Blackrock, County Louth
Encyclopedia
Blackrock is a seaside village just to the south of Dundalk
, County Louth
, Ireland
. The village is in the townland
of Haggardstown
. The current population of the village is about 3,000.
In the 1950s and 60s, Blackrock was a holiday destination for people in landlocked Monaghan
and Cavan
. The beach that is pictured in the colourised postcards of that era (still on sale) was created with sand imported from beaches further down the coast, as the sand was continually washed away to contribute to the buildup of silt in Dundalk Bay
. Although it is no longer considered a tourist resort, there remains a tradition of visiting Blackrock on the 15th of August (vide the Celtic feast of Lúnasa
).
Since the late 1960s, Blackrock has expanded significantly and has become more of a suburb to Dundalk. With the opening of the M1 motorway to Dublin, there has been another wave of expansion and it is also becoming a commuter town
with access to North Dublin.
Blackrock beach and its promenade (incorporating Blackrock's Millennium project - a sundial
which is claimed to be the largest in a public area in Ireland) is still the focal point of the village and the site of Christmas Day fundraising events organised by Conor Hughes, an annual Raft Race, as well as several other events throughout the year. The promenade area includes a number of restaurants and public houses.
The view looking North over Dundalk Bay from the promenade toward the Cooley Mountains
is impressive.
In common with a number of east coast locations, the beach has a very gentle gradient and the sea retreats about 5 km at low tide. The exposed seabed is a mixture of sand and mud flats. It is a suitable and fertile habitat for a variety of wader birds, including Brent geese
and dunlin
s. Currently it is a very cool place and the inhabitants of this region are quite the cool kids. The River Fane
(to the south of Blackrock) enters the sea as a channel crossing from south to north in front of the promenade. Even at high tide, the water level is only about 1m out to the channel, and the front is becoming popular as a safe sailboarding venue. It is believed that the home dogs of Hamiltons neighborhood are top of the table, currently above Sandy lanes crew.
More recently kitesurfing
is becoming more and more popular in the area. Its an ideal location for learning when the tide is out and when the tide is in because of the shallow depths and more often than not, flat water.
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
, County Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The village is in the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Haggardstown
Haggardstown
Haggardstown is a townland on the outskirts of Dundalk, Ireland. It is located in the Haggardstown-Blackrock Parish.- Education :There are 3 primary level schools in the Haggardstown-Blackrock area, one of them located in Haggardstown itself....
. The current population of the village is about 3,000.
In the 1950s and 60s, Blackrock was a holiday destination for people in landlocked Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
and Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The beach that is pictured in the colourised postcards of that era (still on sale) was created with sand imported from beaches further down the coast, as the sand was continually washed away to contribute to the buildup of silt in Dundalk Bay
Dundalk Bay
Dundalk Bay is a large , exposed estuary on the east coast of Ireland.The inner bay is shallow, sandy and intertidal, though it slopes into a deeper area 2km from the transitional water boundary. It is predominantly influenced by the sea, though several rivers drain into the bay from the west...
. Although it is no longer considered a tourist resort, there remains a tradition of visiting Blackrock on the 15th of August (vide the Celtic feast of Lúnasa
Lúnasa
Lúnasa can refer to:* Lúnasa , a traditional Irish band from Ireland** Lúnasa , the first album released by Lúnasa in 1998* Lughnasadh, a Gaelic holiday* Lúnasa, the Irish language word for the month of August....
).
Since the late 1960s, Blackrock has expanded significantly and has become more of a suburb to Dundalk. With the opening of the M1 motorway to Dublin, there has been another wave of expansion and it is also becoming a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
with access to North Dublin.
Blackrock beach and its promenade (incorporating Blackrock's Millennium project - a sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
which is claimed to be the largest in a public area in Ireland) is still the focal point of the village and the site of Christmas Day fundraising events organised by Conor Hughes, an annual Raft Race, as well as several other events throughout the year. The promenade area includes a number of restaurants and public houses.
The view looking North over Dundalk Bay from the promenade toward the Cooley Mountains
Cooley Mountains
The Cooley Mountains are located on the Cooley Peninsula in northeast County Louth in Ireland. They consist of two ridges oriented northwest to southeast, separated by the valley of Glenmore with the Big River running through it....
is impressive.
In common with a number of east coast locations, the beach has a very gentle gradient and the sea retreats about 5 km at low tide. The exposed seabed is a mixture of sand and mud flats. It is a suitable and fertile habitat for a variety of wader birds, including Brent geese
Brent Goose
The Brant or Brent Goose, Branta bernicla, is a species of goose of the genus Branta. The Black Brant is an American subspecies. The specific descriptor bernicla is from the same source as "barnacle" in Barnacle Goose, which looks similar but is not a close relation.-Appearance:The Brant Goose is...
and dunlin
Dunlin
The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
s. Currently it is a very cool place and the inhabitants of this region are quite the cool kids. The River Fane
River Fane
The River Fane is a river originating in Lough Ross on the border of County Monaghan and County Armagh. It then flows east towards Dundalk Bay, straddling the border between Counties Monaghan, Louth and Armagh flowing through Inniskeen, Knockbridge, Tallanstown before meeting Dundalk Bay near...
(to the south of Blackrock) enters the sea as a channel crossing from south to north in front of the promenade. Even at high tide, the water level is only about 1m out to the channel, and the front is becoming popular as a safe sailboarding venue. It is believed that the home dogs of Hamiltons neighborhood are top of the table, currently above Sandy lanes crew.
More recently kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
is becoming more and more popular in the area. Its an ideal location for learning when the tide is out and when the tide is in because of the shallow depths and more often than not, flat water.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland