View source for County Carlow

{{Short description|County in Ireland}}
{{redirect|Carlow County|other uses|Carlow (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                   = County Carlow
|native_name            = {{lang|ga|Contae Cheatharlach}}
| settlement_type       = [[Counties of Ireland|County]]
|image_shield           = Carlow_County_Crest.svg
|shield_size            = 90px
|image_flag             = 
|nickname               = The Dolmen County <small>([[List of Irish county nicknames|Others]])</small>
|anthem                 = "[[Follow Me up to Carlow]]"
|image_map              = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Carlow.svg
|area_total_km2         = 897
|area_rank              = [[List of Irish counties by area|31st]]
|seat_type              = [[County town]]
|seat                   = [[Carlow]]
|blank_name_sec1        = [[Vehicle registration plates of Ireland|Vehicle index<br />mark code]]
|blank_info_sec1        = CW
|population_total       = 61931
|population_density_km2 = auto
|population_demonym     = Carlovian<ref name=i1>{{cite web |url= https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/irish-independent/20170610/283566630497621 |title= Carlow |work= Irish Independent |access-date= 15 January 2020 |archive-date= 28 July 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231609/https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/irish-independent/20170610/283566630497621 |url-status= live }}</ref>
|population_footnotes   = <ref name=cso2022>{{cite web |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpr/censusofpopulation2022-preliminaryresults/geographicchanges/ |title=Census of Population 2022 – Preliminary Results |date=23 June 2022 |publisher=[[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)]] |access-date=23 May 2023}}</ref>
|population_rank        = [[List of Irish counties by population|30th]]
|population_as_of       = [[2022 census of Ireland|2022]]
|leader_title           = [[Local government in the Republic of Ireland|Local authority]]
|leader_name            = [[Carlow County Council]]
|leader_title2          = [[Dáil constituency]]
|leader_name2           = [[Carlow–Kilkenny (Dáil constituency)|Carlow–Kilkenny]]
|leader_title3          = [[European Parliament constituencies in the Republic of Ireland|EP constituency]]
|leader_name3           = [[South (European Parliament constituency)|South]]
|subdivision_type       = [[Sovereign state|Country]]
|subdivision_name       = Ireland
|subdivision_type1      = [[Provinces of Ireland|Province]]
|subdivision_name1      = [[Leinster]]
|subdivision_type2      = [[NUTS statistical regions of Ireland|Region]]
|subdivision_name2      = [[Southern Region, Ireland|Southern]]
|website                = {{official website}}
|timezone               = [[Western European Time|WET]]
|utc_offset             = ±0
|timezone_DST           = [[Irish Standard Time|IST]]
|utc_offset_DST         = +1
| established_title     = Established
| established_date      = 1210<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/historyantiquiti00ryan|title=The history and antiquities of the county of Carlow|first=John|last=Ryan|date=22 June 2019|publisher=Dublin, R. M. Times [etc.]|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
| area_code_type        = [[Telephone numbers in the Republic of Ireland|Telephone area codes]]
| area_code             = 059 <small>(primarily)</small>
| postal_code_type      = [[Eircode]] routing keys
| postal_code           = R21, R93 <small>(primarily)</small>
| elevation_max_m       = 794
| elevation_max_point   = [[Mount Leinster]]
| module                = 
| iso_code              = IE-CW
}}
'''County Carlow''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɑr|l|oː}} {{respell|KAR|loh}}; {{langx|ga|Contae Cheatharlach}}) is a [[Counties of Ireland|county]] located in the [[Southern Region, Ireland|Southern Region]] of Ireland, within the [[Provinces of Ireland|province]] of [[Leinster]].<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Carlow (county)}}</ref> Carlow is the [[List of Irish counties by area|second smallest]] and the [[List of Irish counties by population|third least populous]] of Ireland's 32 traditional counties.<ref name=cso2022/> [[Carlow County Council]] is the governing [[Local government in the Republic of Ireland|local authority]].

The county is named after the town of [[Carlow]], which lies on the [[River Barrow]] and is both the [[county town]] and largest settlement, with over 40% of the county's population. Much of the remainder of the population also reside within the Barrow valley, in towns such as [[Leighlinbridge]], [[Bagenalstown]], [[Graiguenamanagh|Tinnahinch]], [[Borris, County Carlow|Borris]] and [[St. Mullins|St Mullins]]. Carlow shares a border with [[County Kildare|Kildare]] and [[County Laois|Laois]] to the north, [[County Kilkenny|Kilkenny]] to the west, [[County Wicklow|Wicklow]] to the east and [[County Wexford|Wexford]] to the southeast.

Carlow is known as "The Dolmen County", a nickname based on the [[Brownshill Dolmen]], a 6,000-year-old [[megalith]]ic [[portal tomb]] which is reputed to have the heaviest capstone in Europe, weighing over 100 metric tonnes. The town of Carlow was founded by the [[Normans]] in 1207 and the county was shired shortly thereafter, making it one of the oldest counties in Ireland. During the 14th century, the county was the seat of power of the [[Kingdom of Leinster]], as well as the capital of the [[Lordship of Ireland]] from 1361 to 1374.

==Etymology==
{{See also|Etymological list of counties of Ireland}}
The county was named after the town of Carlow, which is an [[anglicisation]] of the Irish ''Ceatharlach''. Historically, it was anglicised as ''Caherlagh'', ''Caterlagh'' and ''Catherlagh'', which are closer to the Irish spelling. In the 19th century, [[John O'Donovan (scholar)|John O'Donovan]], a scholar working with [[Ordnance Survey Ireland]], hypothesised that the origin of the name was ''Ceatharloch'' (meaning "quadruple lake"), since ''ceathar'' means "four" and ''loch'' means "lake". It is therefore directly translated as "Four lakes". This was accepted by the foremost etymologist of the time, [[Patrick Weston Joyce|PW Joyce]], as the definitive origin of the name; although Joyce noted there was no evidence to suggest that these lakes ever existed in the area.

It is today believed that the first part of the name derives from the [[Old Irish]] word ''cethrae'' ("animals, cattle, herds, flocks"), which is related to ''ceathar'' ("four") and therefore signified "four-legged". The second part of the name is the ending ''-lach'', meaning that "Ceatharlach" referred to a "place of cattle or herds". As the local dialect of Irish evolved, the "''th''" [[phoneme]] became obsolete. Consequently, by the 13th century the pronunciation of the name would have been much closer to its modern anglicised form. Surviving texts from the 15th and 16th centuries which spell the name as "Carelagh" and "Kerlac" seem to reflect this change in pronunciation.<ref name=i2>{{cite web |url= https://www.logainm.ie/en/100004 |title= Logainm – Ceatharlach |website= logainm.ie |publisher= Placenames Database of Ireland |access-date= 28 January 2020 |archive-date= 3 June 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200603194138/https://www.logainm.ie/en/100004 |url-status= live }}</ref>

==Geography and subdivisions==
Carlow is the second-smallest of Ireland's 32 counties by area, and the third-smallest in terms of population.<ref>{{cite book |first=Eoghan |last=Corry |title=The GAA Book of Lists |publisher=Hodder Headline Ireland |year=2005 |pages=186–191 |isbn=0-340-89695-7}}</ref> It is the second-smallest of Leinster's 12 counties in both size and population. Carlow is landlocked and bordered by five counties – [[County Kilkenny|Kilkenny]] to the west, [[County Wicklow|Wicklow]] to the east, [[County Wexford|Wexford]] to the southeast, and [[County Laois|Laois]] and [[County Kildare|Kildare]] to the north. [[Carlow town]] is both the county town and largest settlement, and is situated on the River Barrow in the north of the county approximately {{convert|80|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Waterford]] and {{convert|85|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Dublin]].

===Physical geography===
[[File:Physiographic Regions of County Carlow.png|thumb|left|190px|[[Physiographic]] regions of County Carlow]]
[[File:River Barrow - panoramio (1).jpg|thumb|right|The [[River Barrow]] south of [[Borris, County Carlow|Borris]]]]
Carlow's southern, western and eastern boundaries are demarcated by the county's three principal geographic features – the [[River Barrow]], the [[River Slaney]] and the [[Blackstairs Mountains]] – which are all European Union designated [[Special Area of Conservation|Special Areas of Conservation]] (SACs). The county is divided into six physiographic regions – the Barrow Valley, [[Castlecomer Plateau]], Nurney Ridge and Blackstairs Mountains, as well as the Tullow Lowlands and Southern Wedge, which are grouped together as an "Intermediate Region".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/environment/soil/Carlow.pdf|title=Soils of County Carlow|work=Teagasc|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=28 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128155459/https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/environment/soil/Carlow.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The county is generally rural in nature and has a population density of 63 people per km2, with the majority of the population living within the Barrow Valley.

The River Barrow, at {{convert|192|km|mi|abbr=on}} in length, is Ireland's second longest river. The river cuts out a low-lying valley as it traverse through the county, and much of the county is drained by the Barrow and its tributaries. The most prominent tributary of the Barrow in the area is the [[Burren River]], which rises at Mount Leinster and flows through the county for {{convert|39|km|mi|abbr=on}}  before joining the Barrow at Carlow town. The east and northeast of the county are drained by the River Slaney and its tributaries – the [[River Derreen]], which flows through Hacketstown and Tullow, and the [[River Derry]], which rises at Eagle Hill south of Hacketstown and forms the border between Carlow and Wexford before joining the Slaney at [[Bunclody]].
[[File:Rapefield in Killerig, Co. Carlow.jpg|thumb|right|Flat plains typical of northern Carlow]]
As of 2017, there is a total of {{convert|8403|ha|0|abbr=on}} of forest cover in the county, representing 9.4% of total land area. This is below the national average of 11% forest cover and represents just 1.1% of the national forest total.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/forestry/forestservicegeneralinformation/MainFindings301018.pdf|title=National Forestry Inventory, Third Cycle 2017|work=DAFM|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127111823/https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/forestry/forestservicegeneralinformation/MainFindings301018.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The majority of the county's forests are located in upland areas, namely the Blackstairs Mountains in the east of the county, and the Castlecomer Plateau in the west of the county. [[Conifers]] are primarily grown in these areas and constitute 69.9% of all forest cover within the county. Due to the high quality of land in the lowlands and southern wedge, the area under forest is low, as most of the land is used for agricultural purposes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/forestry/nationalforestinventory/nationalforestinventoryresultsdata/2018/Results311018.pdf|title=National Forestry Inventory, Third Cycle 2017, Main Results|work=DAFM|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=29 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729014237/https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/forestry/nationalforestinventory/nationalforestinventoryresultsdata/2018/Results311018.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Some of the oldest [[deciduous]] trees in the county are found in the [[yew]] grove at the [[Huntington Castle, Clonegal|Huntington Gardens]], which were planted by the [[Esmonde baronets|Esmonde]] family over 500 years ago. Other notable woodland areas include the Oak Park Forest, which is a ca. 123 acre mixed forest of [[beech]], [[oak]], [[Scots pine]], [[silver fir]], [[larch]] and [[sycamore]]; the Altamont Gardens and the [[Barrow Way]].

====Climate====
Carlow is in a maritime [[temperate]] [[oceanic climate|oceanic]] region according to [[Köppen climate classification]]. It experiences cool winters, mild humid summers, and a lack of temperature extremes. [[Met Éireann]] records climate data for Carlow from their station at [[Oak Park, County Carlow|Oak Park]], situated at {{convert|61|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. The coldest month is February, with an average daily minimum temperature of {{convert|2.1|°C|0|abbr=on}}, and the hottest month is July, with an average daily maximum temperature of {{convert|21.3|°C|0|abbr=on}}. The driest months are April and May, with {{convert|45|mm|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|50|mm|0|abbr=on}} of rain respectively. The wettest month is November, with {{convert|98|mm|0|abbr=on}} of rain on average.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.met.ie/climate/available-data/historical-data|title=Met Eireann, Historical Data|work=Met Éireann|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195529/https://www.met.ie/climate/available-data/historical-data|url-status=live}}</ref> Humidity is high year round and rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year. A number of [[Weather station|synoptic stations]] which record rainfall are located throughout the county. The driest area of the county is at Tullow, which receives {{convert|840|mm|0|abbr=on}} of rainfall per year, and the Blackstairs Mountains are the wettest area, receiving {{convert|1446|mm|0|abbr=on}} of rainfall per year.

While Carlow is often marketed as being part of the Sunny [[South-East Region, Ireland|Southeast]] alongside [[County Wexford|Wexford]] and [[County Waterford|Waterford]], due to its inland location it does not typically benefit from the elevated sunshine hours observed in the coastal areas of those counties. However, it does experience significantly higher average temperatures and lighter winds during the summer months due to its sheltered location. This was exemplified during the [[2018 European heat wave|2018 summer heat wave]], when Oak Park was both the hottest and driest location in Ireland.<ref name=i3>{{cite web |url= https://www.met.ie/climate/what-we-measure/sunshine |title= Sunshine and Solar Radiation |website= met.ie |publisher= Met Éireann |access-date= 14 March 2020 |archive-date= 21 July 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210721150334/https://www.met.ie/climate/what-we-measure/sunshine |url-status= live }}</ref>

===Geology===
[[File:Carlow Countryside from Graiguenamanagh.jpg|thumb|left|Undulating countryside of central Carlow]]
[[File:Snow atop Mt. Leinster.jpg|thumb|right|Summit of [[Mount Leinster]]]]
The bedrock geology of Carlow consists primarily of [[granite]], which underlies roughly 70% of the county. Following the closure of the [[Iapetus Ocean]] approximately 400 [[Geologic time scale|Mya]], a mountain range formed in the area which was then intruded with [[magma]]. This cooled slowly beneath the surface, forming a large granite [[pluton]]. The mountains, which were mostly composed of [[Ordovician]] seafloor sediments, were eventually eroded away, exposing the granite at the surface. During the [[Carboniferous]], ca. 300 Mya, [[limestone]] re-buried this granite, but has also since been eroded away. More resilient Carboniferous period [[shale]]s and [[sandstone]]s are preserved in the Castlecomer Plateau, along with significant quantities of coal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~mjbrennan/family/Coal_Mining_1.htm|title=The Leinster Coalfields|work=Rootsweb|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728224559/http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~mjbrennan/family/Coal_Mining_1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The oldest rocks in the county are the surviving remnants of these Ordovician seafloor sediments (ca. 540 Mya), and are found in a thin belt extending across the east of the county. These sediments were intensely [[Metamorphic rock|metamorphosed]] by the heat of the granite into high-grade [[schist]]s and [[hornfel]]s. Minerals such as [[staurolite]], [[andalusite]] and [[garnet]] are commonplace in these older formations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsi.ie/documents/Geoschol_Carlow_Geology.pdf|title=County Geology of Ireland: Carlow|work=Geological Survey of Ireland|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=29 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729000017/https://www.gsi.ie/documents/Geoschol_Carlow_Geology.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The soils of the county are mostly derived from [[glacial till]], rather than solid bedrock geology. These typically consist of a mix of clay, sand and gravel. Occasionally glacial melt-water would form a long ridge of sand and gravel known as an [[esker]]. One such example is preserved within the county and is a proposed natural heritage area, referred to as the Ballymoon Esker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://spatial.dcenr.gov.ie/GSI_DOWNLOAD/Geoheritage/Reports/CW003_Ballymoon_Esker_Bagenalstown.pdf|title=Carlow Geological Site Report: Ballymoon Esker|work=Geological Survey of Ireland|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728230128/http://spatial.dcenr.gov.ie/GSI_DOWNLOAD/Geoheritage/Reports/CW003_Ballymoon_Esker_Bagenalstown.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The north of the county is generally flat, while central and southern Carlow are characterised by an undulating to rolling topography which becomes progressively hillier towards the south and east. The [[Blackstairs Mountains]] are the highest and most extensive upland area, with [[Mount Leinster]] rising to {{convert|794|m|ft|abbr=on}}, making it the highest point in both Carlow and [[County Wexford|Wexford]] and the seventh highest [[List of Irish counties by highest point|county top]] in Ireland.<ref name=mv>{{cite web |url= https://mountainviews.ie/summit/44/ |title= Blackstairs Mountains – Mount Leinster |website= [[MountainViews]] |publisher= [[Ordnance Survey Ireland]] |access-date= 1 March 2020 |archive-date= 1 March 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200301161606/https://mountainviews.ie/summit/44/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

===Baronies===
[[File:Baronies of County Carlow Map.png|thumb|190px|right|The Baronies of County Carlow]]
There are seven historic [[Barony (Ireland)|baronies]] in the county.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.townlands.ie/carlow/ |title=Townlands in County Carlow |website=Irish Townlands}}</ref> While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for administrative purposes. The last boundary change of a barony in Carlow was in 1841, when the barony of St. Mullin's was divided into St. Mullin's Lower and St. Mullin's Upper. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed under "Administrative units". The largest barony in Carlow is Idrone East, at 52,857 acres (214 km2), and the smallest barony is St. Mullin's Upper, at 7,784 acres (32 km2).
{{See also|List of baronies of Ireland}}
* [[Carlow (barony)|Carlow]] ({{lang|ga|Ceatharlach}})
* [[Forth (County Carlow barony)|Forth]] ({{lang|ga|Fotharta}})
* [[Idrone East]] ({{lang|ga|Uí Dhróna Thoir}})
* [[Idrone West]] ({{lang|ga|Uí Dhróna Thiar}})
* [[Rathvilly (barony)|Rathvilly]] ({{lang|ga|Ráth Bhil}})
* [[St. Mullin's Lower]] ({{lang|ga|Tigh Moling Íochtarac}})
* [[St. Mullin's Upper]] ({{lang|ga|Tigh Moling Uachtarach}})

===Civil parishes and townlands===
{{Main|List of townlands of County Carlow}}
Townlands are the smallest officially defined geographical divisions in Ireland. There are 650 townlands in Carlow, of which 22 are historic town boundaries. These town boundaries are registered as their own townlands and are much larger than rural townlands. The rural townlands of Carlow range from just 1 acre in size (Acuan) to 1,822 acres (Kilbrannish South), with the average size of a townland in the county (excluding towns) being 371 acres.

===Towns and villages===
{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}
* [[Aghade]]
* [[Ardattin]]
* [[Bagenalstown]]
* [[Ballinabranna]]
* [[Ballinkillin]]
* [[Ballon, County Carlow|Ballon]]
* [[Ballymurphy, County Carlow|Ballymurphy]]
* [[Borris, County Carlow|Borris]]
* [[Carlow]]
* [[Bunclody|Carrickduff]]
* [[Clonmore, County Carlow|Clonmore]]
* [[Clonegal]]
* [[Fennagh, County Carlow|Fennagh]]
* [[Hacketstown]]
* [[Kildavin]]
* [[Leighlinbridge]]
* [[Myshall]]
* [[Nurney, County Carlow|Nurney]]
* [[Old Leighlin]]
* [[Palatine, County Carlow|Palatine]]
* [[Rathvilly]]
* [[Royal Oak, County Carlow|Royal Oak]]
* [[St Mullin's]]
* [[Graiguenamanagh|Tinnahinch]]
* [[Tinryland]]
* [[Tullow]]
{{Div col end}}

==Governance and politics==
[[File:Carlow Courthouse 2012.jpg|thumb|[[Carlow Courthouse]]]]

===Local government===
[[File:Carlow County Council, 2021-07-03.jpg|thumb|165px|[[County Buildings, Carlow|County Buildings]], Carlow]]
{{further|Local government in the Republic of Ireland}}
Local government in County Carlow is governed by the Local Government Acts. There is a single level of local government in the county, with [[Carlow County Council]] responsible for local services.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.carlowcoco.ie/en/allservices/ |title=All Services |publisher=Carlow County Council |access-date=27 March 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

There are 18 councillors on the county council.<ref>{{cite ISB|title=[[Local Government Reform Act 2014]]|year=2014|number=1|section=15|stitle=Number of members of local authorities|date=27 January 2014}}</ref> It is currently divided into three [[local electoral area]]s (LEAs), each of which is also a municipal district: Carlow (7), Muine Bheag (5) and [[Tullow]] (6).<ref>{{cite ISB|year=2018|type=si|number=610|title=County of Carlow Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 |date=19 December 2018|access-date=19 January 2019|archive-date=6 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506202212/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2018/si/610/made/en/print|url-status=live}}</ref>

