Blackrock, County Louth Explained

Official Name:Blackrock
Native Name:Irish: Na Creagacha Dubha
Native Name Lang:ga
Settlement Type:Village
Timezone:WET
Population Footnotes:[1] [2]
Population:Approximately 3000
Area Code Type:Telephone area code
Area Code:+353(0)42
Postal Code Type:Eircode routing key
Postal Code:A91
Utc Offset:±0
Subdivision Name4:Midlands–North-West
Timezone Dst:IST
Utc Offset Dst:+1
Blank Name Sec1:Irish Grid Reference
Population As Of:2019
Subdivision Type4:EU Parliament
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Ireland
Pushpin Map:Ireland
Pushpin Label Position:right
Coordinates:53.9641°N -6.3651°W
Subdivision Name3:Louth
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Ireland
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Leinster
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:County Louth
Subdivision Type3:Dáil Éireann

Blackrock [3] is a seaside village just to the south of Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. The village is in the townland of Haggardstown, in the Barony of Upper Dundalk, and part of the Dundalk metropolitan area. The population of the village is approximately 3,000.[2]

History

In the 1950s and 1960s, Blackrock was a holiday destination for people in the landlocked counties of Monaghan and Cavan. The beach, which is pictured in colourised postcards of that era, was created with sand imported from beaches further down the coast, as sand is continually washed away contributing to the buildup of silt in Dundalk Bay. The village has subsequently seen a revival as a tourist resort.Since the late 1960s, Blackrock has expanded significantly and has become a dormitory village of Dundalk, and is considered part of Dundalk for census purposes. With the opening of the M1 motorway to Dublin, there has been another wave of expansion and it is also becoming a commuter town with access to north Dublin.

Blackrock beach and its promenade (incorporating Blackrock's Millennium project - a sundial which is claimed to be the largest in a public area in Ireland)[4] [5] is still a focal point of the village and the site of Christmas Day fundraising events, an annual raft race, annual movie festival and pumpkin festival. The promenade area has a number of restaurants and public houses.

Geography

In common with a number of east coast locations, the beach has a gentle gradient and the sea retreats about 5 km at low tide. The exposed seabed is a mixture of sand and mud flats. It is a habitat for a variety of wader birds, including brent geese and dunlins. The River Fane (to the south of Blackrock) enters the sea as a channel crossing from south to north in front of the promenade. Even at high tide, the water level is only about 1m out to the channel, and the front has become a sailboarding venue.

There are views looking north over Dundalk Bay from the promenade toward the Cooley Mountains.

Sport

Greyhound racing

Blackrock Greyhound Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium in Sandy Lane and the racing was organised by the Blackrock Greyhound Racing Company Ltd.[6] The first racing in Blackrock took place at 'The Field' which is now modern day Beech Park housing in 1929 but moved a very short distance to Sandy Lane during the 1930s.[7] Olympian Pete McArdle was a greyhound trainer at the track in the early 1950s. The site closed during the 1960s and the Blackrock Community Council took over Sandy Lane in 1971.

Association football

After the closure of the greyhound track Sandy Lane became a venue for the Juveniles and then Rock Celtic Football Club.[8]

Other sports

Kitesurfing is also popular in the area.

Transport

The village is served by public transport links seven days per week. Halpenny Travel's route 169 provides services to Dundalk. Additionally, Bus Éireann routes 100 and 100X serving Dundalk, Drogheda, Dublin Airport and Dublin can be accessed on the Dublin Road in Haggardstown, approximately one mile from the village.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 6 February 2020 . Tidy Towns: The full list of winners for 2019 . 30 September 2019 . irishtimes.com . Irish Times . Category D [2,501 to 5,000] Blackrock, Co Louth.
  2. Web site: History . 6 February 2020 . visitblackrock.ie . Blackrock Tourism and Development Group . Blackrock is a vibrant small town with over 3,000 inhabitants.
  3. Web site: Na Creagacha Dubha / Blackrock . 6 February 2020 . logainm.ie . Irish Placenames Commission.
  4. Web site: Ryan . Olivia . Key to the past for future generations . 13 April 2017 . independent.ie . 19 August 2009 .
  5. Web site: Blackrock Village . 13 April 2018 . blackrockvillage.ie. 17 August 2015 .
  6. News: 1948 . Blackrock Greyhound Racing Company Ltd - 8 April 1948 . Belfast Telegraph - Belfast, Antrim.
  7. Book: Barnes, Julia . Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File, page 410 . Ringpress Books . 1988 . 0-948955-15-5.
  8. Web site: Down Memory Lane . Rock Celtic FC.