Ireland Guide
Louth, Monaghan and Cavan
Louth, Monaghan and Cavan all share a border with Northern Ireland and, as throughout the North, still bear many signs of the Plantation in the form of "big houses" and planned towns. Louth is Ireland's smallest county and the most northerly in the Leinster province, and much of its activity is focused on the divergent towns of Drogheda and Dundalk. In its northeast the Cooley Peninsula provides somewhat dramatic relief from the county's otherwise drab coastline.
The topography of Monaghan and Cavan, both in the Ulster province, is markedly different. Monaghan's landscape is characterized by eruptions of small hills, known as drumlins, while contrastingly, much of Cavan is defined by its many waterways and small lakes. Away from the major roads that pierce both counties, the countryside has an unhurried charm, though it's easy to get lost when navigating their tangled grid of lanes without a map or compass. However, the Shannon– Erne Waterway offers a readily navigable route through Cavan's lakes and cruisers can be hired in places such as Belturbet as a starting point for a waterways holiday.
Highlights
1 Drogheda One of Ireland's liveliest towns, rich in antiquities and with atmospheric bars.
2 Monasterboice Ecclesiastical relics here include Ireland's tallest round-tower and also two of the most splendid high-crosses in the whole of the country.
3 The Cooley Peninsula Closely associated with the Irish epic saga, the Táin Bó Cúailnge, Cooley's mountains offer tremendous views of Carlingford Lough.
4 Inniskeen The birthplace of one of the country's greatest poets, Patrick Kavanagh, celebrates its scion through an excellent and informative resource centre.
5 The Lakes of Cavan Known collectively as Lough Oughter and linked by an extraordinary complex of atmospheric waterways, popular with both anglers and the boating crowd.