Council elections are held every 5 years, with the next election due to be held in June 2029. The [[2024 Carlow County Council election|2024 Carlow local election]] had a voter turnout of 47.5%, a decrease of 1.9% on the [[2019 Carlow County Council election|2019 local election]]. The highest turnout was at Muine Bheag (51.3%) and the lowest was at Carlow (43.5%).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/elections-2024/2024/0612/1454363-carlow-round-up/ |title=Elections 2024: Carlow County Council round-up |date=15 July 2024 |publisher=Raidió Teilifís Éireann |access-date=15 July 2024 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%"
|+ Results of the [[2024 Carlow County Council election]]
|- 
!colspan=2|Party
!Seats
! {{abbr|FPv%|First preference votes percentage}}
! % Change since [[2019 Carlow County Council election|2019]]
! Seat Change since 2019
|-
| {{party name with color|Fine Gael}}
| style="text-align:right;"|6 || style="text-align:right;"| 27.8% || {{Decrease}} 3.5% || {{nochange}}
|-
| {{party name with color|Fianna Fáil}}
| style="text-align:right;"|5 || style="text-align:right;"| 29.8% || {{Decrease}} 3.7% || {{Decrease}} 1
|-
| {{party name with color|Sinn Féin}}
| style="text-align:right;"|2 || style="text-align:right;"| 12.0% || {{Increase}} 3.6% || {{Increase}} 1
|-
| {{party name with color|Labour Party (Ireland)}}
| style="text-align:right;"|1 || style="text-align:right;"| 4.8% || {{Decrease}} 4.1% || {{Decrease}} 1
|-
| {{party name with color|People Before Profit}}
| style="text-align:right;"|1 || style="text-align:right;"| 2.6% || {{Increase}} 0.6% || {{nochange}}
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Ireland}}
| style="text-align:right;"|1 || style="text-align:right;"| 2.6% || ''New'' || ''New''
|-
| {{party name with color|Independent politician (Ireland)}}
| style="text-align:right;"|2 || style="text-align:right;"| 14.7% || {{Increase}} 1.7% || {{nochange}}
|}

As was the case in much of Ireland, [[Fianna Fáil]] and [[Fine Gael]] emerged as the two dominant parties in the 2024 local elections, holding 11 of the 18 seats between them. [[Sinn Féin]] hold 2 seats, the [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]], [[People Before Profit]], and [[Independent Ireland]] hold 1 seat each, and there are 2 independents.

As part of the [[Southern Region, Ireland|Southern Region]] ([[NUTS statistical regions of Ireland|NUTS II Region]]), the council has two representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly, where it is part of the [[South-East Region, Ireland|South-East]] strategic planning area (NUTS III Region).<ref>{{cite ISB|year=2014|type=si|number=573|title=Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014|date=16 December 2014|access-date=29 January 2022}}</ref>

===Former districts===
It was formerly divided into the [[rural district (Ireland)|rural district]]s of Baltinglass No. 2, Carlow, and Idrone, and the [[urban and rural districts (Ireland)|urban district]] of [[Carlow]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1926 Census: Table 9: Population, Area and Valuation of urban and rural districts and of all towns with a population of 1,500 inhabitants or over, showing particulars of town and village population and of the number of persons per 100 acres |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/census1926results/volume1/C_1926_V1_T9.pdf |publisher=Central Statistics Office |page=19 |access-date=16 August 2022}}</ref> The rural districts were abolished in 1925.<ref>{{cite ISB|year=1925|parl=ifs|number=5|name=Local Government Act 1925|date=26 March 1925|section=3|stitle=Abolition of rural district councils|access-date=22 December 2021}}</ref> [[Bagnelstown]] (Muine Bheag) and [[Tullow]], within the former rural district of Carlow, had [[town commissioners]]. The town of Tullow was later disestablished as separate area.<ref>{{cite ISB|name=Local Government Act 1994|section=62|stitle=Cesser of Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act 1854 in certain areas|year=1994|number=8|date=29 April 1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050325002620/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA8Y1994S62.html|archive-date=25 March 2005|access-date=16 August 2022}}</ref> In 2002, the urban district of Carlow and the town commissioners of Muinebheag became [[Town council (Ireland)|town councils]].<ref>{{cite ISB|name=[[Local Government Act 2001]]|year=2001|schedno=6|stitle=Local Government Areas (Towns)|number=37|date=21 July 2001|access-date=21 May 2022}}</ref> All town councils in Ireland were abolished in 2014.<ref>{{cite ISB|name=[[Local Government Reform Act 2014]]|year=2014|section=24|stitle=Dissolution of town councils and transfer date|number=1|date=27 January 2014|access-date=21 May 2022}}</ref>

===National elections===
Carlow is part of the [[Dáil constituency]] of [[Carlow–Kilkenny (Dáil constituency)|Carlow–Kilkenny]] which returns 5 [[Teachta Dála|TDs]].<ref>{{cite ISB|year=2017|number=39|schedule=y|name=[[Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017]] |date=23 December 2017|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/carlow-kilkenny-by-election-2113574-May2015/|title=What you need to know about the fierce battle for Phil Hogan's old seat|work=[[TheJournal.ie]]|date=21 May 2015 |access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728224835/https://www.thejournal.ie/carlow-kilkenny-by-election-2113574-May2015/|url-status=live}}</ref> The constituency has been in existence since the [[1948 Irish general election|1948 general election]].

Prior to 1801, the county was represented in the [[Irish House of Commons]] through the constituencies of [[County Carlow (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|County Carlow]], [[Carlow (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|Carlow]] and the [[bishop's borough]] of [[Old Leighlin (Parliament of Ireland constituency)|Old Leighlin]], each of which returned two MPs. Following the [[Acts of Union 1800|Act of Union]], the county was represented in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Westminster]] through the [[County Carlow (UK Parliament constituency)|County Carlow]] constituency, which returned two [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MPs]] (reduced to one under the [[Redistribution of Seats Act 1885]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Salmon |first1=Philip |title=Co. Carlow |url=https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/co-carlow |website=The History of Parliament |access-date=9 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728223806/https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1820-1832/constituencies/co-carlow |url-status=live }}</ref> It was this constituency that gave Carlow representation in the [[First Dáil]], convened in 1919.

It was part of the [[Dáil constituency]] of [[Carlow–Kilkenny (Dáil constituency)|Carlow-Kilkenny]] from 1921 to 1937. Between 1937 and 1948 the county was divided, with the northern half of the county part of the [[Carlow–Kildare (Dáil constituency)|Carlow-Kildare]] constituency, and the southern half joining the [[Wexford (Dáil constituency)|Wexford]] constituency. Since 1948, the county has again been joined with Kilkenny for national elections as Carlow–Kilkenny. From 1997 to 2020, a portion of the county was in the [[Wicklow (Dáil constituency)|Wicklow]], rejoining the rest of Carlow at the [[2020 Irish general election|2020 general election]].

Carlow is part of the [[European Parliament constituency]] of [[South (European Parliament constituency)|South]] (5 seats).<ref>{{cite ISB|year=2019|number=7|section=7|stitle=Substitution of Third Schedule to Principal Act|name=European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2019|date=12 March 2019|access-date=21 May 2022}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Art Mór Mac Murchadha Caomhánach.jpg|thumb|[[Art Óg mac Murchadha Caomhánach|Art MacMurrough-Kavanagh]], King of Leinster]]
The area of present-day Carlow has been inhabited for thousands of years, and the county has perhaps the highest concentration of [[megalithic]] monuments per square kilometre in Ireland. Numerous [[standing stones]], [[bullaun]]s and [[Court cairn|cairns]] mark the landscape. Carlow is nicknamed the "Dolmen County", reflecting the abundance of dolmens found within its borders, of which the [[Brownshill Dolmen]] is reputed to be the largest in Europe. The historic [[Irish clans|clan territories]] of the county included Uí Drona ([[Ryan (surname)|O'Ryan]]), Fothairt Feadh ([[Nolan (surname)|O'Nolan]]), [[Uí Ceinnselaig]] ([[Kinsella]]), Dál Coirpri Cliach (Kerwick), {{proper name|[[Uí Bairrche]] Magh dá chonn}} ([[Kearney (surname)|Kearney]]), Uí Felmeda Tuaidh ([[Garvey|O'Garvey]]) and {{proper name|Uí Bairrch Maige hAilbe}} ([[O'Gorman]]). As Carlow contained both the navigable river Barrow as well as the Slighe Cualann (one of the key arterial roads leading to [[Hill of Tara|Tara]]), control of the area was vital to the claim of any prospective king of Leinster, and the area was much fought over. By the 11th century the Mac Murchada branch of the Uí Ceinnselaig dynasty had firmly established themselves as the [[Kings of Leinster]].<ref>Conry, pp. 2–13</ref>

===Emergence as a County===
[[File:John Speed Map of Leinster 1610.jpg|thumb|left|Early 17th-century map showing Carlow extending to the [[Irish Sea]]. The creation of [[County Wicklow|Wicklow]] in 1606 not yet reflected]]
With the exception of a short-lived [[Norse–Gael]] settlement near [[St. Mullin's]] in the 9th century, the area remained under the control of the Kingdom of Leinster until the early 13th century. Following the [[Norman invasion of Ireland|Norman conquest]], the "Borough of Carlow" was founded in July 1210, and formed part of the Norman [[palatine county]] of Leinster.<ref name="roche">Desmond Roche, ''Local Government in Ireland'', Dublin, 1982</ref> This was later divided and the independent Liberty of Carlow was established in 1247.<ref name="roche"/> At that time the county was over three times larger than it is today, covering approximately  {{convert|724000|acre|km2|abbr=on}} and encompassing the majority of the old [[Bishop of Leighlin|Diocese of Leighlin]], extending to and including the coastal area around [[Arklow]].<ref>Fletcher, pp. 51</ref> 
[[File:Edmund Butler of Cloughgrenan.png|thumb|right|190px|[[Sir Edmund Butler of Cloughgrenan|Sir Edmund Butler]] led a revolt in 1569 after his lands were granted to an English [[Plantations of Ireland|settler]]]]
The modern county boundary was shaped by the [[Gaelic Resurgence]] from the 14th to 16th centuries. During this period, Carlow was part of the patrimony of the Anglo-Norman [[Butler dynasty]]; however [[Art Óg mac Murchadha Caomhánach|Art MacMurrough-Kavanagh]], the ascendant King of Leinster, controlled more than half of the liberty. He was paid by the Anglo-Normans for his "services" in keeping the roads and trade routes of the area free of bandits, but in reality this amounted to nothing more than rent exacted by MacMurrough-Kavanagh as recognition of his sovereignty over the area. His authority was so absolute that the MacMurrough-Kavanagh's retained control over large portions of the county for centuries, despite radical political changes. In the late 15th-century, [[James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond|James Butler]], the 9th [[Earl of Ormond (Ireland)|Earl of Ormond]], purchased land within the county to give to his heirs, rather than enter into conflict with the dynasty.<ref>Hughes, James; ''The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland'', Fourth Series, Vol. 1, No. 1 (1870), pp. 153–192, 211–231.</ref> Descendants of the King of Leinster are still in possession of their ancestral home of [[Borris House]] to this day.

