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Dundalk

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This article is about the town of Dundalk in Ireland. For other uses, see Dundalk (disambiguation)
Dundalk
Dún Dealgan
Town
Clanbrassil Street, the main thoroughfare of Dundalk
Clanbrassil Street, the main thoroughfare of Dundalk
Coat of arms of Dundalk
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Mé do rug Cú Chulainn cróga  (Irish)
"I gave birth to brave Cú Chulainn"
CountryIreland
ProvinceLeinster
CountyCounty Louth
Dáil ÉireannLouth
EU ParliamentEast
Area
[1]
 • Town24.68 km2 (9.53 sq mi)
Population
 (Census 2011)
 • Rank7th
 • Urban
31,073
 • Rural
25,581
 • CSA
56,654
Irish Grid ReferenceJ048074
Dialing code042, +353 42
Websitewww.dundalk.ie

Dundalk (from Irish Dún Dealgan 'Dalgan's stronghold') is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated 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,[2] 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 (pop. 31,073).[3]. It is also the largest by area.[4] Dundalk's rural population is 25,581 giving a combined statistical area of 56,654.[3]
In 2003, Dundalk was amongst nine cities and towns to be designated Gateway status in the Irish Government's National Spatial Strategy.[5] .

History

The Dundalk area has been inhabited since at least 3500 BC, when Neolithic farmers first came to Ireland. A tangible reminder of their presence can still be seen in the form of the Proleek Dolmen, the eroded remains of a megalithic tomb located at Ballymascanlon a few miles to the north 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.

St. Patrick´s Church, Dundalk

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.

Further, the town was sacked in 1315, during the Bruce campaign.

The modern town of Dundalk largely owes its form to Lord Limerick (later James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Clanbrassil) in the 17th century. 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 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.

For several decades after the end of the Civil War, Dundalk continued to function as a market town, a regional centre, and a centre of administration and manufacturing. Its position close to the border gave it considerable significance during the "Troubles" of Northern Ireland. Many people were sympathetic to the cause of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and Sinn Féin. It was in this period that Dundalk earned the nickname 'El Paso', after the Texan border town of the same name on the border with Mexico.

Dundalk suffered economically when Irish membership of the European Economic Community in the 1970s exposed local manufacturers to foreign competition that they were ill equipped to cope with. The result was the closure of many local factories, resulting in the highest unemployment rate in Leinster, Ireland's richest province. High unemployment produced serious social problems in the town that were only alleviated by the advent of the Celtic Tiger investment boom at the start of the 21st century. Dundalk's economy has developed rapidly since 2000. Today many international companies have factories in Dundalk, from food processing to high-tech computer components. Harp Lager, a beer produced by Diageo, is brewed in the Great Northern Brewery, Dundalk.

Transport

Dundalk Infrastructure Hub & Gateway access.
Dundalk railway station

Shipping services to Liverpool were provided from 1837 by the Dundalk Steam Packet Company.

Dundalk is an important stop along the Dublin–Belfast railway line, being the last station on the Irish side of the border. Its rail link to Dublin was inaugurated in 1849 and the line to Belfast was opened the following year. Further railway links opened to Derry by 1859 and Greenore in 1873.

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 Dundalk Clarke Station after the Irish republican activist Tom Clarke, though it is still usually just called Dundalk Station. The station is served by the Dublin-Belfast "Enterprise" express trains as well as local Commuter services to and from Dublin. It also houses a small museum of railway history.

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 are scheduled to end in winter 2010.


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.

Dundalk IT.

Primary schools

Irish language

  • Gaelscoil Dhún Dealgan,[11]

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

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.[12]

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.[13] 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 also has a tennis club, the club was founded in 1913 and held the Senior Interprovincial Championschips (inter-pros) on August 29–31, 2010 .[14]

Dundalk Cricket Club was founded in November 2009 and began playing matches in the 2010 season.[15]

Dundalk's snooker league has been running for over 20 years, in 2010 the league was re-branded and Sponsored by Tool-Fix [16]

Arts

Dundalk has two photography clubs - Dundalk Photographic Society[17] and the Tain Photographic Club. In 2010 Dundalk Photographic Society won the FIAP Photography Club World Cup.[18]

Dundalk has a vibrant music environment. The following can be found:

The Fr.McNally Chamber Orchestra created in April 2010.[19] It is a string chamber orchestra made of violins, violas, double basses and celli and has 29 members.

The Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland [20](CBOI) which 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.

The Clermont Chorale.[21] It was formed in 2003 and has 30 members, drawn from all parts of County Louth. Its repertoire includes music from the 17th to the 21st century, across many styles and genres.

Dundalk School of Music.[22] Created in February 2010, it aims to provide education in music for all age groups in many disciplines.

People

Twinning

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Republic of Ireland

Dundalk is twinned with the following places:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Table 6 - Population and area of each Province, County, City, urban area, rural area and Electoral Division, 2011 and 2006". Census 2011, Volume 1 - Population Classified by Area. Central Statistics Office. 2011-06-20. p. 70. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Text "url http://www.cso.ie/census/Table8.htm" ignored (help)
  2. ^ Placenames Database of Ireland
  3. ^ a b Census 2011
  4. ^ Census (area) 2011
  5. ^ Irish Spatial Strategy
  6. ^ Census for post 1821 figures.
  7. ^ http://www.histpop.org
  8. ^ http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census
  9. ^ Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. (eds.). Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
  10. ^ Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November). "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850". The Economic History Review. 37 (4): 473–488. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  11. ^ [1] Gaelscoil Dhún Dealgan
  12. ^ IIHF - Div 3 Match reports
  13. ^ RTE - 2007 Irish Racing
  14. ^ [2]
  15. ^ [3]
  16. ^ [4]
  17. ^ Dundalk Photographic Society website
  18. ^ FIAP 5th Club World Cup Results Page
  19. ^ Fr.McNally Chamber Orchestra
  20. ^ The Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland
  21. ^ The Clermont Chorale
  22. ^ Dundalk School of Music
  23. ^ Dundalk - Reze twinning page
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