page_title: Dundalk
hierarchical_section_title: Dundalk
caption_attribution_description: English: Clockwise from the top: Castle Roche, Clark Station, St. Patrick's church, The Marshes shopping centre, Market Square, Dundalk Institute of Technology. Português: Da esquerda para a direita e de cima para baixo: 1)&#160;Castelo Roche; 2)&#160;Instituto de Tecnologia de Dundalk; 3)&#160;Estação Clark; 4)&#160;Market Square; 5)&#160;Igreja de São Patrício; 6)&#160;Centro comercial The Marshes.
context_page_description: Dundalk is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. It is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is near the border with Northern Ireland, equidistant between Dublin and Belfast. In the 2016 census, the population was 39,004.
  Having been inhabited since the Neolithic period, the town was established as a Norman stronghold in the 12th century following the Norman invasion of Ireland, and became the northernmost outpost of The Pale in the Late Middle Ages. The town came to be nicknamed the "Gap of the North" where the northernmost point of the province of Leinster meets the province of Ulster. It has associations with the mythical warrior hero Cú Chulainn and the motto on the town's coat of arms is Mé do rug Cú Chulainn cróga "I gave birth to brave Cú Chulainn". The modern street layout dates from the early 18th century and largely owes its form to Lord Limerick.
context_section_description: Dundalk (/dʌnˈdɔːk/ dun-DAWK; Irish: Dún Dealgan [ˌd̪ˠuːnˠ ˈdʲalˠɡənˠ], meaning "Dalgan's fort") is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. It is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is near the border with Northern Ireland (which is 8 km from the town centre by road), equidistant between Dublin and Belfast (82 km from both). In the 2016 census, the population was 39,004.
  Having been inhabited since the Neolithic period, the town was established as a Norman stronghold in the 12th century following the Norman invasion of Ireland, and became the northernmost outpost of The Pale in the Late Middle Ages. The town came to be nicknamed the "Gap of the North" where the northernmost point of the province of Leinster meets the province of Ulster (although the actual 'gap' is the Moyry Pass at the border). It has associations with the mythical warrior hero Cú Chulainn and the motto on the town's coat of arms is Mé do rug Cú Chulainn cróga  (Irish) "I gave birth to brave Cú Chulainn". The modern street layout dates from the early 18th century and largely owes its form to Lord Limerick (James Hamilton, later 1st Earl of Clanbrassil).
  Dundalk developed brewing, distilling, tobacco, textile, shoe manufacturing, and engineering industries during the nineteenth century and became an important centre of trade both as a hub on the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) network and with its maritime link to Liverpool from the Port of Dundalk. But the town later suffered from high unemployment and urban decay after many of these industries closed or scaled back operations in the aftermath of the Partition of Ireland in 1921 and the accession of Ireland to the European Economic Community in 1973. Following the Celtic Tiger period of the late 20th century, new industries have been established including pharmaceutical, electronic, financial services and specialist foods.
  The town has one Third-level education institute—Dundalk Institute of Technology; and one museum—the County Museum Dundalk. Sporting clubs include Dundalk F.C. (who play at Oriel Park), Dundalk R.F.C., Dundalk Golf Club and a number of Gaelic football clubs. Dundalk Stadium is a horse and greyhound racing venue and is Ireland's only all-weather horse racing track.
caption: Clockwise from top: Castle Roche, Clarke Station, St. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral, The Marshes Shopping Centre, Market Square, Dundalk Institute of Technology
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