The informal alliance between the [[Kingdom of Leinster]] and the Anglo-Normans remained the status quo for decades, as it kept the peace and made both sides immensely wealthy. Cognisant of the political landscape, the Anglo-Normans began to marry into Gaelic families and [[More Irish than the Irish themselves|adapt to native customs]], forging alliances with Irish kingdoms to gain the upper hand over their fellow Anglo-Norman rivals. In a bid to halt the decline of English authority in the region, the crown made [[Carlow]] the capital of the [[Lordship of Ireland]] from 1361 until 1374, just {{convert|13|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of MacMurrough-Kavanagh's permanent residence at [[Old Leighlin|Leighlin]].<ref>O'Byrne, pp. 3–14</ref>

Large areas on the northern and eastern fringes of the Liberty of Carlow gradually fell completely to the [[Loígis|O'Moores]], [[O'Byrne family|O'Byrnes]] and other chiefdoms. Consequently, when the [[House of Tudor|Tudors]] [[Tudor conquest of Ireland|reconquered]] these areas in the mid 16th century ownership was not reverted to the Anglo-Normans of Carlow but was instead granted to [[Plantations of Ireland|settlers]] from [[Great Britain|Britain]]. Carlow retained its [[Irish Sea]] border, though control of this land became disputed with the ruling chiefs of the area who were petitioning for their own [[shire]]. These areas were eventually given over to [[County Wicklow]] in 1606. The present-day boundary of Carlow therefore represents the core Norman holdings in the area which had persisted since the 12th century, propped up by the [[Caomhánach]] dynasty.<ref>Doran, pp. 11–16</ref>

===Early modern history===
[[File:BrownBessMusket-CCMM.jpg|alt=Brown Bess musket on display in Co. Carlow Military Museum.|thumb|left|[[Brown Bess musket]] used in the [[1798 Rebellion]] on display in the [[County Carlow Military Museum]]]]
Following the [[Irish Confederate Wars]] in the 1650s, the great majority of Gaelic Irish and Anglo-Norman landowners were dispossessed, and their lands were granted to English soldiers who took part in the [[Cromwellian Conquest of Ireland|Cromwellian conquest]]. Carlow was one of four counties set aside by the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth]] government for the payment of public debt, although much of the land in these counties eventually ended up in the hands of notable [[List of regicides of Charles I|regicides]], considered ''"friends of the Republic"''. These lands were legally deemed to be in the possession of [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] following the [[Stuart Restoration|Restoration]], and many dispossessed Irish nobles were able to petition the king and recover their lands. The Cromwellian conquest therefore had a limited impact on Carlow, as both Charles and the [[Parliament of Ireland]] had shown leniency to ordinary soldiers who were granted land elsewhere in Ireland, but all regicides were either exiled or executed.<ref>Nolan, pp. 1–23</ref>

Carlow, along with neighbouring [[Wexford Rebellion|Wexford]], saw some of the fiercest fighting of the [[1798 Rebellion]]. The rebellion in Carlow is particularly infamous for the [[sectarian]] excesses committed within the county. Prior to the rebellion, [[Society of United Irishmen|United Irishmen]] member William Farrell had claimed "there was no part of Ireland where a better feeling of friendship existed between both Catholics and Protestants, nor no part where greater numbers of both were blood relations". However, in the wake of the [[French Revolution]], local members of the [[Orange Order]] organised into a [[Yeomanry Cavalry]] Corps which conducted nightly raids on [[Catholic]] and [[Dissenter]] homes, often burning them to the ground, in search of weapons and revolutionary literature.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://carlowhistorical.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Carloviana-No-61-2012.pdf|title=Carlovanian 2012 Edition|work=Carlow Historical and Archaeological Society|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=18 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118174719/http://carlowhistorical.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Carloviana-No-61-2012.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> 
[[File:Eithne Coyle.jpg|thumb|190px|[[Cumann na mBan]] members standing on the [[Union Jack]] in [[Duckett's Grove]], 1921]]
As feelings of persecution and religious division grew amongst the overwhelmingly Catholic populace, local United Irish leader Laurence Griffin lamented ''"the people of Carlow think of all Protestants as Orangemen"''. Catholics and non-Anglican Protestants could not vote to effect change, so they eventually joined forces with radical liberal [[Church of Ireland|Anglicans]] to overthrow the Parliament. The [[Battle of Carlow]] was one of the opening skirmishes of the rebellion in May 1798, and ended in a crushing defeat for the rebel forces. Months of intimidation and revenge attacks followed, led by [[Reverend]] Robert Rochfort of Clogrennan House, who oversaw the unlawful kidnapping, torture and execution of suspected United Irishmen, earning Rochfort the nickname ''"the slashing [[parson]]"''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historyireland.com/volume-22/slashing-parson-98/|title=The Slashing Parson of '98|work=History Ireland|date=27 December 2013|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728223500/https://www.historyireland.com/volume-22/slashing-parson-98/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Irish language]] was still spoken in Carlow as late as the 1870s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gliasáin |first=Justin Ó |date=2023-01-03 |title=Ireland's language shift: when Irish speakers switched to English |url=https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/0103/1342716-irelands-language-shift-when-irish-speakers-switched-to-english/ |language=en}}</ref>

===Revolutionary Period===
{{See also|Irish revolutionary period}}
During the [[Irish War of Independence|War of Independence]], the Carlow Brigade of the [[Irish Republican Army (1919–1922)|Irish Republican Army]] (IRA) had 6 battalions which operated in the shadow of the [[Curragh Camp]] – the [[British Army]]'s headquarters in Ireland – across Carlow, western Wicklow, southern Kildare and eastern Laois and Kilkenny. The abandoned estate at [[Duckett's Grove]] served as both an IRA training camp and the headquarters of the Carlow Brigade from 1919 to 1922.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theirishstory.com/2014/09/03/bushwhacked-the-loss-of-the-carlow-flying-column-april-1921/|title=Bushwhacked: The Loss of the Carlow Flying Column, April 1921|work=The Irish Story|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=13 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513044202/https://www.theirishstory.com/2014/09/03/bushwhacked-the-loss-of-the-carlow-flying-column-april-1921/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Plagued by poor supply-lines and hindered by a heavy [[Royal Irish Constabulary]] (RIC) presence, the Carlow Brigade was one of the least active of the war and mostly specialised in delaying tactics such as blocking roads, destroying bridges and intercepting mail. The brigade carried out a botched ambush near [[Ballymurphy, County Carlow|Ballymurphy]] in April 1921, with the loss of 12 members (4 killed and 8 captured) and vital munitions, after which no further active engagements with either the RIC or British Army were attempted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theirishstory.com/2014/09/24/understated-insurgency-the-carlow-brigade-in-the-war-of-independence-1917-1921/|title=Understated Insurgency: The Carlow Brigade in the War of Independence, 1917–1921|work=The Irish Story|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728233100/https://www.theirishstory.com/2014/09/24/understated-insurgency-the-carlow-brigade-in-the-war-of-independence-1917-1921/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Carlow Republican District Court, established in February 1922 at the [[Carlow Courthouse]], was the first post-independence court held by the government of the [[Irish Free State]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turtlebunbury.com/family/bunburyfamily_lisnavagh/TKMB/bunburyfamily_lisnavagh_tkmb1922-1923.html|title=The Irish Civil War (1922–1923)|work=Turtle Bunbury Irish Histories|access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=24 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124220027/http://www.turtlebunbury.com/family/bunburyfamily_lisnavagh/TKMB/bunburyfamily_lisnavagh_tkmb1922-1923.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Carlow saw relatively little action during the [[Irish Civil War|Civil War]], as the [[National Army (Ireland)|Free State Army]] deployed hundreds of soldiers to the former RIC strongholds within the county, effectively strangling the [[Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)|Irregulars]]. The first head of an independent Irish-Government, President of the Executive Council [[W. T. Cosgrave]], served as [[Teachta Dála|TD]] for [[Carlow–Kilkenny (Dáil constituency)|Carlow–Kilkenny]] from 1921 to 1927.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1921&cons=32|title=Carlow-Kilkenny, Election to the 2nd Dáil, 24 May 1921|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=12 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190112095022/https://www.electionsireland.org/result.cfm?election=1921&cons=32|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Places of interest==
===Landmarks===
{{See also|List of National Monuments in County Carlow}}

