Clogherhead

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See also: Clogher (disambiguation)
Clogherhead
Ceann Chlochair
Village
Beach at Clogherhead
Clogherhead
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°47′31″N 6°14′17″W / 53.792°N 6.238°W / 53.792; -6.238Coordinates: 53°47′31″N 6°14′17″W / 53.792°N 6.238°W / 53.792; -6.238
Country Ireland
Province Leinster
County County Louth
Population (2006)[1]
 • Urban 1,558
Irish Grid Reference O157840
Clogherhead Beach in Autumn

Clogherhead (Irish: Ceann Chlochair) is a fishing village in County Louth, Ireland. Located in a picturesque natural bay on the East Coast it is bordered by the villages of Annagassan to the north and Termonfeckin to the south. with an administrative population per the 2011 Census of 3026, it is in the townlands of Clogher and Callystown, about 12 km (7 mi) northeast of Drogheda. As a seaside village its main industries are fishing and farming. In keeping with its links to the sea there has been an RNLI lifeboat stationed in the village for over 100 years. The current boat is a Mersey class lifeboat, the RNLB Doris Bleasedale, and is unique in Ireland being beach-launched. Following intensive lobbying by the local residents, fishermen and political representatives, Clogherhead now has one of the finest piers in Ireland which was opened following an investment in excess of €2 million.

Name

Historically, the village was known simply as Clogher (Clochair) or Killclogher (Cill Chlochair)[2][3] while the headland was called Clogher Head. Today the headland remains Clogher Head, the village is called Clogherhead and the townland they are in is called Clogher.

The area boasts some of the finest countryside in East Coast and the headland has magnificent walk from the village along steep sea cliffs to the nearby picturesque harbour called Port Oriel (Port Oirialla). Standing on the headland and at the harbour offers breathtaking views of Ireland's east coast from the Mourne and Cooley Mountains in the north as far south as Lambay Island and the Rockabill Lighthouse.

The headland is also the sight of the Red Mans Cave, where Cromwellian soldiers are reputed to have put to death a number of Catholic Priests during the time of the Cromwellian Wars of 1649. The inside of the Cave has until recent times been repainted red to commemorate the event. However time and the forces of nature have made the cave largely inaccessible from land.

Public transport

Bus Éireann route 189 serves Clogherhead several times a day (but not Sundays) linking it to Drogheda, Duleek and Ashbourne. Most buses operate via Termonfeckin and Baltray though a few go via Grangebellew and Ballymakenny.[4] Drogheda railway station is approximately 13 km distant.

Economy

  • Clogherhead is a popular tourist destination. The village is also notable for its sandy Blue Flag beach[5] which extends from near the lifeboat station and on to the Boyne estuary. The beach boasts excellent water sports conditions which are catered for year round and prove extremely popular during the summer months.
  • The last two years have seen the revival of the popular Clogherhead Prawn Festival[6] which attracts significant crowds to the village to partake in the weekend of varied and family oriented events.
  • Port Oriel is a fishing port boasting one of the largest fleets in the country.
  • Port Oriel is also being used as a base for the construction of the offshore Oriel Wind Farm.[7]

Myths And Legends

Ghosts

Many People in Clogherhead seem to say that they have witnessed Ghosts. Most of these people say it was found near fields at the SouthSide of Clogherhead in the Chalet Park. Clogherhead is a rural area which according to wiki ghosts, rural areas are common areas in which ghosts are found. In 1997, a man said, at precisely 11pm, that he saw three yellowish figures, he did not confirm these as ghosts but said he could see through whatever it was. Where he saw these, it was in fact in the field that other have seen stuff there. This field maybe haunted but unlikely that it is true.

Stories

Captain RedMan

A popular story told by locals is called 'Captain RedMan.'[citation needed] An area of rocks, known as Dead Man's and Red Mans Cave, lies at the side of the head in Clogherhead. Some say it is called RedMan's because of the myth but others say it is because red seaweed lays nearby. The story is about a crew from Spain that sailed to Ireland. Most of the crew died from scurvy on the voyage. When they reached Clogherhead the 6 remaining crew members and captain camped at the caves. As the story progresses, each night, someone mysteriously dies leaving 3 crew and the captain. The crew suspect the captain so they chopped of his head, stuck it on a stick and placed it at the caves now known as RedMans cave. According to people that have been at RedMans at night they say that they see a man walking around the Clogherhead area singing and whistling.

Involvement in Medieval War

This will be updated in the near future

Film location

Clogherhead has been used as a film location[8] for:

Education

Callystown National School

Callystown National School has been in "official" existence since 1832. Located on the north side of the village with access through the estate of John Kirk Park, it has an interesting and colourful history.[12] It now has over 300 pupils and has been extended a number of times to cater for the population growth in the village and an influx of pupils from the surrounding areas.

Music

  • Songs featuring this town include "Is Clogherhead Like it Used to Be".(see www.callystownnationalschool.i.e. and source podcast 9)

Notable people

  • Albert Cashier (otherwise Jennie Irene Hodgers) – born in Clogherhead he/she was a soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
  • At some point before his final incarceration, Saint Oliver Plunkett took refuge in a church that once stood in the townland of Killartry in the parish of Clogherhead.
  • Richard Fahey, leading UK-based racehorse trainer

Sport

  • Fishing
  • Watersports Catered for all year around by the Neptune Outdoor Centre
  • GAA – Dreadnots Gaelic Football Club

Dreadnots GFC are currently Louth Intermediate Champions having beaten Na Piarsaigh by a single point in the final held in Ardee on 5 October.


  • Port Oriel

  • Port sign & plaque

  • Pier, Port Oriel

  • Vessel used in the construction of the offshore Oriel Wind Farm

  • Fishermen's Co-op Auction Hall

  • Queen of the sea memorial to those lost at sea

  • Clogher Head Lifeboat

  • Lifeboat - bow

  • Lifeboat - stern

  • Twin Caterpillar engines

  • Clogher Head shown on lifeboat positioning system

  • Lifeboat Station

  • Celebrating 100 years of the Lifeboat Station

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Census 2006 – Volume 1 – Population Classified by Area" (PDF). Central Statistics Office Census 2006 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. April 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2011. 
  2. ↑ CLOGHER, or KILCLOGHER in Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837)
  3. ↑ Placenames Database of Ireland (see archival records)
  4. ↑ http://buseireann.ie/news.php?id=1395&month=Nov
  5. ↑ Clogherhead beach regains Blue Flag status (retrieved 5 June 2009)
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ Offshore Oriel Wind Farm project
  8. ↑ Movie Locations in Ireland
  9. ↑ Locals get in character
  10. ↑ The Devil's Own at the Internet Movie Database
  11. ↑ Captain Lightfoot at the Internet Movie Database
  12. ↑ Historyof Callystown National School

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Clogherhead.
Places in County Louth
Towns
Villages and
Townlands
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.