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Clogherhead () is a
fishing village A fishing village is a village, usually located near a fishing ground, with an economy based on catching fish and harvesting seafood. The continents and islands around the world have coastlines totalling around 356,000 kilometres (221,000  ...
in
County Louth County Louth ( ; ga, An Lú) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, M ...
, Ireland. Located in a natural bay on the east coast it is bordered by the villages of Annagassan to the north and Termonfeckin to the south. It has a population of 2,145 according to the 2016 census. It is located in the
townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...
s of Clogher and Callystown, about northeast of
Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
. As a seaside village, its main industries are fishing and farming, and there has been an
RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
lifeboat stationed in the village for over 100 years.


Name

Historically, the village was known simply as Clogher (''Clochair'') or Killclogher (''Cill Chlochair'') while the headland was called Clogher Head. Today the headland remains Clogher Head, the village is called Clogherhead and the
townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...
they are in is called Clogher. The headland has a walking trail from the village along steep sea cliffs to the nearby harbour of Port Oriel (''Port Oirialla''). At low tide, it is also possible to walk the beach as far as the Boyne Estuary. From the headland and at the harbour there are 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 Rockabill Lighthouse is an active 19th century lighthouse, on the larger of the two islands that form Rockabill. The islands lie some off the east coast of Ireland, north-east of Skerries, in County Dublin. It is operated and maintained by th ...
. The headland is also the site 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.


Public transport

Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidi ...
route 189 serves Clogherhead, linking it to
Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...
. Most buses operate via
Termonfeckin Termonfeckin or Termonfechin () is a small village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is within the parish of the same name, and lies north-east of Drogheda. The population of the village tripled in the 20 years between the 1996 and 201 ...
and
Baltray Baltray (historically ''Ballytra'', from ) is a village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It sits on the northern shore of the River Boyne estuary. Amenities The village has developed since the latter half of the twentieth century as a do ...
though a few go via Grangebellew and Ballymakenny. Drogheda railway station is approximately 13 km distant.


Economy

Clogherhead is a tourist destination, and the village has a sandy
Blue Flag beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a not-for-profit non-go ...
which extends from near the lifeboat station and on to the Boyne estuary. Clogherhead hosts the Seafood Rocks festival, a successor to the former Clogherhead Prawn Festival. Port Oriel is a fishing port with a large fleet, and also the harbour provides a platform for onshore sea fishing for anglers.
Oriel Sea Salt Oriel Sea Salt () is a variety of Irish sea salt. History Oriel Sea Salt was established at Port Oriel, Clogherhead in 2010 by Brian Fitzpatrick and John Delany. It extracts and harvests salt and minerals from Irish Sea seawater. It describes its ...
and
Oriel Sea Minerals Oriel Sea Minerals () is a variety of Irish sea minerals. Oriel Sea Minerals are concentrated sea mineral salts in liquid form and are harvested from the Irish Sea by Oriel Marine Extracts. They are harvested from the bay of Port Oriel near Drogh ...
are produced at Clogherhead and have
protected designation of origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...
.


Amenities

The village has two main beaches. Port Beach in the centre of the village is a Blue Flag beach with the Neptune watersports centre which is run by the local council. The centre is the location for Celtic Adventures which provides schools and groups with a range of sports and training services including watersports, archery and climbing. In addition, it is the location for the local RNLI lifeboat station which houses a Mersey class lifeboat, the Doris Bleasdale. The other beach is on the north side of the village and is known as the 'Big Strand'. Both have bathing facilities with a lifeguard on duty at the village beach during summer months. There are three public houses in the village, as well as a number of restaurants.


Education

Callystown National School (a Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Archbishop of Armagh) has been in "official" existence since 1832. It is located on the north side of the village with access through the estate of John Kirk Park. As of the 21st century, it has approximately 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.


Sport

As well as fishing and
watersports Water sports or aquatic sports are sport activities conducted on waterbodies, and can be categorized according to the degree of immersion by the participants. On the water * Boat racing, the use of powerboats to participate in races * Boatin ...
, the local
Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
club, Dreadnots Gaelic Football Club, have had three senior players in the Louth County team: Pádraig Rath, Anthony Williams, and James Califf. The club reached the Louth senior championship finals in 2012 and 2014 losing to St Patrick's on both occasions. Links golf courses nearby include Seapoint Golf Club located at
Termonfeckin Termonfeckin or Termonfechin () is a small village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is within the parish of the same name, and lies north-east of Drogheda. The population of the village tripled in the 20 years between the 1996 and 201 ...
, and County Louth Golf Club (which hosted the Irish Open in 2004 and again in May 2009) located at
Baltray Baltray (historically ''Ballytra'', from ) is a village and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It sits on the northern shore of the River Boyne estuary. Amenities The village has developed since the latter half of the twentieth century as a do ...
. There is also a
pitch and putt Pitch and putt is an amateur sport very similar to, and derived from, golf, where the hole length is typically up to and just 2–3 clubs are typically used. The game was organised and developed in Ireland during the early 20th century, befor ...
course. Walshestown clay-pigeon shooting club is near Clogherhead at Murray's Cross.