==== Prehistoric era ====
[[File:Digital Eye–2015–Brownshill Dolmen.jpg|thumb|[[Brownshill Dolmen]], c. 4,000 BC]]
Carlow is nicknamed the "Dolmen County", reflecting the abundance of dolmens found within its borders. Dolmens or "[[portal tomb]]s" are above-grove burial chambers which were used by [[Neolithic]] farming communities. The [[Brownshill Dolmen]], situated on the [[Hacketstown]] Road ([[R726 road (Ireland)|R726]]), has a capstone which weighs an estimated 100 metric tons, and is reputed to be the heaviest in Europe.<ref>{{cite book | last=Weir, A| year=1980 |title=Early Ireland. A Field Guide | publisher=Blackstaff Press | location=Belfast | page=101}}</ref> The tomb is listed as a [[national monument (Ireland)|national monument]]. There are at least 10 [[megalithic]] tombs within the county, of which 7 are dolmens. Carlow and Kilkenny have 14 dolmens between them, many of which are among the most impressive in Ireland. This is unusual for such a small area. In contrast, [[County Galway]], over twice the size of Carlow and Kilkenny combined, has 7 dolmens, and [[County Cork|Cork]] – Ireland's largest county – has just 2. This suggests that the fertile plains of the Barrow and its tributaries were well inhabited during the prehistoric era.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.archaeology.ie/media/archeologyie/PDFS/FileDownload,293,en.pdf |title=National Monuments in County Carlow |access-date=4 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201175839/http://www.archaeology.ie/media/archeologyie/PDFS/FileDownload,293,en.pdf |archive-date=1 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A wealth of Neolithic, [[Mesolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]] artefacts were discovered during excavations for the [[M9 motorway (Ireland)|M9 Carlow Bypass]] in 2006. A total of 57 archaeological sites were identified along the proposed route and yielded a variety of relics, including flint [[arrowhead]]s and bone scrapers, [[pottery]], hammers and axeheads made of [[granite]] and an [[Iron Age]] glass bead. These artefacts are now housed in the [[Carlow County Museum]]. Their discovery a significant distance from any water sources revealed that the extent of early settlement in the area was more widespread than previously thought.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://carlowmuseum.ie/journeys-in-time-the-archaeology-of-the-carlow-by-pass/ |title=Journeys in Time – The Archaeology of the Carlow By-pass |date=17 February 2017 |access-date=21 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728223818/https://carlowmuseum.ie/journeys-in-time-the-archaeology-of-the-carlow-by-pass/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Numerous surviving [[Ogham]] stones dot the landscape of the county. The stones use [[Ogham inscription]] to record personal names, and were most likely commemorative monuments to the deceased individual. Many of the stones are inscribed with [[Old Irish]], but some have been distinctly "Christianised" through the influence of local monastic settlements, such as the Rathglass Ogham Stone which reads ''"Donaidonas Maqi Mariani"'' – Donaidonas son of. Marianus.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.megalithicmonumentsofireland.com/COUNTIES/CARLOW/Rathglass_OghamStonePair.html |title=Rathglass Ogham Stone Pair |website=Megalithic Monuments of Ireland |access-date=21 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728230151/http://www.megalithicmonumentsofireland.com/COUNTIES/CARLOW/Rathglass_OghamStonePair.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The stones are typically cut from weather-resistant granite, although they are not immune to decay. The Patrickswell Ogham Stone, believed to have been associated with the Waterstown ecclesiastical site, is now illegible.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.megalithicmonumentsofireland.com/COUNTIES/CARLOW/Patrickswell_OghamStone.html |title=Patrickswell Ogham Stone |website=Megalithic Monuments of Ireland |access-date=21 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231417/http://www.megalithicmonumentsofireland.com/COUNTIES/CARLOW/Patrickswell_OghamStone.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Religious Structures ====
{{See also|List of monastic houses in County Carlow}}
[[File:Oldleighlin St Lazerian's Cathedral Choir 2017 09 10.jpg|thumb|left|12th-century [[St Laserian's Cathedral, Old Leighlin|St Laserian's Cathedral]]]]
Early Christian settlements were founded throughout Carlow from the 5th to 7th century. An extensive monastic site is located at [[St Mullin's]] in the southern tip of the county. The village is named after [[Saint Moling]], who founded a monastery there in the early 7th century.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/folklore-of-ireland/carlow-folklore/st-moling/st-mullins-ancient-site/ |title=St Mullins Ancient Site |website=askaboutireland.ie |access-date=19 May 2020 |archive-date=28 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128165012/http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/folklore-of-ireland/carlow-folklore/st-moling/st-mullins-ancient-site/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The monastery was said to have been built with the help of "[[Gobán Saor]]", the legendary Irish builder. An 8th-century manuscript, [[Book of Mulling|The Book of Mulling]], contains a plan of the monastery – the earliest known plan of an Irish monastery – which shows four crosses inside and eight crosses outside the circular monastic wall.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tcd.ie/library/early-irish-mss/shrine-st-moling/ |title=Early Irish Manuscripts – The Book-Shrine of Saint Moling |website=[[Trinity College Dublin]] |date=20 January 2016 |access-date=15 May 2020 |archive-date=7 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507104224/https://www.tcd.ie/library/early-irish-mss/shrine-st-moling/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 
[[File:32. St Mullin's Monastic Site, Co. Carlow.jpg|thumb|7th-century Monastic Site at [[St. Mullin's]]]]
[[Old Leighlin]] was the site of one of the largest monastic settlements in Ireland, founded by [[St Goban]] in the 6th century. In 630 AD a church synod was held at Old Leighlin which determined the date of Easter.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://carlowtourism.com/old-leighlin-2/ |title=Old Leighlin |website=Carlow Tourism |date=13 March 2012 |access-date=12 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231636/https://carlowtourism.com/old-leighlin-2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The main abbey of Old Leighlin was destroyed by fire in 1060 and replaced in the 12th century with [[St Laserian's Cathedral, Old Leighlin|St Laserian's Cathedral]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/folklore-of-ireland/carlow-folklore/st-laserian/old-leighlin-antiquities/ |title=Old Leighlin Antiquities |website=Ask About Ireland |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728224551/http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/folklore-of-ireland/carlow-folklore/st-laserian/old-leighlin-antiquities/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The cathedral remains in use to this day and was modified over centuries, with each change adding unique elements to the building. Among the most recent additions are the [[stained glass window]]s created by [[Catherine Amelia O'Brien]] in 1934. Once the cathedral church of the former [[Diocese of Leighlin]], it is now one of the six cathedrals in the [[Diocese of Cashel and Ossory]] of the [[Church of Ireland]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Old Leighlin. Carlow|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlcar2/Old_leighlin.htm|website=rootsweb.ancestry.com|publisher=ancestry.com|access-date=8 September 2014|archive-date=4 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704220631/http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlcar2/Old_leighlin.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The remote abbey of [[Clonmore, County Carlow|Clonmore]] was founded in the 6th century by [[Máedóc of Ferns]]. It flourished until the 11th century and taught Saint [[Finian Lobhar]] as well as Saint [[Chronological list of saints in the 6th century|Oncho]], who is buried at the site.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/C/Clonmore-Bantry-Wexford.php |title=Clonmore, a parish – Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) |website=libraryireland.com |access-date=29 April 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728224642/https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/C/Clonmore-Bantry-Wexford.php |url-status=live }}</ref> While the monastery's buildings have long since been demolished, a substantial cemetery remains which includes [[high cross]]es, ogham stones, [[Bullaun|ballaun stones]] and numerous inscribed grave slabs from [[Early Christian Ireland]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.megalithicireland.com/Clonmore%20Monastic%20Site.html |title=Clonmore Monastic Site |website=megalithicireland.ie |access-date=11 April 2020 |archive-date=8 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108014023/http://www.megalithicireland.com/Clonmore%20Monastic%20Site.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Another monastery was established by [[Comgall|Saint Comhgall]] in 634 and is located in present-day Carlow town.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://glasnost.itcarlow.ie/~feeleyjm/archaeology/OUTED/index4.htm |title=Mediaeval Monastic & Church Sites, Surveyed in Co Carlow. Ireland. |website=itcarlow.ie |access-date=20 May 2020 |archive-date=29 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729020111/http://glasnost.itcarlow.ie/~feeleyjm/archaeology/OUTED/index4.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Normans built a stone wall around the town in the 13th century. The monastery, which was by that stage in ruins, lay just outside of it. The burial grounds survive today at Castle Hill and a new church was built at the site in 1727, known as St. Mary's Church. A {{convert|59.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} spire was added in 1834, which remains the tallest building in the county.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.discoverireland.ie/Arts-Culture-Heritage/saint-marys-church-of-ireland/50249 |title=Saint Marys Church of Ireland |website=discoverireland.ie |access-date=23 May 2020 |archive-date=20 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120193706/http://www.discoverireland.ie/Arts-Culture-Heritage/saint-marys-church-of-ireland/50249 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow|Cathedral of the Assumption]] in Carlow town was built in a [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] style in the early 1800s and is the cathedral church of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin]].<ref name=history>{{cite web| title=History of the Cathedral| url=http://www.carlowcathedral.ie/2009/07/cathedral-of-the-assumption/?categ=ch&on=1| work=The Churches of Kildare and Leighlin| publisher=Carlow Cathedral| first=Fr. John| last=McEvoy| year=2000| access-date=24 September 2014| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408224442/http://www.carlowcathedral.ie/2009/07/cathedral-of-the-assumption/?categ=ch&on=1| archive-date=8 April 2014| url-status=dead}}</ref> It once boasted a {{convert|6|m|ft|abbr=on}}-tall ornately carved wooden pulpit, which is now on display in the [[Carlow County Museum]] and was featured in [[A History of Ireland in 100 Objects]], a national project which identified one hundred archaeological or cultural objects that are important to [[history of Ireland|Irish history]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://100objects.ie/carlow-cathedral-pulpit/ |title=Carlow Cathedral Pulpit |website=100objects.ie |date=31 January 2019 |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-date=29 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729004713/http://100objects.ie/carlow-cathedral-pulpit/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Castles====
[[File:Knockroe-Rathvilly Motte.jpg|thumb|5th-century [[Motte-and-bailey castle|Motte]] in Rathvilly]]
[[File:County Carlow - Leighlinbridge Bridge - 20180731203749.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Leighlinbridge Castle]]]]
The oldest known castles within the county date from the first few centuries AD. The two most common forms of early defensive structures were [[ringfort]]s and [[Motte-and-bailey castle]]s. This style of fortification remained prevalent for centuries, persisting even after the [[Norman Invasion of Ireland|Norman Invasion]] in the 12th century.<ref>Barrett, pp. 3–14</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=March 2023}}

