Park in the carpark beside the children's play park. Walk
through the village and you will see signposts for various
historical buildings etc...You will also see the signpost for the
Tain Way.
At co-ords N54.02.412 W006.11.248
follow this signpost and it will lead you past
houses and onto the narrow pathway. The co-ordinates should bring
you to within approx 10-15 metres of the cache.
Please take care and wear appropriate footwear for rough terrain
that may be slippy in damp weather. This cache is not suitable for
young children due to the rough pathways, steep gradients and
terrain along the Tain pathway. There is a small trickle of water
along some of the route, although there seems to be adequate
drainage. We will keep an eye on the cache over winter. Follow the
pathway mostly and then there is a little off the path diversion to
the actual cache site.
There are rewarding views over Carlingford Bay, Dundalk and
stretching across to the Mourne mountains.
CARLINGFORD is a medieval coastal village in northern
County Louth, alongside the border with Northern Ireland. It has
more ancient buildings than any similar sized towns in the whole of
Ireland. Carlingford was settled approximately 800 years ago by
Norman knight Hugh de Lacy after laying the foundation stone to a
castle on a strategic outcrop of rock. A settlement then sprang
close to this fortress. Its strategic position on the East coast of
Ireland (along with Carrickfergus and Dundalk) made it a vital
trading port. This trade lead to the prosperity during the 14th,
15th and early 16th Centuries. Carlingford’s inability to develop a
heavy industry allowed for its medieval charm and archaeological
artefacts to remain relatively intact. This has lead to tourism
being the main source of employment now. Also significant is
fishing particularly of oysters and crabs from the nearby harbour.
Aside from being the more scenic, the peninsula's north shore is
also the best place to base yourself for hill-walking and the
easiest for finding food and a bed. Sitting at the foot of Sliabh
Foy Mountain, the former fishing village of Carlingford on the
southern shore of the lough, is a neatly ordered place with a
network of narrow, whitewashed, terraced streets, which has
developed into an upmarket resort, with over inflated accommodation
and restaurant prices to match. The development is not immediately
apparent – it's discernible on the surface perhaps mainly as a
sprinkling of crafts shops – and the place retains real charm as
well as some excellent places to eat and drink. St Patrick is said
to have landed in Carlingford briefly on his way to introduce
Christianity to Ireland (he finally ended his journey further
north, in County Down), and the settlement is ancient enough to
have been raided by the Vikings. The oldest visible remain is the
D-shaped ruin of King John's Castle, down by the main road on the
water's edge. King John is said to have visited in 1210, and the
Anglo-Norman castle, guarding the entrance to the lough, may be
even older than that. It has its counterpart across the water at
Greencastle. The village retains a distinctly medieval feel, and
there are a couple of solid fifteenth-century buildings: the Mint,
in a narrow street off the square, is a fortified town house with
an impressive gate tower; Taafe's Castle, which stood on the shore
when it was built but is now some way from it, is impressively
crenellated and fortified but sadly not open to the public. The
best and safest beaches in the area are at Gyles Quay and Shelling
Hill.
When placed THE CACHE contained a log book and pencil, a
screwdriver set, annalog sweatband, stationary set, spikeys, glue
stick, corrector pen and other small cache goodies