Dundalk

This article is about the town of Dundalk in Ireland. For other uses, see Dundalk (disambiguation)

Dundalk
Dún Dealgan

Clanbrassil Street, the main thoroughfare of Dundalk

Location

Coordinates:

Irish grid reference
J048074

Statistics

Dáil Éireann:

Louth

European Parliament:

East

Dialling code:

042, +353 42

Area:

115 km² (44 sq mi)

Population (2006)
- Town:
- Environs:

29,037
6,048

Website: www.dundalk.ie

Dundalk (from Irish: Dún Dealgan meaning "Dalgan's stronghold") is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. It sits where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan,^[1] has associations with the mythical warrior Cú Chulainn. The town's crest reads Mé do rug Cú Chulainn Cróga, meaning "I gave birth to brave Cú Chulainn". It was granted its charter in 1189. Within legally defined boundaries it is the largest town in Ireland.^[2] In 2003, Dundalk was amongst nine cities and towns to be designated Gateway status in the Irish Government's National Spatial Strategy.^[3]

1 History
2 Transport
3 Education
- 3.1 Primary schools
- 3.2 Secondary schools
4 Sport
5 People
6 Twinning
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

History

Around 3500 BC, the Neolithic people came to Ireland. One of the lasting features they left behind is the Proleek Dolmen at Ballymascanlon, on the northern side of Dundalk. Celtic culture arrived in Ireland around 500 BC, having colonised most of Europe. The group that settled in North Louth were known as the Conaille Muirtheimhne and took their name from Conaill Carnagh, legendary chief of the Red Branch Knights of Ulster. Their land now forms upper and lower Dundalk. The poets in Celtic society were known as the fili and were responsible for mythological tales and legends, the most famous being the tales of the Red Branch Knights, the Táin Bó Cuailgne and Cúchulainn.

Dundalk had been originally developed as an unwalled Sráid Bhaile (meaning village; translates literally as "Street Townland"). The streets passed along a gravel ridge which runs from the present day Bridge Street in the North, through Church Street to Clanbrassil Street to Earl Street, and finally to Dublin Street.

In 1169, the Normans arrived in Ireland and set about conquering large areas. By 1185 a Norman nobleman named Bertram de Verdun erected a manor house at Castletown Mount and subsequently obtained the town's charter in 1189. Another Norman family, the De Courcys, led by John de Courcy, settled in the Seatown area of Dundalk, the "Nova Villa de Dundalke". Both families assisted in the fortification of the town, building walls and other fortification in the style of a Norman fortress. The town of Dundalk was developed as it lay close to an easy bridging point over the Castletown River and as a frontier town on the northern extremities of the Pale. In 1236 Bertram’s granddaughter, Rohesia commissioned Castle Roche to fortify the region, and to offer protection from the Irish territory of Ulster.

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	%±
1821	9,256	—
1831	10,078	8.9%
1841	10,782	7.0%
1851	9,842	−8.7%
1861	10,360	5.3%
1871	11,327	9.3%
1881	11,913	5.2%
1891	12,449	4.5%
1901	13,076	5.0%
1911	13,128	0.4%
1926	13,996	6.6%
1936	14,684	4.9%
1946	18,562	26.4%
1951	19,678	6.0%
1956	21,687	10.2%
1961	21,228	−2.1%
1966	21,678	2.1%
1971	23,816	9.9%
1981	29,135	22.3%
1986	30,608	5.1%
1991	30,061	−1.8%
1996	30,195	0.4%
2002	32,505	7.7%
2006	35,090	8.0%
^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

In the 17th century, Lord Limerick (later James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Clanbrassil) created the modern town we know today. He was responsible for the construction of streets leading to the town centre; his ideas came from many visits to Europe. In addition to the demolition of the old walls and castles, he had new roads laid out eastwards of the principal streets. The most important of these new roads connected a newly laid down Market Square, which still survives, with a linen and cambric factory at its eastern end, adjacent to what was once an army cavalry and artillery barracks (now Aiken Military Barracks). In the 19th century, the town grew in importance and many industries were set up in the local area. This development was helped considerably by the opening of railways, the expansion of the docks area or 'Quay' and the setting up of a board of commissioners to run the town.

The town's first rail links were to Dublin in 1849 and Belfast in 1850, placing the town on the main line between these two cities. Further railway links opened to Derry by 1859 and Greenore in 1873.

The partition of Ireland in May 1921 turned Dundalk into a border town and the Dublin–Belfast main line into an international railway. The Irish Free State opened customs and immigration facilities at Dundalk to check goods and passengers crossing the border by train. The Irish Civil War of 1922-23 saw a number of confrontations in Dundalk. The local Fourth Northern Division of the Irish Republican Army under Frank Aiken tried to stay neutral but 300 of them were arrested by the new Irish Army in August 1922. However, a raid on the barrack freed Aiken and two weeks later he took Dundalk barracks and captured its garrison before freeing the remaining republican prisoners there. Aiken did not try to hold the town, however, and before withdrawing he called for a truce in a meeting in the centre of Dundalk.

In the 20th century, Dundalk's secondary railway links were closed: first the line to Greenore in 1951 and then that to Derry in 1957. In 1966 Dundalk railway station was renamed Clarke. Dundalk continued as a market town, a regional centre, a centre of administration and a manufacturing centre during the first fifty years of Irish Independence. During the Northern Troubles period, it became a key security centre. The introduction of competition after Ireland's joining the Common Market revealed that local manufacturing enterprises were unable to deal with foreign competition, and Dundalk lost much employment. The town had the highest unemployment rate in Ireland's richest province, Leinster. This created numerous social problems. In addition its proximity to the border during the Troubles meant that many people were sympathetic to the cause of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and Sinn Fein. It was in this period that Dundalk earned the nickname 'El Paso', after the American border town of the same name in Texas on the Mexican border.