The [[Rathvilly Moat]], constructed in the 400s, was home to [[Crimthann mac Énnai]], King of Leinster. The town of Rathvilly itself is named after an unknown historic ringfort, derived from the Irish ({{Irish place name|Ráth Bhile|[[ringfort]] of the trees}}).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.logainm.ie/en/25156?s=Mullaghreelan|title=Mullach Raoileann/Mullaghreelan|website=Logainm.ie|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801072924/https://www.logainm.ie/en/25156?s=Mullaghreelan|url-status=live}}</ref>

The arrival of the Normans was followed by the widespread construction of stone castles and [[Norman tower house|tower houses]] throughout Ireland. These structures did not entirely supplant the earlier forms of fortification, as evidenced by [[Castlemore Moat]], which is an example of a much later Motte-and-bailey. It was built by [[Raymond FitzGerald]] in the 12th century following his conquest of O'Nolan lands in the [[Forth (County Carlow barony)|Barony of Forth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=CW&regno=10300843|title=Additional Images: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage|website=buildingsofireland.ie|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=21 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521104547/http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=CW&regno=10300843|url-status=live}}</ref> 
[[File:Carlow Castle early morning.jpg|thumb|[[Carlow Castle]], built in 1213, was the first [[Normans|Norman]]-style four towered keep in Britain or Ireland]]
Although stone castles were generally of far superior quality, wooden structures were still favoured by the more mobile [[Irish kingdoms]], as they could be easily constructed and abandoned when necessary. As late as the 1370s, the King of Leinster, Art McMurrough-Kavanagh, is recorded as residing in a large wooden fortress in the woods near Old Leighlin.<ref>O'Byrne, pp. 9–16</ref>

For six centuries, [[Carlow Castle]] was the oldest and most imposing stone castle in the county. Built from 1207 to 1213, the town of Carlow grew around it, and it once stood as the centrepiece of the walled medieval town, complete with four towers (of which two survive). The castle endured numerous sieges and conquests, and changed hands dozens of times throughout its history, remaining intact.<ref>{{cite journal|jstor = 25493646|title = Cromwell at Carlow|last1 = Malcomson|first1 = Robert|journal = Proceedings and Transactions of the Kilkenny and South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society|year = 1854|volume = 3|issue = 1|pages = 119–128}}</ref> In 1812 the castle was leased to Dr. Phillip Parry Price Middleton, who intended to convert it into a [[psychiatric hospital]]. In an ill-fated attempt at remodelling, Middleton used [[gunpowder]] to create [[Tunnel#Cut-and-cover|cut-and-cover tunnels]] beneath the castle. This undermined the castle's foundations and its entire eastern side collapsed into rubble.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.otd.ie/index.php/tag/1814/|title=On This Day – 13th February 1814, Carlow Castle|website=otd.ie|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231439/https://www.otd.ie/index.php/tag/1814/|url-status=live}}</ref> It lay abandoned until the [[Office of Public Works]] renovated the site in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://carlowcountymuseumblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/carlowcastlebrochure.pdf|title=Carlow Castle – Stronghold on the Barrow|website=carlowcountymuseumblog.wordpress.com|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231553/https://carlowcountymuseumblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/carlowcastlebrochure.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Other notable castles and castle ruins which are listed as National Monuments include the 15th century [[Leighlinbridge Castle]], around which the town of [[Leighlinbridge]] grew; [[Ballymoon Castle]], which was constructed in the 13th century near Muine Bheag; and [[Ballyloughan Castle]] which belonged to the [[Caomhánach|Kavanagh dynasty]] until the 16th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.archaeology.ie/sites/default/files/media/pdf/monuments-in-state-care-carlow.pdf|title=CNational Monuments in State Care: Ownership & Guardianship – Carlow|website=archaeology.ie|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114052952/https://www.archaeology.ie/sites/default/files/media/pdf/monuments-in-state-care-carlow.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Estates and Manor Houses====
{{See also|List of country houses in County Carlow}}
[[File:Huntington Castle.jpg|thumb|left|Built in 1625, [[Huntington Castle, Clonegal|Huntington Castle]] is an early example of a [[Plantations of Ireland|plantation]] home]]
Carlow was at the epicentre of the estates period of the late-18th and 19th centuries, and the county had a greater number of country houses and demesnes per hectare than any other rural county in Ireland.<ref>Campbell and Royle, pp. 1–2</ref> These "[[Anglo-Irish big house|Big Houses]]" and their occupants dominated the economic and political landscape until the turn of the 20th century. Although the term was never applied at the time, historian Jimmy O'Toole refers to Carlow as ''"the most [[Landed gentry|gentrified]] county in Ireland"'' due to the concentration of aristocratic families and their grand estates within its borders.<ref>O'Toole, pp. 1–3</ref>
[[File:Frontal view of Lisnavagh Estate.JPG|thumb|right|19th-century [[Lisnavagh House]], a typical [[Anglo-Irish big house]]]]
A valuation survey undertaken in 1876 revealed that just 21 families owned {{convert|34031|ha|acre|abbr=on}} – almost 40% of the entire county.<ref>Campbell and Royle, pp. 2–5</ref> Although not as prevalent as in other counties, [[Absentee landlord|absenteeism]] by the landholding class in Carlow was still common. Towards the end of the 19th century, anger at high-rents and the widespread eviction of [[tenant farmer]]s in Ireland resulted in the [[Land War]] (1879–1882) and the formation of the [[Irish National Land League]] led by [[Charles Stewart Parnell]], which heralded the end of the estates period.<ref>Bull, pp. 28</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=March 2023}}

While as many as 300 Big Houses across Ireland were [[Destruction of Irish country houses (1919–1923)|burned down]] during the revolutionary period,<ref>{{cite book|first=Terence |last=Dooley |title=The Decline of the Big House in Ireland: A Study of Irish Landed Families |location=Dublin |publisher=Wolfhound Press |year=2001 |page=2}}</ref> Carlow was left relatively untouched, losing just three Big Houses between 1919 and 1923, two of which were unoccupied. [[Éamon de Valera]] was against such burnings and addressed supporters at the gates of Browne's Hill House in January 1923, stating that "nothing was to be achieved by the burning or damaging of homes, big or small... raid for arms, yes, but leave them as they found them".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turtlebunbury.com/history/history_family/hist_family_b_clayton.html|title=Browne Clayton of Browne's Hill, Co. Carlow|website=turtlebunburg.com|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=29 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729020129/http://www.turtlebunbury.com/history/history_family/hist_family_b_clayton.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Some of the most prominent Big Houses are currently in public ownership, such as [[Altamont House]], [[Oak Park, County Carlow|Oak Park]] and [[Duckett's Grove]]. Several historically significant Big Houses such as [[Borris House]], [[Huntington Castle, Clonegal|Huntington Castle]] and [[Dunleckney Manor]] are privately owned but open to tours and visitors at certain times of year. The majority of the surviving Big Houses within the county are in use as either private residences or hotels, while a small number have been abandoned and are in a derelict state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carlow.ie/wp-content/documents/uploads/carlow-county-development-plan-appendix-8-record-of-protected-structures.pdf|title=Record of Protected Structures in County Carlow|website=carlow.ie|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231509/http://www.carlow.ie/wp-content/documents/uploads/carlow-county-development-plan-appendix-8-record-of-protected-structures.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Natural Attractions===
====Gardens and Trails====
[[File:River Slaney at Altamont.jpg|230px|left|thumb|[[Altamont House|Altamont Gardens]]]]
The Carlow Garden Trail features 21 gardens and curated woodlands of former estate houses located within the county.<ref>{{cite web|title=Carlow Garden Trail|url=https://www.carlowgardentrail.com|website=carlowgardentrail.com|access-date=9 May 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603043300/https://www.carlowgardentrail.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> Gardens include the Delta Sensory Gardens in Carlow town, the [[Edinburgh Woollen Mill]]s [[Arboretum]] in Leighlinbridge, the Borris House gardens and woodlands, Lucy's Wood and the Newtownbarry House gardens near [[Bunclody]], the Kilgraney house gardens, the Hardymount house gardens and the Duckett's Grove gardens. The [[William Robinson (gardener)|Robinsonian-style]] gardens of [[Altamont House]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Altamont Gardens |url=http://hcgi.ie/altamont-gardens |website=Houses, Castles and Gardens of Ireland |access-date=2 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150720013701/http://hcgi.ie/altamont-gardens |archive-date=20 July 2015 }}</ref> are often referred to as "the jewel in Ireland's gardening crown".<ref name="Ask About Ireland">{{cite web|title=Altamont Garden|url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/enfo/irelands-environment/county-focus/carlow/altamont-garden/|website=Ask About Ireland|access-date=2 May 2015|archive-date=26 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926222208/http://www.askaboutireland.ie/enfo/irelands-environment/county-focus/carlow/altamont-garden/|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:The yew walk, Huntington Castle, Clonegal, Co. Carlow - geograph.org.uk - 233223.jpg|thumb|[[Taxus baccata|Yew]] grove at [[Clonegal]], planted in the early 1600s]]
There are several [[Lists of long-distance trails in the Republic of Ireland|long-distance trails]] which traverse the county. Ireland's flagship long-distance trail – the [[Wicklow Way]] – ends in [[Clonegal]] in northeastern Carlow, after crossing the [[Wicklow Mountains]] for {{convert|131|km|mi|abbr=off}}. The [[Barrow Way]] follows the course of River Barrow for {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=off}} from [[Robertstown, County Kildare|Robertstown]], County Kildare to [[St Mullin's]]. The [[South Leinster Way]] begins at the foot of [[Mount Leinster]] near [[Kildavin]], and runs for {{convert|104|km|mi|abbr=off}} before joining the [[River Suir]] at [[Carrick-on-Suir]] in County Tipperary.{{sfn|National Trails Office|2010|p=18}}

The [[Blackstairs Mountains]] are a designated [[Special Areas of Conservation]] (SAC) and contain a diverse range of habitats which are protected under Irish and European law. These habitats range from dense forested areas to open heath and [[blanket bog]]. Vegetation within the range is limited to those adapted to the strong winds and often freezing temperatures of the mountain-tops, and include Western gorse ([[Ulex gallii]]), Ling heather ([[Calluna vulgaris]]) and Bell Heather ([[Erica cinerea]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=Blackstairs Mountains|url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography/flora-fauna/habitats-of-carlow/blackstairs-mountains/|website=askaboutireland.ie|access-date=19 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231428/http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography/flora-fauna/habitats-of-carlow/blackstairs-mountains/|url-status=live}}</ref> The last recorded [[Irish wolf]] was shot and killed in [[Fennagh, County Carlow|Fenagh]] after wandering down from [[Mount Leinster]] in 1786.<ref name="Hickey">{{cite journal |url=http://www.nuigalway.ie/geography/documents/wolf.pdf |first=Kieran |last=Hickey |title=Wolf – Forgotten Irish Hunter |journal=Wild Ireland |issue=May–June 2003 |pages=10–13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325161025/http://www.nuigalway.ie/geography/documents/wolf.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2014 |access-date=30 December 2017}}</ref> Populations of [[Red deer]] and [[Feral goat]]s roam the range; however, human intervention is required to control their population as they now lack natural predators.

