Sitar Marina
This newly opened restaurant is the first stop on the Carlingford – Omeath Greenway offering a quiet place to sit and have a coffee or a bite to eat.
Perched on the shore wall of the marina, Sitar Cafe Bar & Indian Cuisine offer unrivalled views of Carlingford Lough. During the summer months the large windows open out onto balconies with panoramic views of the marina, the Lough, and the Mountains of Mourne.
In the evenings and during the colder months, the Restaurant and Bar transforms into a warm, cosy place to shelter while still enjoying spectacular views of The Lough at night.
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday – 5:00pm to 10:30pm
Saturday – 1:00pm to 11:00pm
Sunday – 1:00pm to 11
]For more information on Sitar Marina contact us here at Visit Carlingford:
tele: +353 879576989
email: info@visitcarlingford.com
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John Longs Bar
Longs Pub is an old county Pub located just five minutes outside Carlingford.
- Open Fire
- Disco Bar
- Pool Table
- Taxi Bus
- Free internet WiFi
- Sky Sports
Carlingford Lough
The mountain ranges of Mourne, Cooley, and Gullion, beckon you to explore their splendour on foot, bicycle or horseback, on a variety of looped walks and cycle paths. Local adventure centres offer you rock climbing, abseiling canoeing, kayaking, sailing and windsurfing in the waters of Carlingford Lough and the Irish Sea. You can charter Lough cruises for angling, or bird-watching. Day coach trips are available to the historical and scenic sites and routes. If its golf you want, there are ten golf courses, parkland and links in the region.
The area has been awarded the prestigious “European Destination of Excellence” an imprimatur to the visitor of quality and a real cultural experience. Carlingford Lough is a shallow sea lough, which forms part of the border between Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland . The inner lough is dominated by shallow waters and underlying muddy sand beds, with large areas of intertidal mud and sand flats exposed at low tide. The outer mouth of the lough (Cranfield to Greenore) presents deeper waters with a navigable channel, and an underlying mosaic of boulders, cobbles, pebbles and gravels, forming small scattered islands and reefs. The lough is of international and national importance for overwintering, passage and breeding seabirds, waders and waterfowl, which feed, roost and nest on the loughs intertidal flats and islands.
The region owes its striking landscape to a combination of the underlying geology and the surface processes that have sculpted these rocks over the millions of years since their formation. The upland areas are all underlain by igneous rocks: Slieve Croob is formed of rocks belonging to the Newry Igneous Complex that was emplaced as the ancient Iapetus Ocean closed; the other areas in the Carlingford Lough region are underlain by granite and gabbro that date back to a period during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean. The magmas intruded earlier rocks, including sandstone, shale, and limestone, which tell some of the geological history of the region back to 440Ma (million years), a period of time that represents around a tenth of the age of the Earth itself . These rocks have been baked and altered close to their contacts with the igneous intrusions.
Carlingford Lough was originally very shallow (
The Loft Cocktail Lounge
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][mk_image_slideshow title=”Loft Cocktail Bar” images=”13488,13481,10450,10449,13480,10448,10454,13485,13484,13486,13487,13479,10453,10443,10452,10451,13482″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”36px”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1453981141726{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The Loft cocktail bar is slowly becoming the heart of Carlingford. This is where our talented bartenders recreate classics and create original cocktails, with inspiration from the bright, zesty flavours from all over the world.
In keeping with the relaxing atmosphere and easy going attitude, the Loft provides beautifully prepared Tapas and uses only the freshest of ingredients. The Menu is not expensive and knows that providing great food at a great price will have you coming back for more.
The tapas menu has something for everyone, mini burgers, ribs and wings, wonderfully prepared chicken and lots more. So if you’re in the mood for relaxing in front of there TV’s watching of your favorite sports team battling it out accompanied with a cocktail, beer or some great food then the Loft is the place for you.
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ENJOY FINE COCKTAILS & DELICIOUS TAPAS
Whether you’re looking for a top Tom Collins, a magnificent martini or the quintessential cosmo – somewhere in Carlingford there’s a mixologist just waiting to mix it for you. Some of the best cocktails can be found in the Loft, while there are also some pretty tasty Tapas to satisfy those cravings of hunger, in the loft they guarantee that they are shaking things up in a more low-key fashion.
The Loft is Carlingford Newest Bar located upstairs in the Carlingford Arms once you enter the door move up the stairs to the right and you will be welcomed with a wonderful mural that ordains the wall. The Loft turns into a Live Lounge on a Friday and Sunday night as some of the best bands and performers around play. Some names that have played in the Loft are David Keenan, Grainne Hunt and Ian Prowse. Keep up to date with all the new acts on a weekly based by following on The Loft Facebook page.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Friday – Live Music
Saturday – Live DJ
Sunday – Live Music
You can book the Loft for any party, Hen, Stag, Birthday, Christening, Family gathering & Post Wedding Parties. Group Menu’s available.
