Cooley Peninsula

The Cooley peninsula fills the corner of Louth between Carlingford Lough and Dundalk Bay, rising to 589 metres at Slieve Foye with the Mourne Mountains directly across the water. It is the setting of the Tain Bo Cuailnge, the Cattle Raid of Cooley, the central text of the Ulster Cycle and the oldest sustained narrative in Irish - the story of Medb's army coming for the brown bull of Cooley and Cu Chulainn holding the ford alone. Place names across the peninsula still map onto the tale. Carlingford itself is a medieval town with King John's Castle, a mint and a tholsel surviving among its lanes. The Cooley Mountains carry waymarked walking routes including a section of the Tain Way, and there is a greenway along the old railway line. Slieve Foye's slopes are steep and the summit ground is rocky with unmarked sections.

What you actually see

• Slieve Foye - 589 metres above Carlingford, with the Mournes across the lough.
• The Tain landscape - place names from the Cattle Raid of Cooley.
• Carlingford town - King John's Castle, the mint and medieval lanes.
• The Tain Way - waymarked walking over the peninsula's high ground.

When to go

April to October. Carlingford is busy at weekends and during its summer festivals. The mountain routes need clear weather; cloud sits on Slieve Foye frequently.

Honest expectations

Carlingford is heavily geared to weekend visitors and can be crowded and loud. The mountain walking is rougher than the town suggests, with unmarked sections. Parking in Carlingford is difficult at peak times.

Nearby

Dundalk is west; the Mourne Mountains are across Carlingford Lough.