Carlow, County, is a small inland county in southeastern Ireland. In the Irish language, it is called Contae Cheatharlach. County Carlow covers 346 square miles (896 square kilometers) within the province of Leinster. The town of Carlow is the county’s main economic and social center.
The River Barrow flows south through County Carlow and forms much of the county’s border with County Kilkenny, to the west. The Blackstairs Mountains rise in the southeastern part of County Carlow, along its border with County Wexford. They include Mount Leinster, which rises 2,610 feet (796 meters) above sea level. Counties Laois and Kildare lie to the north of County Carlow, and County Wicklow lies to the northeast.
County Carlow has fertile soil, which is used for mixed agriculture. Important crops have included cereals, potatoes, and sugar beets. Most of the county’s cattle are raised and fattened for beef, but there is some dairy farming. Sheep farming is important, especially in the hilly areas of eastern County Carlow.
The county was the center of Ireland’s sugar industry in the 1900’s. Ireland’s first factory for refining sugar beets operated in the town of Carlow from 1926 to 2005. Today, factories in the county produce electrical goods, machinery, precision instruments, and tools. Food processing and the production of timber goods are also important.
Service industries, including business services, education, government services, and retail trade, employ most of the county’s workers. The county is home to Carlow College and the Carlow campus of South East Technological University.
County Carlow has many prehistoric remains. The Brownshill Dolmen, which dates from about 3000 B.C., is the county’s most famous megalith (great stone monument). Remains of Celtic monastic sites include those at St. Mullin’s in the south. The Anglo-Normans built abbeys, castles, and towns in County Carlow. The town of Carlow was a major Anglo-Norman stronghold. Later, the MacMurrough Kavanagh family controlled the county.
