Carlow

Infobox Irish Place
name = Carlow
gaeilge = Ceatharlach
crest

motto =
map

pin coords = left: 52px; top: 44px
north coord = 52.8306
west coord = 6.9317
irish grid = S724771
province = Leinster
county = County Carlow
area =
elevation = 57 m
census yr = 2006
town pop = 13,623 [http://www.cso.ie/census/census2006_volume_1.htm Census 2006 Volume 1 - Population Classified by Area] ]
rural pop = 4,581
web = www.carlow.ie

Carlow (Irish place name|Ceatharlach|Four Lakes) is an inland town in the south-east of Ireland in County Carlow, 84 km from Dublin. The town numbers about 20,000 people, 3,000 of whom are students. The River Barrow flows through the town, and forms the historic boundary between counties Laois and Carlow: the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 included the town entirely in County Carlow. Carlow town is County Carlow's largest town and its administrative centre.

Name

"Ceatharlach", the Irish for Carlow, contrary to popular belief, has nothing to do with four lakes, as there were never 4 lakes in Carlow. Rather Ceatharlach is a combination of the Irish words ceathra (cattle) and mulclach (place of pigs)"Fact|date=October 2008

History

The Carlow area has been settled for thousands of years. St Mullins monastery is believed to have been established around the 7th century. Carlow Castle was constructed by William Marshal, Earl of Striguil and Lord of Leinster, c1207-13, to guard the vital river crossing. Saint Patrick's College dates from 1793 and the Carlow Courthouse was constructed in the 19th century. There are still many old estates and houses in the surrounding areas, among them Duckett's Grove and Dunlecky Manor. St Mullins today houses a Heritage Centre.

The town is recalled in the famous Irish folk song, Follow me up to Carlow, written in the 19th century about the Battle of Glenmalure, part of the Desmond Rebellions of the late 16th century. In 1650, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Carlow was besieged and taken by English Parliamentarian forces, hastening the end of the Siege of Waterford and the capitulation of that city. During the 1798 rebellion Carlow was the scene of a massacre of 600 rebels and civilians following an unsuccessful attack on the town by the United Irishmen, known as the Battle of Carlow. The Liberty Tree sculpture in Carlow, designed by John Behan, commemorates the events of 1798. The rebels slain in Carlow town are buried in the 'Croppies Grave', in Graiguecullen, County Carlow. [cite web | title=The Liberty Tree | work=Carlow Town.com | url=http://www.carlowtown.com/info_tosee.asp| accessdate=2007-12-09]

Places of interest

*One of Carlow's most notable landmarks is the Brownshill Dolmen, situated on the Hacketstown Road (R726).
*Carlow Courthouse is situated at the end of Dublin Street. It was designed by William Vitruvius Morrison in 1830 and completed in 1834. It is built of Carlow granite and gives the impression of being a temple set on a high plinth. The basement contains cells and dungeons. A cannon from the Crimean War stands on the steps. [cite web | title=Carlow Courthouse | work=Carlow Town.com | url=http://www.carlowtown.com/info_tosee.asp| accessdate=2007-12-09]
*Carlow Castle was probably built between 1207 and 1213 by William Marshall on the site of a motte erected by Hugh de Lacy in the 1180s. Only the western wall and two towers now survive. It is located on the banks of the River Barrow near Carlow town centre. [cite web | title=Carlow Castle | work=Carlow Town.com | url=http://www.carlowtown.com/info_tosee.asp| accessdate=2007-12-09] The castle is now the imposing centrepiece of a major urban renewal programme. [cite web | title=Carlow Castle, Carlow town | work=Carlow Tourism - Castles | url=http://www.carlowtourism.com/castles.html | accessdate=2007-12-09]
*Carlow Town Hall is situated on the north side of the Haymarket, and was the trading centre for Carlow. A number of other markets were located around the town, including the Potato Market and Butter Market. The Town Hall was designed by the church architect William Hague in 1884. [cite web | title=Carlow Town Hall | work=Carlow Town.com | url=http://www.carlowtown.com/info_tosee.asp| accessdate=2007-12-09]

Transport

*The N9 road from Dublin to Waterford passed directly through the town until May 2008 when a bypass, part of the M9 motorway, was opened, greatly reducing unnecessary traffic. The N80 National secondary road skirts the edge of the town. The town is also connected to the national rail network. These transport links have helped Carlow to become a successful satellite town of Dublin in recent years. The establishment of the Institute of Technology, Carlow, has also helped drive growth in the area and encouraged many school leavers to remain in the town.
*Carlow railway station opened on 4 August 1846 and was closed for goods traffic on 9 June 1976. [cite web | title=Carlow station | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | accessdate=2007-08-30]