Other natural features and wildlife habitats within Carlow which have been identified as proposed [[Natural Heritage Area]]s include Baggot's Wood, John's Hill, Ardristan Fen, the Ballymoon Esker, the Slaney River Valley and Cloghristick Wood.<ref>{{cite web|title=Natural Heritage Areas|url=https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites/nha|website=npws.ie|access-date=23 May 2020|archive-date=12 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812004247/https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites/nha|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|state=collapsed
|1653|4969
|1659|5434
|1821|78952
|1831|81988
|1841|86228
|1851|68078
|1861|57137
|1871|51650
|1881|46568
|1891|40936
|1901|37748
|1911|36252
|1926|34476
|1936|34452
|1946|34081
|1951|34162
|1956|33888
|1961|33342
|1966|33593
|1971|34237
|1979|38668
|1981|39820
|1986|40988
|1991|40942
|1996|41616
|2002|46014
|2006|50349
|2011|54612
|2016|56932
|2022|61968
||footnote=<ref name=cso2022/><ref name=cso2016>{{cite web | url = http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=CTY31&Geog_Code=2AE19629149213A3E055000000000001 | title = Census 2016 Sapmap Area: County Carlow | publisher = [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)]] | access-date = 22 November 2018 | archive-date = 23 November 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181123022751/http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=CTY31&Geog_Code=2AE19629149213A3E055000000000001 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>For 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy 14 March 1865.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cso.ie/census|title=Server Error 404 – CSO – Central Statistics Office|website=cso.ie|access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=21 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321114801/https://www.cso.ie/census|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.histpop.org  |title=Histpop – The Online Historical Population Reports Website |date= |website=www.histpop.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507023856/http://www.histpop.org/ |archive-date=7 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census |title=Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency – Census Home Page |access-date=12 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217095720/http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census |archive-date=17 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book
|last=Lee|first=J. J.| author-link =J. J. Lee (historian)|editor-last=Goldstrom|editor-first=J. M.|editor2-last=Clarkson
|editor2-first=L. A.|title=Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell
|year=1981|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford, England
|chapter=On the accuracy of the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Pre-famine]] Irish censuses}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal  | last1 = Mokyr  | first1 = Joel
  | author-link = Joel Mokyr  | last2 = Ó Gráda  | first2 = Cormac
  | author2-link = Cormac Ó Gráda  | title = New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850  | journal = The Economic History Review  | volume = 37  | issue = 4
  | pages = 473–488  | date = November 1984
  | url = http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract  | archive-url = https://archive.today/20121204160709/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract  | url-status = dead  | archive-date = 4 December 2012  | doi = 10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x
| hdl = 10197/1406  | hdl-access = free  | url-access = subscription  }}</ref>
}}
According to the [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|Central Statistics Office]], Carlow had a population of 61,968 in the 2022, an increase of 8.8% (+5,036) since the [[2016 census of Ireland|2016 Census of Ireland]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-30 |title=Press Statement Census of Population 2022 - Summary Results Carlow - CSO - Central Statistics Office |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/pressreleases/2023pressreleases/pressstatementcensusofpopulation2022-summaryresultscarlow/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=CSO |language=en}}</ref> The population density of the county is 69.1 people per square kilometre; which, although slightly below the national average (71 people/km2), makes Carlow the 13th most densely populated of Ireland's 32 counties.

In 2022, 5.7 percent of the county's population was reported as younger than 5 years old, 27.2 percent were between 5 and 25, 52.0 percent were between 25 and 65, and 15.0 percent of the population was older than 65. A total of 2,073 people (3.4 percent) were over the age of 80. The population was evenly split between Females (50.26 percent) and Males (49.74 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.cso.ie/table/F1020|title=CSO: Census 2022 Profile 1 - Population Distribution and Movement F1020 - Population|work=CSO|date=29 June 2023 |access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref>

In 2021, there were 768 births within the county, and the average age of a first time mother was 30.5 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.cso.ie/table/VSA16|title=CSO: Births, Deaths & Marriages - VSA16 - Births|work=CSO|date=31 October 2023 |access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref>

=== Ethnicity and Migration ===
Immigration from outside Ireland resulted in a net increase of 297 people, and migration from other counties produced a net increase of 2,673 people. Population growth from 2016 to 2022 included a natural increase of 839 (+1.35%) people since the last census, coupled with an increase of 7,746 people (+12.5%) due to net [[Human migration|migration]] into the county. As of 2022, 43.6 percent of Carlow's residents were born within the county, 39.6 percent were born elsewhere in the State, and 16.8 percent were born outside of the Republic of Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.cso.ie/table/F1052|title=Census 2022 Profile 1 - Population Distribution and Movement F1052 - Birthplace of Population Usually Resident and Present in the State|work=CSO|access-date=25 May 2024}}</ref>

The number of dual Irish citizens living in Carlow increased from 943 to 1,491 while non-Irish citizens accounted for 11% of the county's population.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-30 |title=Population Changes - CSO - Central Statistics Office |url=https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpsr/censusofpopulation2022-summaryresults/populationchanges/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=CSO |language=en}}</ref>

In 2022, the racial composition of the county was:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.cso.ie/|title=Census of Population 2016 – Profile 8 Irish Travellers, Ethnicity and Religion|work=CSO|access-date=18 June 2021|archive-date=25 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825074214/https://data.cso.ie/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 89.3% [[White people|White]] (78.5% White Irish, 9.9% Other White Background, 0.9% [[Irish Traveller]])
* 2.2% [[Asian people|Asian]]
* 1.6% Others including mixed
* 1.2% [[Black people in Ireland|Black]]
* 5.8% Not stated

The largest foreign national groups by citizenship in Carlow are: [[Polish people|Polish]] (3.47 percent), [[British people|British]] (1.84 percent), [[Romanian people|Romanian]] (1.04 percent), [[Latvian people|Latvian]] (0.95 percent), [[Indian people|Indian]] (0.48 percent) and [[American people|American]] (0.47 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.cso.ie/table/F5001|title=F5001 - Population Usually Resident and Present in the State|work=CSO|access-date=29 January 2024}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{bar box
|title=Religion in Carlow – 2022
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]]|DarkOrchid|73.2}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion|None]]|Black|10.8}}
{{bar percent|[[Christianity|Other Christian]]|DodgerBlue|7.4}}
{{bar percent|[[Muslim]]|LimeGreen|1.4}}
{{bar percent|Other Stated Religions|Red|1.0}}
{{bar percent|Not Stated|SlateGray|6.2}}
}}
[[File:St John's Church, Nurney, Co. Carlow - geograph.org.uk - 203184.jpg|thumb|right|Small [[Church of Ireland]] oratory at [[Nurney, County Carlow|Nurney]]]]
Within Carlow, 83% of residents identify with a religion, while 10.8% identified as having no religion. Additionally, 6.2% of people did not state their religion. Christianity and its various denominations was by far the largest religious group in the county, constituting 80.7% of the population. [[Islam]] was the only major non-Christian religion, with 826 adherents (1.4%).

The largest denomination by number of adherents in 2022 was the [[Roman Catholic Church]] with 44,957; followed by the [[Church of Ireland]], [[Church of England|England]], [[Anglican]] and [[Episcopalian]] with 2,356, and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christianity]] with 1,097 adherents. All other Christian denominations including [[Presbyterian]], [[Pentecostal]], [[Baptist]], [[Evangelical]] and [[Methodist]]/[[Wesleyan]] had a combined 1,105 adherents. Aside from Islam, the largest non-Christian religions were [[Hinduism]] with 244 adherents, and [[Buddhism]] with 142 adherents. There were 162 adherents of all other religions. In the 2022 census, 3,800 people did not state their religion, a significant increase from 1,072 people in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.cso.ie/table/F5051|title=Census 2022 Profile 5 - Diversity, Migration, Ethnicity, Irish Travellers & Religion F5051 - Population Usually Resident and Present in the State|work=CSO|access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref>

The [[Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow|Cathedral of the Assumption]] in Carlow is the seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin]]. [[Denis Nulty]] is the current bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. The 12th-century [[St Laserian's Cathedral, Old Leighlin|St Laserian's Cathedral]] in [[Old Leighlin]] was formerly the main cathedral of the Church of Ireland [[Bishop of Leighlin|Diocese of Leighlin]], but is now one of six cathedrals in the [[Diocese of Cashel and Ossory]]. The early 19th-century Scot's Church in Carlow town is the county's largest Presbyterian church, and the Carlow Islamic Cultural Centre is also located in Carlow town.

Continuing the trend which has been observed throughout Ireland since the Census of 2006, a significant increase in the number of people who identified as having no religion was observed between 2016 and 2022. This demographic increased by 68.2% from 3,941 in 2016 to 6,628 in 2022. People with no religion account for 10.8% of the county's population.

===Urban areas===
Carlow is the county town and by far the largest settlement, with approximately 44% of the county's population. It is the [[List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland|12th largest urban area]] in the State and, excluding [[City status in Ireland|cities]], the 7th largest town.

