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Situated in the south
east of Ireland, approximately 90 kms from Dublin,
Rosslare and Waterford, Carlow is one of Ireland's
most charming inland counties. Enchanting
river valleys and the glorious ridges of the
Blackstairs Mountains and Killeshin Hills provide an
unspoilt setting for the golfer, rider, walker,
cyclist and angler.
Carlow is the county
capital with bustling, friendly streets,
sophisticated fashion shops and an exciting
nightlife.
The elegant cathedral
with its magnificent tower and lantern is well worth
seeing as is the graceful courthouse.
Situated in the centre
of Carlow, on the banks of the river are the ruins
of Carlow Castle. This great keep was formerly
one of the most impressive Norman castles in
Ireland. Only the western wall and two towers
survive, the remainder having been accidentally
blown up in 1814 by a physician of the name of
Middleton who leased the building for use as a
lunatic asylum and "applied blasts of gunpowder
for enlarging the windows and diminishing the walls,
and brought down two-thirds of the pile into a
rubbishy tumulus in memory of his surpassing
presumption and folly".
Travel along the River
Barrow to a bygone time. The river takes boats
and barges along 68 kms of waterway past pretty
riverside villages and through 23 Victorian locks.
Carlow was once the
traditional hop and malt producing region in Ireland
boasting a number of breweries. This practice
had been discontinued for over 100 years until being
revived in 1998 by Carlow
Brewing Company Tours are available (May
to September) after which visitors can relax in the
bar with a complimentary glass of beer.
County
Carlow Military Museum is a fine museum exhibition
housed in a late 19th century church. The museum
features a wide range of exhibits relating to Carlow
military history including the 10th Infantry
battalion, Irish UN Peacekeeping in Congo, Lebanon
and Somalia, Carlow Militia, Carlow in the Great War
and an exhibition of Captain Myles Keogh of the 7th
Cavalry killed with General Custer at the Battle of
the Little Big Horn.
The
Cottage Collection houses a
fascinating collection of artefacts, including
vintage radios from the early 1920's, wind-up
gramophones, sewing machines, toys and house-hold
implements. The exhibits are housed in a picturesque
cottage where an excellent guided tour is guaranteed
at all times.
Return
to Irish
cottage map
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