In popular culture

Clogherhead has been used as a filming location for a number of films, including: * ''
Perrier's Bounty ''Perrier's Bounty'' is a 2009 Irish black comedy crime film set in modern-day Dublin. Described as an "urban western" by its director Ian Fitzgibbon, it stars Brendan Gleeson as the villainous title character, as well as Cillian Murphy and Ji ...
'' (Parallel Film Productions, 2008), with
Cillian Murphy Cillian Murphy (; born 25 May 1976) is an Irish actor. Originally the lead singer, guitarist, and lyricist of the rock band The Sons of Mr. Green Genes, he turned down a record deal in the late 1990s and began acting on stage and in short an ...
,
Jim Broadbent James Broadbent (born 24 May 1949) is an English actor. He won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role as John Bayley in the feature film '' Iris'' (2001), as well as winning a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe for ...
and Brendan Gleeson * ''
The Devil's Own ''The Devil's Own'' is a 1997 American action thriller film starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt, with Rubén Blades, Natascha McElhone, Julia Stiles, Margaret Colin, and Treat Williams in supporting roles. It was the final film directed by Ala ...
'' (
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
, 1997) with
Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
and
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...
* '' Captain Lightfoot'' (
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
, 1955) with
Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Gold ...
and
Barbara Rush Barbara Rush (born January 4, 1927) is an American actress. In 1954, Rush won the Golden Globe Award as most promising female newcomer for her role in the 1953 American science-fiction film ''It Came from Outer Space''.Warren 1982, pp. 151–63 ...
Songs featuring this town include ''"Is Clogherhead Like it Used to Be"''.http://www.callystownnationalschool.ie and source podcast 9


Notable people

* Albert Cashier (otherwise Jennie Irene Hodgers), was born in Clogherhead and was a soldier in the Union Army during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
* Saint Oliver Plunkett reputedly took refuge in a church that once stood in the townland of Killartry in the parish of Clogherhead *
Patrick Anthony Langan-Byrne Second Lieutenant Patrick Anthony Langan Byrne (1895 – 16 October 1916) was an Irish flying ace of the First World War credited with ten aerial victories. Early life and education Byrne was born in Clogherhead, Co. Louth, the son of Dr. and ...
, WWI flying ace *
Richard Fahey Richard Fahey is a racehorse trainer, based in Malton, North Yorkshire. He has saddled over 60 Group race and Listed winners in the UK, Ireland, France and Canada. Group 1 winners include Perfect Power in the 2022 Commonwealth Cup and 2021 P ...
, UK-based racehorse trainer File:Sign, plaque Port Oriel.JPG, Port sign & plaque File:Port Oriel.jpg, Pier, Port Oriel File:Vessel in Port Oriel.jpg, Vessel used in the construction of the offshore
Oriel Wind Farm Oriel Wind Farm is a proposed offshore wind farm in the northwestern Irish Sea. The project is associated with Oriel Windfarm Limited, a privately owned Irish renewable energy company. According to a 2007 press release, the proposed farm is due ...
File:Coast Guard.JPG, Coast Guard File:Queen of the sea memorial.jpg, Queen of the sea memorial to those lost at sea
File:Lifeboat bow.JPG, Lifeboat - bow File:Clogher Head Lifeboat.jpg, Lifeboat - stern File:Clogher Head position.jpg, Clogher Head shown on lifeboat positioning system File:Clogherhead Lifeboat Station.jpg, Lifeboat Station File:Celebrating 100 years - Clogherhead Lifeboat.jpg, Celebrating 100 years of the Lifeboat Station


See also

* List of towns and villages in Ireland *
List of RNLI stations Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stations are the bases for the RNLI's fleet of search and rescue lifeboats that cover the coastal waters around the entire British Isles, as well as major inland waterways. The service was establi ...
*
Wind power in the European Union As of December 2017, the European Union had a total installed wind Nameplate capacity, capacity of 169.3gigawatts (GW). In 2017, a total of 15,680 MW of wind power was installed, representing 55% of all new power capacity, and the wind p ...


References


External links


Catholic Parish of Clogherhead & Walshestown

Callystown National School
(archived 2006)

(archived 2006)

(archived 2011) {{Authority control Towns and villages in County Louth Headlands of County Louth Port cities and towns of the Irish Sea Ports and harbours of the Republic of Ireland Beaches of County Louth