| County Louth is the smallest county in Ireland but | | | | both have rapidly expanded during nineties and |
| nonetheless offers wonderful attractions for its | | | | noughties because of their proximity to Dublin and |
| size. The county, located north of Dublin on the | | | | the completion of the M1 motorway. The |
| east coast of Ireland is only 820 square | | | | improved road infrastructure, together with an |
| kilometres in size and because of this is known | | | | excellent main line railway network, has made |
| affectionately as the "Wee County". The county | | | | them ideal towns for commuters working in |
| has a population of 111,000. | | | | Dublin. |
| Bisected by the M1 motorway that forms the | | | | Located on the N2, Ardee is Louth's third town. |
| North/South Economic Corridor, the county | | | | This is a much smaller market town, with a |
| stretches from the historic town of Drogheda in | | | | population of some 4,000 people. Another small |
| the south on the border with County Meath to | | | | town that is growing rapidly is the mid- Louth |
| the medieval town of Carlingford on the Cooley | | | | town of Dunleer. |
| Peninsula and adjoins the Northern Ireland counties | | | | There is a wide range of accommodation in Louth |
| of Down and Armagh. Louth consists mainly of | | | | from castles such Smarmore Castle and Darver |
| fertile surging country with a coastline of sandy | | | | Castle in mid- Louth to a variety of hotels, |
| bays and occasional rocky headlands. | | | | guesthouses and B&B's. There are plenty of |
| In the North, between Dundalk Bay and | | | | restaurants and pubs for lively entertainment |
| Carlingford Lough, is the mountainous Cooley | | | | throughout the towns and rural areas of the |
| Peninsula and it is here that the legend of the | | | | county. |
| Cattle Raid of Cooley lives on. Its wild and | | | | Louth offers many leisure pursuits from mountain |
| powerful landscape is a fitting location for this epic | | | | climbing to sea-fishing, horse and greyhound racing |
| tale famed in Irish mythology. Here the scenery is | | | | at Dundalk, and numerous golf clubs throughout |
| stunning as the mountains sweep down to the | | | | the county, including the world-famous Co. Louth |
| lovely villages of Carlingford and Omeath, which | | | | Golf Club, better known as Baltray, at Drogheda. |
| look across Carlingford Bay to the towns of | | | | Louth is also the site of many historical and |
| Kilkeel and Warrenpoint in County Down. This area | | | | heritage sites including Old Melllifont Abbey, near |
| of Ireland is often referred to as the "Killarney of | | | | Collon and the Monasterboice Tower and |
| the North" such is the beauty of the landscape. | | | | Muirdeachs High Cross north of Drogheda. |
| Despite being the smallest county in Ireland by | | | | A trip to the county of Louth will surprise those |
| land area, Louth is densely populated. The two | | | | who were of misconception that it offered |
| main towns, Drogheda and Dundalk comprise a | | | | nothing of interest to the tourist. |
| population of approximately 70,000 people and | | | | |