County Carlow

Climate

Carlow is in "The Sunny South East" (http://www.southeastirela...), which the regional tourism board refers to the area as. Carlow and Kilkenny are typically the warmest parts of the country. Despite the name, you're best advised to pack a raincoat. Ireland's unpredictable weather is a feature of life, and can change from day to day, or even hour to hour.

July daytime temperatures average 20C 68F. In January it drops to 7C 45F, although it can feel a lot cooler when the wind chill is taken into account.

Tourist information

Carlow Tourism

Forester's Hall, College Street, Carlow, +353 059 9131554 e-mail: [email protected], fax: +353 (059 9130477). Carlow town's tourist office is located at the junction where College Street and Tullow Street meet, just across from the AIB Bank. It's in the same building as the County Library, and will help visitors with accommodation, maps etc. It also sells souvenirs and maps for other parts of the country.

History

The Carlow area has been settled since before the dawn of time, or c. 6,000 B.C. The earliest settlers possessed the tools of their time, usually made of flint, traces of which have since been found and preserved. Carlow's early settlers built monuments around the county which still stand today, like the Browneshill Dolmen which lies 3 km. east of Carlow town.

The name Carlow comes from its Irish derivative, Ceatharlach, meaning either City of the Lake, or Four Lakes. Traditionally, it's understood that the Barrow / Burrin confluence in Carlow town took up a large area of land, forming a lake, or, as some believe, four lakes.

The first notable event to take place in County Carlow occurred in 300 B.C., when Dinn Righ, a hill fort near Leighlinbridge, was destroyed by Labraidh Loinseach, an early Celtic settler. Christianity later came to Carlow, prompting the construction of the monastery in St. Mullins, which is believed to have been built in the 7th Century. Its ruins still exist today.

The county itself is understood to have been created during the reign of King John, which lasted from 1199 to 1216 AD. This period saw the construction of Carlow Castle, which was overseen by William de Marshall. Recent excavations suggest that the construction commenced in 1210 AD and finished ten years later. It originally consisted of a hollow square, with a round tower at each corner.

However, all that remain today are its ruins. In the early 1800s, Dr. Philip Parry Price Middleton spent £2,000 attempting the turn the building into a lunatic asylum. As part of the modifications to the building, an underground passageway was to be created using dynamite. On February 13th, 1814, the explosion took place with disastrous effects, with the blast bringing down the eastern wall, the east towers and the adjoining walls.

One of the earlier events of note to take place in the region occurred in 1394. With Ireland under British rule, King Richard II's cousin, Roger Mortimer, was killed by the forces of Borris native Art McMurrough Kavanagh, King of Leinster. This took place in Kellistown, near Tullow, shortly after Richard II had departed the region with a 10,000-strong force, having signed a treaty with a view of ending attacks on Norman forces. The enraged monarch returned to defeat Kavanagh, but the venture ended in disaster and defeat for the King's forces. The kingdom was returned to the King of Leinster, and Carlow became a Gaelic dominion.

In 1798, a large scale uprising took place against British forces took place, led by a revolutionary group known as the United Irishmen. By the time the rebellion began, there were 11,000 members of the group in the county. On May 25th, 2,000 rebels descended on Carlow town, however the town's defenders had received word of the rebels plans in advance, and set out to give them some leeway so that they would advance quicker than expected and become disorganised. Tragically for the rebels, this worked to perfection.

With the United Irishmen now expecting an easy victory, they were under little order as they reached Tullow Street and Potato Market. Celebratory cheering, known as 'the roar of a thousand voices' provided the cue to those inside the buildings and on the rooftops to open fire. The result was a convincing and a complete victory for the defenders who are understood to have suffered no fatalities. The bodies of 640 United Irishmen were thrown together in a pit, locally known today as the Croppies Grave, which can be visited in Graiguecullen.

In 1820, natural philosopher John Tyndall was born in Leighlinbridge, whose experiments included elucidating the blue of the sky.

In 1844, Carlow's workhouse was built with a capacity of 800 people. It was to be put to use in the years that followed, to accommodate those suffering from the nationwide 'Great Famine'. In September 1845, during a period of high unemployment, the first signs of potato crop failure appeared in County Carlow. Within six months, few potatoes from that year’s crop remained, and the government established relief schemes to provide work. Most of the following year’s crop was diseased, and soup kitchens were set up across the county.

Despite the assistance Carlovians received and the fact that Carlow fared better than most counties, 11,000 died from fever, cholera and starvation. Others fled the country. In 1841, 86,000 people lived in County Carlow - almost twice the population there is today. Ten years later, the number of residents had decreased to 68,000.

Carlow was a grim place entering the 1900s. Unemployment was rife, and the population was generally quite poor. In 1926, much needed investment was provided, when Edward Duggan succeeded in bringing Ireland's first sugar beet factory to Carlow town. The factory operated for nearly 80 years, until its closure in 2005.

Recent times

Carlow town has undergone significant development over the past 10-15 years. New inner relief roads, housing estates, and shopping centres have dramatically changed the face of the town. In 1994, the first major shopping centre in Carlow opened, and this was followed in 2003 with the opening of the Fairgreen Shopping Centre (http://www.fairgreen.ie/). It's a short walk from one to the other, however when the latter establishment opened many people deserted the main shopping thoroughfare in the town, Tullow Street. While it seems that the number of shoppers on the street is growing, it's not quite as busy as it was in the 1990s.

The town is home to two third-level colleges - Carlow I.T., on the Kilkenny Road, and Carlow College known locally as St. Patrick's College. The student population Carlow town is 3,000 strong, contributing to the growth in the number of student apartments, and the aforementioned nightlife.

Until 2005, the town was home to one of two factories in Ireland which produced sugar. Amid much controversy, the 80-year-old plant was closed, leaving only office staff with jobs. Since then, the land has been idle, however in November 2006, Greencore the owners of the facility announced plans to invest €1.1 billion, and turn the 333 acre site into a new commercial, residential, and community hub. Its set to create 2,000 jobs if completed, and will also feature a 35 acre riverside park, with a further 30 acres reserved for leisure and amenity purposes.

This project, known as Carlow Gateway, is in the mere planning stages, and is unlikely to be completed for several years if given the go ahead. However, it is a sign of the continuing development which has radically transformed the town in the past two decades, and is a welcome sign of confidence in an area which has seen more than its fair share of job losses in recent times.

Local media

Newspapers

The Nationalist

(http://www.carlow-nationa...) is Carlow's best selling regional newspaper, providing local news, sport and entertainment listings. New edition on sale for €2.20 at news stands across the county each Tuesday.

The Carlow People (http://www.carlowpeople.ie/) also provides local news and sport, as well as features entertainment listings. Now available free of charge from newsagents each Tuesday.

Radio

Carlow is served by one local radio station, which also serves County Kilkenny. KCLR 96fm (http://www.kclr96fm.com) has news on the hour, with a Carlow opt-out at 6PM each evening providing local news for the county on 96.9fm. Its Carlow studio is located at Exchequer House, on Potato Market near the Liberty Tree in Carlow town.