The emergence of the Celtic Tiger investment boom resulted in rapid economic development in Dundalk since 2000. Harp Lager, a beer produced by Diageo, is brewed in the Great Northern Brewery, Dundalk. Today many international companies have factories in Dundalk, from food processing to high-tech computer components.

Transport

Dundalk Infrastructure Hub & Gateway access.

Dundalk railway station

Ongoing infrastructure evolutions continue in and around Dundalk to meet a programme deadline of 2020. These improvements embrace the road, rail and telecommunication infrastructures for—according to the National Development Plan—a better integration with the neighbouring Dublin, Midlands Gateway, and Cavan/Monaghan Hubs. The M1 - N1/A1 now connects Dundalk to Dublin and Newry. Works to extend it to Belfast are ongoing and will end in winter 2010. Dundalk train station has trains runnining to other towns and cities in Ireland. Information about the station can be found here and the irish rail site is here.

Education

Dundalk Institute of Technology (often abbreviated to DkIT) is the primary higher education provider in the North East of the country. It was established in 1970 as the Regional Technical College, offering primarily technician and apprenticeship courses. It has since evolved to become one of the major third level institutions, providing wide ranging full-time and part-time under-graduate and post-graduate courses.

The Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland (CBOI) is one of Ireland's primary youth orchestras. It is based in the Dundalk Institute of Technology and maintains a membership of 160 young musicians between the ages of 12 and 24 years. The CBOI was established in 1995 shortly after the implementation of the Peace Process and is recognised internationally and one of Ireland's flagship peace initiatives. The CBOI tours regularly to Europe and America and has sold out such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, New York and Chicago Symphony Hall.

Primary schools

Irish language

Gaelscoil Dhún Dealgan,^[9]

English language

S.N Muire na nGael (also known as Bay Estate N.S)
St. Fursey's National School
St. Nicholas' National School
St. Joseph's NS
St. Oliver Plunkett's NS
C.B.S. Primary School
St. Malachy's National School (also known as the Friary)
De la Salle School
Dún Dealgan Primary School
Faughart N.S
Castletown Girls School
Scoil Eoin Baiste
Realt na Mara Primary School
Darver N.S., Readypenny

Secondary schools

Dundalk Grammar School
De la Salle College
St. Mary's College
O'Fiaich College
Coláiste Rís
St. Vincent's Secondary School
St. Louis Secondary School
Bush, Cooley

Sport

Dundalk has a long and proud history of sport with Dundalk F.C. and Dundalk R.F.C.

In recent years Dundalk has seen the development of new sporting facilities including the JJB Soccer Dome and the Dundalk Ice Dome where local ice hockey team the Dundalk Bulls play. The Ice Dome hosted the IIHF World Championship of Division III in April 2007^[10].

Dundalk also has a long horseracing tradition. August 2007 saw Ireland's first all-weather horseracing track open up on the site of the old Dundalk racecourse^[11]. The course held Ireland's first ever meeting under floodlights on September 27, 2007. Greyhound racing also takes place at Dundalk Stadium.

Dundalk also held its first ever National Fencing tournament in April 2007

Dundalk also has a basketball team The Dundalk Ravens

Dundalk Cricket Club was founded in November 2009 and began playing matches in the 2010 season.^[12].

People

Bagatelle Irish Rock Band, Scribed songs like "Summer in Dublin", shared the stage with artists like Bob Marley, Phil Coulter etc
Brendan O'Dowda (1925–2002), Irish tenor who popularised the songs of Percy French.
Cathy Maguire, singer-songwriter. Currently lives in the United States.
Dermot Ahern, local solicitor and Fianna Fáil party politician. Currently Irelands' Minister for Justice.
Dorothy Macardle (1889–1960), revolutionary, author and playwright.
Francis Leopold McClintock, arctic explorer, discoverer of the fate of Franklin
John Moore, film director, producer, and writer.
John Phillip Holland, Inventor of the submarine, worked as a teacher in Colaiste Ris, Dundalk
Nicholas Callan, scientist who made the first induction coil went to primary school here.
Paddy Clarke, President of Irish Professional Photographers Association (IPPA).
Patrick McDonnell, actor in Naked Camera and Father Ted.
Peter Rice (1935-1992). Noted engineer, worked on the Sydney Opera House, Louvre Pyramid and Centre Pompidou as well as numerous other world famous buildings.
Rob Kearney Rugby player, current player for both Leinster and Ireland
Steve Staunton, former football player and former Republic of Ireland national football team manager.
The Corrs, Celtic folk rock group and family, born and raised in Dundalk.
Thomas Coulter, (1793-1843) botanist and doctor.
Tom Sharkey, (1873–1953) Heavyweight boxer
Tommy Byrne, Former Formula 1 racing driver.
Tommy Traynor, (1933–2006) former footballer, Republic of Ireland national football team and Southampton FC left-back.
The Flaws Indie Rock Band
Henry McShane, Emigrated to the United States founded the McShane Bell Foundry and named the rail depot and subsequently the town Dundalk, Maryland after his home town in the 19th Century
Andrew Guest, Player for the Ireland men's national ice hockey team