Ireland Guide
Louth, Monaghan and Cavan
The Cooley Peninsula
Address: East of Dundalk
The Cooley Peninsula is Louth's most hyped tourist destination – though all told it doesn't quite match up to the glories often claimed in its name. It's true that the mountains and surrounding rich verdure offer great walking territory and many a stunning seascape, but the countryside lacks the raw, rugged and often downright exhilarating feel of the Mournes over the other side of Carlingford Lough. That said there's still plenty here to delight, even if Carlingford village itself has somewhat meretriciously cashed in on its waterside location.
The varied terrain of the peninsula offers a range of opportunities for walking, whether in the hills, offering often sumptuous views across the lough to the Mournes, by the shore or along lush valleys. The longest waymarked walk is the 26-kilometre Táin Trail, which takes a circular route around Slieve Foye (587m), up to the west above Carlingford village and includes much of the higher ground. Undertaking this requires proper walking equipment and clothing, and supplies of food and drink, as well as Ordnance Survey of Ireland Discovery map #36. However, there are plenty of less arduous walks, some of which, such as the eight-kilometre round-trip to Maeve's Gap, are easily accessible from Carlingford village. For others you'll need to head northwest to Omeath or east to Greenore. McKevitt's Village Hotel publishes the very handy Rambles, which details ten walks on the peninsula, including maps, directions and comments on difficulty – the Carlingford tourist office has copies on sale.