Economy

Carlow industry has come a long way since the early 20th century, when the town became the centre of Ireland's slow process of industrialization with the creation of the Irish Sugar Company - then the cutting edge of industry in Ireland, the sugar factory opened in 1926 as a private enterprise and was eventually nationalised before reverting to private ownership. The sugar factory was closed on March 11, 2005 as the management of the parent company Greencore decided that it was no longer economical to run the factory nor was it viable to upgrade the facility. The country's last remaining plant at Mallow, County Cork closed in 2006.

Today the principal employers in Carlow are OralB Braun, which has a large factory producing mostly hair dryers and electric toothbrushes, and Burnside which produces hydraulic cylinders. The Institute of Technology is also a significant employer in the town. Since opening its doors in October 2003 Fairgreen Shopping Centre has also played a large part in employment in the area, with Tesco, Heatons, Next, New Look and River Island being the main tenants of the shopping centre. Nonetheless, the town shares problems associated with other provincial towns in Ireland - the inability to attract significant new industry. The German appliance manufacturer, Braun Ireland Ltd and engineering specialist, Lapple Ireland Ltd, both have substantial plants in Carlow and are major employers in the area. [cite web | title=County Carlow | work=Irelandwide.com - Ireland by Region | url=http://www.irelandwide.com/regional/leinster/county_carlow/co_carlow_main.htm | accessdate=2007-12-11]

Education

*Institute of Technology, Carlow
*St. Mary's Knockbeg College
*St. Patrick's, Carlow College opened in 1793 and was the first post-penal Catholic seminary constructed in Ireland. It is built in the form of a large country house and claims to be the seminary in longest continuous use worldwide. [cite web | title=St Patrick's College | work=Carlow Town.com | url=http://www.carlowtown.com/info_tosee.asp| accessdate=2007-12-09]
*St. Leo's College, Carlow

Religion

*Carlow Cathedral was started in 1828 and completed in 1833, in Gothic style. The main architect was Thomas Cobden, but the cathedral was the brain-child of the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, James Doyle (J.K.L.), a prominent champion of Catholic Emancipation, who died the year after the cathedral was opened and is interred in its walls. A sculpture, by John Hogan, in memorial to the bishop was finished in 1839. [cite web | title=Carlow Cathedral | work=Carlow Town.com | url=http://www.carlowtown.com/info_tosee.asp| accessdate=2007-12-09]
*St. Mary’s Church of Ireland dates from 1727, though the tower and spire, built to a height of 59 m (195 ft) were added in 1834. The interior retains its traditional galleries and there are several monuments, including some by neo-classical architect, Sir Richard Morrison. [cite web | title=St Mary's Church | work=Carlow Town.com | url=http://www.carlowtown.com/info_tosee.asp| accessdate=2007-12-09]

Media

*The Carlow Nationalist, is a major newspaper established in 1883. [ [http://www.carlow-nationalist.ie/ The website of "The Nationalist"] ]

port

* Carlow GAA Club
*Dr. Cullen Park is a Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Carlow, home of the Carlow Gaelic football and hurling teams and with a capacity of 21,000.
* Carlow Boxing Club
* County Carlow Football Club
* Carlow Golf Club
* Carlow Rowing Club
* Carlow Tennis Club

ister Cities

Carlow has a sister city with Tempe, Arizona, in the USA. [ [http://www.tempesistercity.org/Our_Cities/Carlow/carlow.html Official Tempe Sister Cities Website.] Accessed 2008-10-02] Every year, four Irish students are paired with four American students, and they each spend five weeks in one another's country. This student exchange is with the Tempe Sister Cities organization.
* Tempe, Arizona

ee also

*List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
* [http://wikitravel.org/en/County_Carlow Wikitravel on County Carlow]
*Carlow Borough (former UK parliament constituency)

References

External links

* [http://www.carlow.ie Carlow Local Authorities]
* [http://www.carlowtourism.com/ Carlow Tourism]
* [http://www.carlow-ceb.com/ Carlow County Enterprise Board]
* [http://www.carlowrugby.ie County Carlow Football Club]
* [http://www.carlow-nationalist.ie/ Carlow Nationalist]