Clogherhead

Name

Historically, the village was known simply as Clogher (Clochair) or Killclogher (Cill Chlochair) while the headland was called Clogher Head. Today the headland remains Clogher Head, the village is called Clogherhead and the townland they are in is called Clogher.

The headland has a walking trail from the village along steep sea cliffs to the nearby harbour of Port Oriel (Port Oirialla). At low tide, it is also possible to walk the beach as far as the Boyne Estuary. From the headland and at the harbour there are views of Ireland's east coast from the Mourne and Cooley Mountains in the north as far south as Lambay Island and the Rockabill Lighthouse.

The headland is also the site of the Red Mans Cave, where Cromwellian soldiers are reputed to have put to death a number of Catholic Priests during the time of the Cromwellian Wars of 1649.

Public transport

Bus Éireann route 168 serves Clogherhead, linking it to Drogheda via Termonfeckin and Baltray. Drogheda railway station is approximately 13 km distant.

Economy

Clogherhead is a tourist destination, and the village has a sandy Blue Flag beach which extends from near the lifeboat station and on to the Boyne estuary.

Clogherhead hosts the Seafood Rocks festival, a successor to the former Clogherhead Prawn Festival.

Port Oriel is a fishing port with a large fleet, and also the harbour provides a platform for onshore sea fishing for anglers.

Oriel Sea Salt and Oriel Sea Minerals are produced at Clogherhead and have protected designation of origin.

Amenities

The village has two main beaches. Port Beach in the centre of the village is a Blue Flag beach with the Neptune watersports centre which is run by the local council. The centre is the location for Celtic Adventures which provides schools and groups with a range of sports and training services including watersports, archery and climbing. In addition, it is the location for the local RNLI lifeboat station which houses a Mersey class lifeboat, the Doris Bleasdale. The other beach is on the north side of the village and is known as the 'Big Strand'. Both have bathing facilities with a lifeguard on duty at the village beach during summer months.

There are three public houses in the village, as well as a number of restaurants.

Education

Callystown National School (a Catholic school under the trusteeship of the Archbishop of Armagh) has been in "official" existence since 1832. It is located on the north side of the village with access through the estate of John Kirk Park. As of the 21st century, it has approximately 300 pupils and has been extended a number of times to cater for the population growth in the village and an influx of pupils from the surrounding areas.

Sport

As well as fishing and watersports, the local Gaelic Athletic Association club, Dreadnots Gaelic Football Club, have had three senior players in the Louth County team: Pádraig Rath, Anthony Williams, and James Califf. The club reached the Louth senior championship finals in 2012 and 2014 losing to St Patrick's on both occasions.

Links golf courses nearby include Seapoint Golf Club located at Termonfeckin, and County Louth Golf Club (which hosted the Irish Open in 2004 and again in May 2009) located at Baltray. There is also a pitch and putt course. Walshestown clay-pigeon shooting club is near Clogherhead at Murray's Cross.

In popular culture

Clogherhead has been used as a filming location for a number of films, including:

• Perrier's Bounty (Parallel Film Productions, 2008), with Cillian Murphy, Jim Broadbent and Brendan Gleeson
• The Devil's Own (Columbia Pictures, 1997) with Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt
• Captain Lightfoot (Universal Studios, 1955) with Rock Hudson and Barbara Rush

Songs featuring this town include "Is Clogherhead Like it Used to Be".

Notable people

• Albert Cashier (otherwise Jennie Irene Hodgers), was born in Clogherhead and was a soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War
• Saint Oliver Plunkett reputedly took refuge in a church that once stood in the townland of Killartry in the parish of Clogherhead
• Patrick Anthony Langan-Byrne, WWI flying ace
• Richard Fahey, UK-based racehorse trainer

File:Sign, plaque Port Oriel.JPG|Port sign & plaque File:Port Oriel.jpg|Pier, Port Oriel File:Vessel in Port Oriel.jpg|Vessel in the port File:Coast Guard.JPG|Coast Guard File:Queen of the sea memorial.jpg|Queen of the sea memorial to those lost at sea File:Lifeboat bow.JPG|Lifeboat – bow File:Clogher Head Lifeboat.jpg|Lifeboat – stern File:Clogher Head position.jpg|Clogher Head shown on lifeboat positioning system File:Clogherhead Lifeboat Station.jpg|Lifeboat Station File:Celebrating 100 years - Clogherhead Lifeboat.jpg|Celebrating 100 years of the Lifeboat Station

References

References

1. "Sapmap Area – Settlements – Clogherhead". [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland).
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3. "Clogherhead Lifeboat Station".
4. [https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/c3.php CLOGHER, or KILCLOGHER in Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837)]
5. [https://www.logainm.ie/132307.aspx Placenames Database of Ireland] (see archival records)
6. (15 April 2025). "Bus Éireann - Route 168".
7. [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/six-irish-beaches-lose-blueflag-status-14324449.html Clogherhead beach regains Blue Flag status ''(retrieved 5 June 2009)'']
8. "Celebrate Irish Food and Culture at SeaFood Rocks Festival in Louth".
9. "Clogherhead Prawn Festival – Home".
10. "School history".
11. [http://www.callystownnationalschool.ie/web2.htm Historyof Callystown National School] {{webarchive. link. (15 January 2007)
12. (31 October 2011). "Louth SFC final: Keenan proves the difference for Pat's". [[Hogan Stand]].
13. Carroll, Joe. (29 September 2014). "O'Connor helps St Pat's over the line". [[Irish Examiner]].
14. (21 February 2006). "Shooting club targets recruitment boost". Independent News & Media.
15. "Movie Locations in Ireland".
16. [https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/drogheda-news/locals-get-in-character-as-film-fever-takes-over/27128711.html Locals get in character]
17. http://www.callystownnationalschool.ie {{Webarchive. link. (23 December 2006 and source podcast 9)