You’ve arrived in Dundalk, the county town of County Louth, Republic of Ireland. It lies on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay, and is near the border with Northern Ireland, halfway between Dublin and Belfast.
There are many reasons to visit here, including, of course, having an Afternoon Tea in Dundalk. If this is to your taste, rest assured knowing that an assortment of sandwiches, scrumptious scones and heavenly scones await!
People have lived in and around the Dundalk area since at least 3,500 BCE during the Neolithic period. The Celts arrived in Ireland millennia later, inhabiting the region from around 500 BCE. Dundalk itself began as an unwalled Sráid Bhaile (village) before the Norman conquest in 1169 CE.
From the 1180s, two Norman families led efforts to fortify the town, building walls and other defences. However, much of the settlement suffered significant damage in 1315 during the Bruce campaign.
Dundalk, initially a Royalist stronghold, came under Parliamentarian control in 1647. It was during this period that much of the modern town came into being. By the 19th century, several thriving industries, including a large distillery, had brought about further expansion.
In 1921, the partition of Ireland saw the area become a border town. Jumping ahead to modern times and Dundalk has much to offer residents and tourists alike. Why not find out for yourself before or after stopping in an Afternoon Tea Dundalk venue?