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Carlingford Lough (Loch Cairlinn in Irish
Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people....
) (Cairlinn being shortened form of "Cathair Linn" literally translated as "City of the Pool") is a sea loch
Loch

A loch is a body of water which is either:* a lake or;* a sea inlet, which may be also a firth, fjord, estuary or bay.Sea-inlet lochs are often called sea lochs....
 that forms part of the international border between Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 to the north and the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
 to the south. At its extreme interior angle (the northwest corner) it is fed by the Newry River
Newry River

File:Newry River.JPGNewry River and River Clanrye are names for one of the rivers of Ireland; it passes through the city of Newry and empties into Carlingford Lough near Warrenpoint....
 and the Newry Canal
Newry Canal

The Newry Canal, located in Northern Ireland, was built to link the Tyrone coalfields to the Irish Sea at Carlingford Lough near Newry. It was the first summit-level canal to be built in the British Isles since Roman times....
, which link it to the nearby city of Newry
Newry

Newry is the fourth-largest City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland and eighth on the island of Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, forms the historic border between County Armagh and County Down: Newry was included entirely in the latter by the Local Government Act 1898....
 (the Canal continues on towards the River Bann
River Bann

The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of the province to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh....
 and Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh

Lough Neagh is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. With an area of 392 square kilometres , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty List of largest lakes of Europe....
; the river, under the name River Clanrye, loops around County Down). On the northern side, in County Down
County Down

County Down is one of the nine Counties of Ireland that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form Northern Ireland. The county forms an area of ....
, are the coastal towns of Warrenpoint
Warrenpoint

Warrenpoint is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northern shore of Carlingford Lough. The town is alternatively, but not usually, known in Irish by the name of the townland within which it is located: Rinn Mhic Giolla Rua meaning "the promontory/point of the red-haired servant"....
 and Rostrevor
Rostrevor

Rostrevor is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on Carlingford Lough and the hill of Slieve Martin, at the base of the Mourne Mountains and on the Kilbroney River....
, backed by the Mourne Mountains, and on the southern side are Omeath
Omeath

Omeath is a village in County Louth, Republic of Ireland, close to the border with Northern Ireland. Omeath is steeped in Irish history, with spectacular scenery on the east coast of Ireland....
, Carlingford
Carlingford, County Louth

Carlingford is a picturesque, coastal village in northern County Louth, Republic of Ireland. It is situated between Carlingford Lough and Slieve Foy, sometimes known as Carlingford Mountain at GPS co-ordinates: 54.02.463N 6.11.120W....
 and Greenore
Greenore

Greenore is a small town and deep water port on Carlingford Lough in County Louth, Republic of Ireland. The population of Greenore and the surrounding rural area was 898 in the 2002 Irish census....
, all on the Cooley peninsula
Cooley peninsula

The Cooley Peninsula is a hilly peninsula in County Louth, Republic of Ireland, which includes towns such as Omeath, Carlingford, County Louth and Greenore, and the mountain Slieve Foy....
 in County Louth
County Louth

County Louth is a county on the east coast of Ireland, on the border with Northern Ireland. The county town is Dundalk.County Louth is affectionately called "the Wee County" being the smallest county in Ireland having a total area of only 821sq kilometres ....
.

In older sources, Carlingford Lough is called Snám Aignech ("swift channel", "swift shallows").

November 1916 two steamers, the SS Connemara
SS Connemara

The SS Connemara was a twin screw steam ship, 272 feet long, 35 broad and 14 deep with a gross tonnage of 1106. She was sunk on the night of 3 November 1916 at the entrance to Carlingford Lough, County Louth, Ireland after being hit amidships by the coalship Retriever....
 and the SS Retriever, collided and sank in the loch with the loss of ninety-four lives.

ingford Lough is a popular venue for sea angling
Angling

Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" .The hook is usually attached by a fishing line to a fishing rod. A Float such as a Float is sometimes used....
 and yacht
Yacht

A yacht is a recreational boat. It designates two rather different classes of watercraft, sailing and power yachts. Yachts are differentiated from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose....
ing.






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Carlingford Lough (Loch Cairlinn in Irish
Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people....
) (Cairlinn being shortened form of "Cathair Linn" literally translated as "City of the Pool") is a sea loch
Loch

A loch is a body of water which is either:* a lake or;* a sea inlet, which may be also a firth, fjord, estuary or bay.Sea-inlet lochs are often called sea lochs....
 that forms part of the international border between Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
 to the north and the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
 to the south. At its extreme interior angle (the northwest corner) it is fed by the Newry River
Newry River

File:Newry River.JPGNewry River and River Clanrye are names for one of the rivers of Ireland; it passes through the city of Newry and empties into Carlingford Lough near Warrenpoint....
 and the Newry Canal
Newry Canal

The Newry Canal, located in Northern Ireland, was built to link the Tyrone coalfields to the Irish Sea at Carlingford Lough near Newry. It was the first summit-level canal to be built in the British Isles since Roman times....
, which link it to the nearby city of Newry
Newry

Newry is the fourth-largest City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland and eighth on the island of Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, forms the historic border between County Armagh and County Down: Newry was included entirely in the latter by the Local Government Act 1898....
 (the Canal continues on towards the River Bann
River Bann

The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of the province to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh....
 and Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh

Lough Neagh is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. With an area of 392 square kilometres , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty List of largest lakes of Europe....
; the river, under the name River Clanrye, loops around County Down). On the northern side, in County Down
County Down

