Omeath Ó Méith | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Looking acrossCarlingford Lough to Omeath | |
  Omeath Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:54°05′24″N6°15′30″W / 54.09°N 6.258333°W /54.09; -6.258333 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Louth |
| Population | 603 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | J137168 |
Omeath (/oʊˈmiːð/;[2]Irish:Ó Méith orUí Meth)[3][4] is a village on theCooley Peninsula inCounty Louth,Ireland, close to the border withNorthern Ireland. It is roughly midway betweenDublin andBelfast, very near the County Louth andCounty Armagh/County Down border. As of the2016 census, Omeath had a population of 603,[1] up from 439 during the 2006 census.[5] It is approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) fromCarlingford and about 8 km (5.0 mi) fromNewry. By sea, Omeath's nearest land neighbour isWarrenpoint on the southCounty Down coast.
Omeath is home to theCúchulainn GaelsGaelic Athletic Association club.
It is named afterMuireadheach Méith (méith meaning 'the fat') and was originally calledUí Méith Mara, by the sea, to distinguish it from another Ó Méith named after the same man.[4]
Omeath was a village that sprung up around the oldOmeath railway station in 1876. The town attracted day-trippers from aroundNorthern Ireland and elsewhere, but unlike nearbyWarrenpoint, Omeath never became a major residential centre. Smuggling was common, especially around the time of theEmergency (WWII).[6] One mid-19th century source reports that the town had littlearable land and residents survived mostly by sellingfish.[4]
Speakers ofIrish existed in Omeath until the middle of the 20th century. The last native speaker of Omeath Irish was Anne O'Hanlon, who died in 1960 aged 89.[7] Although the dialect is now extinct, recordings have been made by German linguist Wilhelm Doegen for the Royal Irish Academy.[8]
The town is located on theR173regional road.
Omeath railway station was on theDundalk, Newry and Greenore railway, which opened on 1 August 1876 and finally closed on 1 January 1952.[9]
A regular bus service runs through the village and links the village withNewry andDundalk. Bus Éireann Route 161 operates Monday to Friday,[10] and Halpenny Travel operate a service on Sundays with journeys to Dundalk and Newry.[11] In the summer months, a regular foot passenger ferry service operates between Omeath and Warrenpoint County Down. Bikes and small motorcycles can also use this service during the summer months.[citation needed]
Ui Meth. - Commonly known as Omeath [..] The inhabitants of this district, having but little arable land, eke out their subsistence by hawking fish throughout the country
Places inCounty Louth | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| Villages and Townlands | ||