incoming reinforcements and the incident command point (ICP) set up to deal with the incident. IRA volunteers hidden in nearby woodland also allegedly fired on the troops, who returned fire. The castle is on the banks of the Newry River, which marks the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooley Peninsula</span> Peninsula in County Louth, Ireland

The Cooley Peninsula is a hilly peninsula in the north of County Louth on the east coast of Ireland; the peninsula includes the small town of Carlingford, the port of Greenore and the village of Omeath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway</span>

The 26 miles (42 km) Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland. It was conceived in the 1860s to provide a link between the towns in its title and the London and North Western Railway port at Greenore, from where a ferry service operated to Holyhead. It was opened between Greenore and Dundalk in 1873 and extended to Newry in 1876. The company operated a hotel at Greenore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newry, Mourne and Down</span> Local government district in Northern Ireland

Newry, Mourne and Down is a local government district in Northern Ireland that was created on 1 April 2015 by merging Newry and Mourne District and Down District. It covers most of the southeastern part of Northern Ireland. The local authority is Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. The principal population centres are Newry in the south of the district, and Downpatrick in the north; both these urban areas were seats of previous council areas.

Ireland's greenways are off-road routes for walkers, cyclists and other non-motorised transport in Ireland, which are often created as rail trails on abandoned sections of the Irish rail network. In the Republic of Ireland, several greenway initiatives have been centrally funded by the Irish government. In Northern Ireland, greenways are typically part of the collective British National Cycle Network (NCN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newry, Warrenpoint and Rostrevor Railway</span> Defunct railway in Ireland

The Newry, Warrenpoint and Rostrevor Railway (NW&RR) was a former railway line linking Newry and the port of Warrenpoint on the Carlingford Lough inlet in Ireland, and the company operating it. The railway was absorbed into the Great Northern Railway of Ireland in 1886 and the line closed in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellurgan</span> Human settlement in Ireland

Bellurgan is a townland in the northeast of County Louth, Ireland. Located approximately 6km from the town centre of Dundalk, as of the 2011 census the townland had a population of 665 people. Bellurgan townland has an area of approximately 8.44 square kilometres (3.26 sq mi).

References

  1. ↑ "Carlingford Lough". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "Carlingford", Placenames Database of Ireland, retrieved 8 December 2011.
  3. ↑ "North-South Ministerial Council: 2010 Annual Report in Ulster Scots" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Carlingford Lough". Place Names NI. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  5. ↑ "Carlingford Lough (Click the archival records button)". Placenames Database of Ireland.
  6. ↑ Whittow, J.B. (1974). Geology and Scenery in Ireland. Penguin.
  7. 1 2 "Report - Carlingford Lough Special Protection Area (Site Code 4078) - Conservation Objectives" (PDF). npws.ie. National Parks & Wildlife Service. August 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "BirdLife International (2015) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Carlingford Lough". birdlife.org. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  9. ↑ "Designated and Proposed Ramsar sites in Northern Ireland" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  10. ↑ "Carlingford Lough Ramsar site". NI Environment Agency. Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
  11. ↑ "Carlingford Lough SPA". npws.ie. National Parks and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Great Eastern Greenway / Carlingford Lough Greenway". nigreenways.com. Northern Ireland Greenways. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  13. ↑ "The Carlingford Lough Greenway - Phase 1 Completed". newrymournedown.org. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. Retrieved 29 May 2020. Louth County Council has already constructed 6.2km of Greenway from Omeath to Carlingford Marina and this [..] opened in 2014
  14. ↑ "Location". greenore.ie. Greenore Port Ltd. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "Carlingford Harbour". eoceanic.com. eOceanic. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "Carlingford Marina - Greenway". carlingfordmarina.com. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
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