County Down is one of the nine Counties of Ireland that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form Northern Ireland. The county forms an area of ....
, are the coastal towns of Warrenpoint
Warrenpoint

Warrenpoint is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northern shore of Carlingford Lough. The town is alternatively, but not usually, known in Irish by the name of the townland within which it is located: Rinn Mhic Giolla Rua meaning "the promontory/point of the red-haired servant"....
 and Rostrevor
Rostrevor

Rostrevor is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on Carlingford Lough and the hill of Slieve Martin, at the base of the Mourne Mountains and on the Kilbroney River....
, backed by the Mourne Mountains, and on the southern side are Omeath
Omeath

Omeath is a village in County Louth, Republic of Ireland, close to the border with Northern Ireland. Omeath is steeped in Irish history, with spectacular scenery on the east coast of Ireland....
, Carlingford
Carlingford, County Louth

Carlingford is a picturesque, coastal village in northern County Louth, Republic of Ireland. It is situated between Carlingford Lough and Slieve Foy, sometimes known as Carlingford Mountain at GPS co-ordinates: 54.02.463N 6.11.120W....
 and Greenore
Greenore

Greenore is a small town and deep water port on Carlingford Lough in County Louth, Republic of Ireland. The population of Greenore and the surrounding rural area was 898 in the 2002 Irish census....
, all on the Cooley peninsula
Cooley peninsula

The Cooley Peninsula is a hilly peninsula in County Louth, Republic of Ireland, which includes towns such as Omeath, Carlingford, County Louth and Greenore, and the mountain Slieve Foy....
 in County Louth
County Louth

County Louth is a county on the east coast of Ireland, on the border with Northern Ireland. The county town is Dundalk.County Louth is affectionately called "the Wee County" being the smallest county in Ireland having a total area of only 821sq kilometres ....
.

In older sources, Carlingford Lough is called Snám Aignech ("swift channel", "swift shallows").

History

On 3 November 1916 two steamers, the SS Connemara
SS Connemara

The SS Connemara was a twin screw steam ship, 272 feet long, 35 broad and 14 deep with a gross tonnage of 1106. She was sunk on the night of 3 November 1916 at the entrance to Carlingford Lough, County Louth, Ireland after being hit amidships by the coalship Retriever....
 and the SS Retriever, collided and sank in the loch with the loss of ninety-four lives.

Tourism

Carlingford Lough is a popular venue for sea angling
Angling

Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" .The hook is usually attached by a fishing line to a fishing rod. A Float such as a Float is sometimes used....
 and yacht
Yacht

A yacht is a recreational boat. It designates two rather different classes of watercraft, sailing and power yachts. Yachts are differentiated from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose....
ing. Lough cruises are now a regular feature on the Lough during the summer months.

Flora and fauna

The northern shores contain mudflats and salt marsh, so provide winter feeding areas for the Pale-bellied Brent Goose, Branta bernicla hrota. At the mouth of the lough are several small rock and shingle islands which are breeding areas for tern
Tern

Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks....
s, which feed in its shallow waters. The lough has suffered damage in recent years to its natural ecology and biodiversity due to the impacts of a mussel dredging industry.

Ramsar site

The Carlingford Lough Ramsar site (wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention

File:RAMSAR-logo.gifThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental Ecology functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational val...
), is 830.51 hectares in area, at Latitude 54 03 00 N and Longitude 06 07 00 W. It was designated a Ramsar site on 9 March 1998. It is a cross-border site. The northern shore is in Northern Ireland and includes the most significant mudflats in the lough, and an area of salt marsh. The southern shore is in the republic of Ireland. At the mouth of the lough are several small rock and shingle islands which are of importance to tern
Tern

Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks....
s. The Ramsar Site lies between Killowen Point and Soldiers Point on the northern shores of Carlingford Lough and the landward boundary coincides entirely with that of the Carlingford Lough Area of Special Scientific Interest
Area of Special Scientific Interest

An Area of Special Scientific Interest or ASSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in Northern Ireland. ASSIs are the equivalent of Site of Special Scientific Interest in the rest of the United Kingdom....
 and the Carlingford Lough Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area

A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitat of Bird migration and certain particularly threatened birds. ...
.

The site qualified under Criterion 2 of the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention

File:RAMSAR-logo.gifThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental Ecology functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational val...
 because it supports important groups of vulnerable and endangered Irish Red Data Book bird species. It supports nationally important breeding populations of Common Tern
Common Tern

The Common Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution breeding in temperate and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia and east and central North America....
. Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern

The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....
s returned to the site after an absence of six years with two breeding pairs recorded in 1997. It has also supported nationally important numbers of Arctic Tern
Arctic Tern

The Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a :wiktionary:circumpolar distribution, breeding colonially in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America ....
. It also qualified under Criterion 3c for supporting internationally important breeding populations of Sandwich Tern
Sandwich Tern

name = Sandwich Tern| status = LC| status_ref = | status_system = iucn3.1| image = Sandwich Tern perched.jpg| image_width = 250px| image_caption = Nominate subspecies T....
 and of overwintering Light-bellied Brent Geese
Brent Goose

The Brent Goose , a goose of the genus Branta, is known in North America as Brant. The spelling "Brant" is the original one, with "Brent" being a later Folk etymology idea that it was derived from a classical Greek waterbird name brenthos....
.

External links

  • - Aerial footage from the BBC Sky High series explaining the physical, social and economic geography of Northern Ireland