Template:Wp-Carlingford, County Louth-History

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Foundation

The Vikings invaded Ireland in the 9th Century and historical records tell that they occupied Carlingford Lough, a naturally secure bay. Carlingford was inhabited in the 12th century by Norman knight Hugh de Lacy after laying the foundation stone for a castle on a strategic outcrop of rock. A settlement sprang up close to this fortress. The castle is known by the name of King John's Castle following a visit in the year 1210. The castle is an extensive ruin seated on a solid rock - the sides of which are enclosed by the sea. Mountains rise on the inland side, at the foot of which is a narrow pass which was formerly commanded by the fortress.

Prosperous years

Carlingford's strategic position on the east coast of Ireland (along with Carrickfergus and Drogheda) made it an important trading port. This trade led to its relative prosperity during the 14th, 15th and early 16th centuries. Carlingford's early prosperity faltered when, in 1388, the town was burnt to the ground, by a Scots force under the command of Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale. This was a punitive raid, following Irish attacks on Galloway, the Lord of which was Nithsdale's father, Archibald the Grim.

Carlingford received five charters in total; the first in 1326 by Edward II and the last in 1619 under James I. The increased trade encouraged a mercantile class to build in the area, the results of which can be seen today in the remains of the Mint and Taffe's Castle.

Carlingford was regarded for its green finned oysters, which remained its main employment source, alongside herring fishing. The oysters were renowned throughout Britain and Europe while also gaining responses when mentioned in related texts.

War and ruin

The 1641 Rising by the Irish of Ulster, the Cromwellian Conquest of 1649, and the subsequent Williamite wars of the 1690s all took their toll on the local economy. As recorded in the Journal of Isaac Butler, Carlingford the town was in a "state of ruin" by 1744. However, the final nail in the coffin was the desertion to open water of the prosperous herring shoals that occupied the lough by the early 18th century.

Modern era

Carlingford's inability to develop a heavy industry allowed its mediaeval layout and archaeological artefacts to remain relatively intact. The area was opened up to tourism in the 1870s by the Dundalk, Newry and Greenore railway, which passed through Carlingford. This line closed in 1951. These transport links led to tourism being a key source of employment. Fishing was also important economically; particularly oysters and crabs from the nearby harbour. The town hosts the annual Carlingford Oyster Festival usually held in August. A passenger ferry operates daily out of the village of Greenore, away, during the summer months.

On the day of the 1918 Irish general election, the Camlough Company of the Irish Volunteers travelled by train from Newry to Carlingford. On arrival, they found large numbers of Carlingford inhabitants wearing Union Jacks. The Volunteers ordered all the Royal Irish Constabulary men they saw on duty on the streets or at the polling booths to return to their barracks and to remain in them whilst the Volunteers were in Carlingford. A series of attacks were made on the Volunteers from by mobs on the streets. The Volunteers took control and sought to protect voters going to record their votes until the polling booths closed. Seamus Lyang from Dundalk was polling clerk in Carlingford and when the booths closed the Volunteers had to take Lyang under their protection and escort him out of the Carlingford. All the pubs and shops in Carlingford were hostile to the Volunteers and refused to serve them. After the closing of the poll, the Volunteers marched back to Camlough.

Cultural references

The Irish singer-songwriter Tommy Makem wrote a melancholy song about the town, "Farewell to Carlingford", covered by The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem and The Dubliners. In the Dublin Penny Journal they advised that in AD 432 St Patrick's second landing in Ireland was according to some authorities effected here.