Cocktail Parties also available by booking.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][mk_page_section][vc_column][vc_column_text]
For more information on the Loft Contact us here at Visit Carlingford:
tele: +353 879576989
email: info@visitcarlingford.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/mk_page_section]
Merchant / Taaffes Castle
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Taaffe’s Castle is situated in the beautiful medieval town of Carlingford and is located what is now currently located at the centre of the Village. It was mostly likely to have been built at the start of the 16th century as a fortified townhouse and a trading depot , But when it was built it was most likely a Shoreline Merchant House where deliveries from the sea where stored and collected. Now try to imagine the original shore line coming to the base of the building. It must have been very convenient for the merchant who lived here, The merchants could have loaded or unload their wares on or off a small boat which would bring the goods to and from a larger ship anchored in deeper waters out in the harbour. This tower house was a very popular style of building amongst the merchant and upper classes of towns all around Ireland, it was easily defended and its height meant that you could have a lot of living space in a small area, it allowed for the construction of substantial buildings on small burgage plots. But Taaffes Castle had more space than most because at the corner of the building there is a number of projecting stones which are the remains of a brawn wall. Brawn walls enclosed an open area around the tower house which usually contained a garden and wooden buildings and outhouses. They are normally found around similar buildings in the country, However it is quite unusual to find one of these in an urban setting.The Taaffe’s were a powerful family and later they became the ‘Earls of Carlingford’ in 1661. Their appointed Earldom is the most likely reason to why the Merchant House was referred to as property of the Taaffes, However there is evidence that it was constructed before their earldom was secured. There is no actual evidence to say the Merchant house was the direct property of the Taaffe Family. Carlingford’s strategic position on the east coast of Ireland along with Carrickfergus and Dundalk, made it a vital trading port. This trade led to Carlingford’s relative prosperity between the 14th and early 16th centuries. It even received five Royal charters for trading — the first in 1326 by King Edward II and the last in 1619 under King James I. The increased trade encouraged the rich mercantile class to build such buildings as ‘The Mint’ as well as ‘Taafee’s Castle’. The following centuries were however not as prosperous for the town after the Cromwellian Conquest of 1649 and the Williamite Wars of the 1690s. By 1744 Carlingford was described as ‘in a state of ruin’ and the following century saw the disappearance of the prosperous herring shoals in the lough. This charming town has recently ‘bounced back’ as a top tourist destination due to it’s spectacular setting, wonderful pubs and medieval architecture.
The goods would have been stored in the vaulted basement located in the building and the living quarters and offices would have been in the floors above.
The building was actually constructed in two phases, the older portion was the tower house which featured most prominently and it was built in the early 1500’s. It still has many of the original windows while the ground floor entrance to the basement has been altered. The annex appears to be much younger than the tower but it was only added on about 50 years later to provide more spacious living quarters. The present windows are later insertions and gave it its more recent appearance. The building was probably owned by the Earl of Carlingford, Nicholas Taaffe, who was killed while fighting on King Jame’s side at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The Locals may likely have called the building Taaffes Castle by association but there is no evidence to suggest Taaffes were ever in the building.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Lily Finnegans
Lily Finnegans is one of Carlingford areas most traditional Irish pubs, It is situated close to the Cooley Peninsula coastline and is a quick 5 kilometres drive from the centre of Carlingford where you can see all the wonderous history, boutiques and restaurants. Hidden deep within the Cooley peninsula, this little local gem hasn’t lost any of its original authenticity over the years. Everything from the original old flagstone floor to the layers upon layers of paintjobs on the ceiling of this pub all add to its unique olden Irish pub feel. It is the only pub in the Cooley peninsula which can truly say it escaped the clutches of the recent building boom and so it retains all of its genuine Old Irish features. A beautiful open fire cascades light throughout the whole bar. For those that may have enjoyed the rich walking and beautiful cycling routes throughout the whole area and around the coast it is a welcoming sight indeed for them at the end of their travels.
Continue readingOysters
Carlingford Oysters
Oysters and Carlingford are synonymous, the people of Carlingford have been harvesting oysters since medieval times and there are several references by historians and scholars of bygones passed referring to them. Oyster, from the Latin oslrea, is the name generally understood to signify the species of Ostracean bivalve, called Oslrea edulis, which is one of a numerous genus, characterised by an inequi- valve shell, composed of two irregular lamellate valves, of which the convex or under one adheres to rocks, piles, or the shell of any other individual. The animal is unprovided either with a byssus or a foot : — it is the best flavoured of its class of Mulusk, and has, consequently, been always much esteemed. Vast oyster beds in Carlingford are artificially formed, and attended to with great care, at the estuary of the Carlingford Lough and many other localities, where the temperature of the water is somewhat raised, by a mixture of salt and fresh, in which they best thrive.
It’s one of the largest employers in the region and on average ten tonnes of these famed sea delicacies are shipped both nationally and internationally every week from one of Ireland’s smallest villages.
Oyster Farming is most certainly a labour of love and requires great skill and knowledge to ensure that the oyster seedlings grow to their fully matured age in which they are ripe enough so that they can be shipped to anxiously awaiting customers worldwide. As the Oyster grows it can filter up to 55 litres of seawater per day, it utilises filtering as a means to get all the nutrients it requires. As Carlingford oysters live on the water of the lough, the water that flows from Slieve Foy and the Mourne mountains provides it with unique assortment of nutrients which provides the Carlingford oyster with its distinguishable crisp flavour . After three years the oyster is ripe and ready for sale. At the point it is carefully prepared for the market. Only the very best get to be sold to the public.
