Historic county of Ireland
Louth
County of Louth
Province: Leinster
Boyne mouth south, Carlingford north, Cooley rising between.
Louth is Ireland’s smallest geographic county, compressed into a narrow eastern strip between the Boyne estuary and Carlingford Lough. Much of its centre is comparatively low and open, but the Cooley Mountains rise dramatically in the north beside the sea.
The small area therefore contains a remarkably complete geography: estuary, agricultural plain, mountain peninsula, sheltered lough and open coast. Its position on the principal north–south corridor between eastern Ireland and Ulster has added strategic importance to a landscape already strongly defined by water.
- Ireland's smallest county
- County by the medieval period
- Cooley, Boyne mouth and Carlingford Lough
- Named for the god Lugh
County geography
Cooley and Carlingford
The Cooley Peninsula gives northern Louth its great physical contrast.
Mountain rises between Dundalk Bay and Carlingford Lough, producing terrain markedly different from the flatter agricultural country further south.
Boyne and southern Louth
At the opposite end, the Boyne provides another major river and estuarine landscape.
The low corridor between the Boyne and the northern waters has long made Louth natural route country.
Smallest county, complete landscape
Louth’s small size does not make its geography simple.
Within a compact territory lie mountain, estuary, sheltered lough, plain and coastline — an unusually complete cross-section of eastern Irish landscapes.
County questions
Questions about Louth
Is Louth Ireland’s smallest geographic county?
Yes. By area, Louth is the smallest of Ireland’s 32 geographic counties.
Why is Louth in Leinster when it lies beside Ulster?
Its older territorial relationships were more complicated than the later provincial arrangement. Earlier Louth had strong associations with Oriel or Airgíalla, so the present county-and-province relationship should not simply be projected backwards through all periods.
County record
Names and continuity
- Formal name
- County Louth
- Province
- Leinster
- Alternative name
- County of Louth
Louth is one of the twelve geographic counties of Leinster. Its position between the Boyne, Cooley and Carlingford gives Ireland’s smallest county exceptionally strong physical definition.