County Louth

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County Louth
Contae LÃº

Location

Statistics

820 kmÂ²

Population (2006)

110,894

Website: www.louthcoco.ie

County Louth (Contae LÃº in Irish) is a county on the east coast of Ireland. While a popular theory is that the Irish version, An LÃº, means "the least"; Louth having been the smallest of the original counties, the county actually takes its name from the village of Louth (Lughbhadh in Irish, referring to the Celtic god Lugh). The county town of Louth is Dundalk. The majority of the county's population live either in Dundalk or in the town of Drogheda.

County Louth is the smallest County in Ireland, also known as "the Wee County". At present it is on the border with Northern Ireland so is heavily influenced by the present political situation with regard to that.

[edit] History

This is a county steeped in myth, legend and history, going back to the pre-historical days of the TÃ¡in BÃ³ CÃºailnge (Cooley Cattle Raid, see CÃºchulainn). Later it saw the influence of the Vikings as seen in the name of Carlingford Lough.

In the early fourteenth century the Scottish army of Edward Bruce (brother of Robert of Bannockburn fame) was defeated in the battle of Faughart near Dundalk, Edward losing not only his claim to the High Kingship Of Ireland, but also his life. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries featured many skirmishes and battles involving Irish and English forces. Oliver Cromwell attacked Drogheda in 1649 slaughtering the Royalist garrison (Siege of Drogheda).

Towards the end of the same century the armies of the warring Kings, James and William, faced off in North Louth during the build-up to the Battle of the Boyne - the battle takes its name from the river Boyne which reaches the sea at Drogheda.