In the History Books
Carlingford has always been a famed location for both its beauty, culture and its Oyster farms, In one edition of the Dublin Penny Journal the following was said;
We think our wood-cut well calculated to catch the eye of a Dublinian. For lives there man, woman or child, in our good city, that has not heard of Carlingford, though but few have seen it. Carlingford – so renowned for its delicious oysters – oysters known as well to the poor mendicant who is tasked to crush their shells, as to the rich merchant who gobbles down their delicious insides – oysters as far superior to every other testaceous creature that open its bivalve to the tide, as to an Englishman is plum-pudding when compared with flummery – oysters, that give luxurious suppers to man, and open his heart as the knife opens the shell! In vain may the Parisian boast of his Carcale, the Londoner of his Colchester, or even our western shores of their green-finned Burrin, exquisite Pooldoody, or delicious Lisadill – who dare compare them to a rale Carlingford? Ye Aldermen of Dublin, and all who have experienced night after night the indescribable delights of a feast of oysters, and a flow of punch, come and give us all due credit for presenting you with a picture of that dear spot from whence your delights do come, and for giving “a local habitation and a name” to the birth-place of what your souls desire!
Watch Tower Adventures
Watch Tower Adventures is a family run business, situated just outside Jonesborough in County Armagh on the side of Faughill Mountain. The area has exceptional views of Camlough Lake, The Mourne Mountains, Turf Mountain and Slieve Gullion which is only minutes away. Easily accessed off M1 at junction 20, we are just a minutes drive away. With Carlingford Village only 15 minutes away you can have the perfect day away, ideal for stag or hen parties, birthdays, sports teams, days out with work colleagues, corporate or team building days or just with friends and family. We are one of the first outdoor activity centres in the country to host Bubble Soccer or also known as Body Zorbin, Bubble Football, Bubble Ball and Bumper Balls. We offer Bubble Football. What is it? Well You are safely strapped inside a big inflatable ball but your legs are allowed to hang out of the bottom leaving you and your team mates able to run around inside our very own purpose built playing field and bounce into each other. Some of the games we play include football, sumo wrestling, last man standing and tig. Defending team, Gaddafi is on the brink of becoming dead meat your mission is to rescue him from his car as he has been ambushed out on enemy lines and all of his guards have been killed. You will begin in his gaff and make your way out to battle to retrieve him, once Gaddafi is out of his car and on his way back to safety the enemy will attack from their territory boundary. It is up to you and your team to get him to safety, do not let him get shot in the head as he will be killed instantly and it will be game over for Gaddafi and his team!
Continue readingRuby Ellen’s Tea Rooms
[vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” attached=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1461890125315{background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column width=”5/6″][mk_fancy_title color_style=”gradient_color” grandient_color_from=”#8224e3″ grandient_color_to=”#310c99″ grandient_color_angle=”diagonal_left_bottom” grandient_color_fallback=”#6c3ead” size=”34″ font_weight=”400″ font_style=”italic” txt_transform=”capitalize” margin_top=”13″ font_family=”none” align=”center”]Ruby Ellens Tea Rooms[/mk_fancy_title][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][mk_button dimension=”outline” size=”medium” url=”#findus-map” align=”center” margin_top=”16″ outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#8224e3″ outline_active_text_color=”#6921ce” outline_hover_bg_color=”#6a1896″ outline_hover_color=”#e8e8e8″]Find Us[/mk_button][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” css=”.vc_custom_1468253152035{background-color: #7b47b2 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/2″][mk_padding_divider size=”25″][mk_image_slideshow images=”13496,13497,13498,13499,13500,13501,13502,13503,13504,13505,13506,13507,13508″ image_height=”520″][mk_padding_divider size=”25″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][mk_padding_divider size=”25″][vc_column_text align=”center”][fc id=’8′ align=’center’][/fc][/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”25″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”22″][vc_separator color=”blue” style=”dotted” border_width=”2″ el_width=”50″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1452348953463{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Ruby Ellen’s Tea Rooms are located on Newry Street here in Carlingford Village. If it is Breakfast, lunch or just a cup of Tea and Dessert you are after then this is the place for you. They have lovely china and decor with in and outdoor seating with lovely Views of the Carlingford Harbour.
Available for group bookings.
They also have afternoon Tea for groups starting at €16 per person.
For more information on Ruby Ellen’s Tea Rooms contact us here at VisitCarlingford:
tele: +353 879576989
email: info@visitcarlingford.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row id=”findus-map”][vc_column][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” color=”white” spacing=”5″ gap=”20″ alignment=”center” active_section=”1″ no_fill_content_area=”true”][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-map-marker” add_icon=”true” title=”Find Us” tab_id=”1462265326785-2f40b7a8-0084″][vc_column_text][codespacing_light_map height=”500px” width=”100%” use_in_tab=”yes”][/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_tabs][/vc_column][/vc_row]