CARLINGFORD

carlingford, a small market town and port of co. louth, ireland, in the north parliamentary division. pop. (1901) 606. it is beautifully situated on the western shore of carlingford lough, at the foot of carlingford mountain (1935 ft.), facing the fine heights of the mourne mountains across the lough in co. down. it has a station on the railway connecting greenore and newry, owned by the london & north-western railway of england. it was formerly a place of great importance, as attested by numerous remains. king john's castle (1210) commands the lough from an isolated rock. there are other remains of the castellated houses erected during the elizabethan and previous wars. a dominican monastery was founded in 1305, and combines ecclesiastical and military remains. the town received several charters between the reigns of edward ii. and james ii., was represented in the irish parliament until the union, and possessed a mint from 1467. the lough is a typical rock-basin hollowed out by glacial action, about 4 fathoms deep at its entrance, but increasing to four times that depth within. the oyster-beds are valuable.