Under [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|CSO]] classification, an "Urban Area" is a town with a population greater than 1,500. Despite having only three towns which qualify as urban areas, County Carlow is predominantly an urban county. As of the [[2022 census of Ireland|2022 census]], 57.2 percent of the county lived in urban areas (i.e. the three largest towns), and the remaining 42.8 percent lived in rural areas. Nearly two-thirds (65.6 percent) of the county's population live in the ten largest settlements.
{{Largest cities
| country      = Carlow ([[2022 census of Ireland|2022 census]])
| stat_ref     = Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.cso.ie/ |title=Census 2022 Profile 1 - Population Distribution and Movement F1015 - Population |publisher=Central Statistics Office |access-date=27 July 2023}}</ref>
| list_by_pop  =
| div_name     =
| div_link     = Barony (Ireland){{!}}Barony
| city_1 = Carlow
| div_1 = Carlow (barony){{!}}Carlow
| pop_1 = 27,351
| city_2 = Tullow
| div_2 = Rathvilly (barony){{!}}Rathvilly
| pop_2 = 5,138
| city_3 = Bagenalstown
| div_3 = Idrone East
| pop_3 = 2,945 
| city_4 = Rathvilly
| div_4 = Rathvilly (barony){{!}}Rathvilly
| pop_4 = 1,074
| city_5 = Leighlinbridge
| div_5 = Idrone East
| pop_5 = 959
| city_6 = Ballon, County Carlow{{!}}Ballon
| div_6 = Forth (County Carlow barony){{!}}Forth
| pop_6 = 801
| city_7 = Borris, County Carlow{{!}}Borris
| div_7 = Idrone East
| pop_7 = 702
| city_8 = Hacketstown
| div_8 = Rathvilly (barony){{!}}Rathvilly
| pop_8 = 653
| city_9 = Ballinabranna
| div_9 = Idrone West
| pop_9 = 557
| city_10 = Fennagh, County Carlow{{!}}Fennagh
| div_10 = Idrone East
| pop_10 = 479
}}

==Economy==
The [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland)|Central Statistics Office]] estimate of Carlow's total household income in 2017 was €1.48&nbsp;billion, ranking 24th out of 26 counties<ref name="County Incomes and Regional GDP">{{cite web|url=https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/nationalaccounts/countyincomesandregionalgdp/|title=County Incomes and Regional GDP|work=CSO|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=14 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514225739/https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/nationalaccounts/countyincomesandregionalgdp/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, Carlow residents were the 13th highest per capita tax contributors in the State, returning a total of €331&nbsp;million in taxes in 2017. This was primarily driven by the higher aggregate value of economic output from the county, along with higher wages when compared to counties in other regions such as the [[Midland Region, Ireland|Midland]] or [[Border Region]]. Per capita disposable income in 2017 was €20,154, or 96.63% of the State average, ranking it 8th in the country.<ref name="County Incomes and Regional GDP"/> The primary economic sectors within the county are retail, services, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and the food and drink industry.

===Agriculture===
[[File:Hay Bales in Carlow.jpg|thumb|Baled hay south of Carlow town]]
[[File:Rapeseed field in carlow.png|thumb|[[Rapeseed]] field near [[Tinryland]]]]
Despite its small size, Carlow has a large agricultural sector, and is a major producer of dairy, [[cereals]] and vegetables. Carlow has a tradition of producing high-quality agricultural products. [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis's]] 1837 Topographical Dictionary of Ireland noted the "highly improved state" of the county's agricultural practices. It further states that "wheat of a superior quality is grown in every part" and that [[barley]] grown in Carlow "has long been celebrated and in great demand, and large quantities are annually shipped to England".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.johngrenham.com/records/lewis.php?civilparishid=476&civilparish=Carlow&county=Carlow&search_type=full|title=Carlow in 1837|work=johngrenham.com|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603195113/https://www.johngrenham.com/records/lewis.php?civilparishid=476&civilparish=Carlow&county=Carlow&search_type=full|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Dairying]] is the most profitable agricultural sector in the county, which historically has always been the case. Lewis's 1837 description states "Dairies are numerous and the dairy farms extensive and profitable; butter, generally of very superior quality and much esteemed in English and foreign markets, is the chief produce".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/C/Carlow-Agriculture.php|title=Carlow Agriculture|work=A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1837|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603194140/https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/C/Carlow-Agriculture.php|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2018, there were 102,357 cows within the county, approximately 60% of which were [[beef cattle]], and the remainder [[dairy cattle]]. The county also has Ireland's 13th largest sheep herd (108,851 sheep) and 13th largest pig herd (40,715 pigs).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/animalidentificationmovement/|title=eAnimal Identification & Movement|work=DAFM|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=20 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520111128/https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/animalhealthwelfare/animalidentificationmovement/|url-status=live}}</ref>

There are 1,806 individual farms in the county, with a total farmed area of {{convert|71142|ha|0|abbr=on}}, accounting for 79% of land area. Of this, {{convert|16875|ha|0|abbr=on}} is under tillage, the 9th highest in Ireland, and {{convert|3450|ha|0|abbr=on}} of land is dedicated to horticulture and fruit, the 8th highest. The average size of a farm in the county is {{convert|39.4|ha|0|abbr=on}}, significantly above the national average of {{convert|31|ha|0|abbr=on}} and according to the [[Irish Farmers' Association]], the total value of agricultural produce from Carlow in 2016 was €188&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ifa.ie/cross-sectors/economics/value-of-agriculture-2016/|title=The Value of Irish Agriculture|work=IFA|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728230036/https://www.ifa.ie/cross-sectors/economics/value-of-agriculture-2016/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Industry===
[[File:Carlow Beet Factory 1935.jpg|left|thumb|Carlow Sugar Factory, 1931]]
Historically, Carlow was the primary producer of [[sugar beet]] in Ireland. The [[Greencore|Irish Sugar Manufacturing Company]] was created in 1926 by Carlow businessman Edward Duggan, and was a landmark moment in the industrialisation of the nascent Irish State. In 1933 the plant was nationalised by the newly elected [[Fianna Fáil]] government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1991-02-21/5/|title=Sugar Bill, 1990: Second Stage (Resumed)|work=oireachtas.ie|date=21 February 1991|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603194138/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1991-02-21/5/|url-status=live}}</ref> The government were pursuing a policy of [[autarky]] and recognised sugar manufacturing as a core national industry, creating a [[State-owned enterprise|State-owned]] sugar company – Comhlucht Siúicre Éireann – with the Carlow plant as its headquarters. The plant's forced closure in 2005 due to the introduction of EU sugar quotas was highly controversial.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/end-of-era-as-carlow-sugar-factory-closes-1.422157|title=End of era as Carlow sugar factory closes|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=28 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128000729/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/end-of-era-as-carlow-sugar-factory-closes-1.422157|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/pure-greed-rationale-for-sugar-plant-closure-ifa-26005134.html|title='Pure greed' rationale for sugar plant closure: IFA|work=The Farming Independent|date=21 January 2005 |access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603194139/https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/pure-greed-rationale-for-sugar-plant-closure-ifa-26005134.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Manufacturing, biosciences, retail, services and [[agribusiness]] are the county's primary economic sectors. Burnside Group are the largest single employer in the county, with over 800 employees at their sites in Tullow, Bagenalstown and Carlow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://npf.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/0391-Carlow-County-Council.compressed.pdf|title=Ireland 2040 National Planning Framework – Our Plan|work=Carlow County Council|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=23 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023044933/https://npf.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/0391-Carlow-County-Council.compressed.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Manufacturing firm Autolaunch employ 300 people at their plant in Muine Bheag. Pharmaceutical giant [[Merck Sharp & Dohme]] has a [[vaccine]] manufacturing plant in Carlow, which employs 300 people, and [[Tirlán]] agribusiness has two feed mills in the county, at Carlow and Tinnahinch. The county is also a key supplier to the Tirlán milk pool.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kilkennynow.ie/glanbia-paid-kilkenny-farmers-e168m-for-milk-last-year-agm/|title=Glanbia paid Kilkenny farmers €168m for milk last year: AGM|work=kilkennynow.ie|date=30 May 2019|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603194349/https://kilkennynow.ie/glanbia-paid-kilkenny-farmers-e168m-for-milk-last-year-agm/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the services and IT sector, US-based insurance firm [[Unum]] employs 150 people in Carlow town, and indigenous security firm Netwatch, headquartered in Carlow town, employs 160 people, with an additional 340 employees in the UK and USA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://npf.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/0517-Carlow-Chamber-of-Commerce.compressed.pdf|title=County Carlow Chamber of Commerce, Tourism and Initiative CLG|work=Carlow Chamber of Commerce|access-date=24 May 2020|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101012900/https://npf.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/0517-Carlow-Chamber-of-Commerce.compressed.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

Multinational oil and gas exploration company [[Tullow Oil]] was founded in [[Tullow]] by [[Aidan Heavey]] in 1985. The company, which is now headquartered in London, is listed on the [[Irish Stock Exchange]] and recorded a revenue of just over €1.6&nbsp;billion in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our history and performance|url=http://www.tullowoil.com/index.asp?pageid=13|publisher=Tullow Plc Website|access-date=28 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325090719/http://www.tullowoil.com/index.asp?pageid=13|archive-date=25 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=results>{{cite web|url=https://www.tullowoil.com/application/files/7317/0970/8655/Tullow_Oil_PLC_-_2023_Full_Year_Results_FINAL.pdf|title=Annual Results 2023|access-date=6 March 2024|publisher=Tullow Oil plc }}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
[[Image:M9Carlow.JPG|thumb|220px|Carlow bypass/[[N80 road (Ireland)|N80]] junction]]
[[Image:Mt Leinster Road, Carlow-2.jpg|thumb|[[Local roads in Ireland|Local road]] in the Blackstairs Mountains]]

===Transport===
====Road====
County Carlow is located along the main Dublin to Waterford motorway, the [[M9 motorway (Ireland)|M9]]. The M9 bypasses Carlow town to the south and has aided the growth of other commuter towns located near junctions along the M9, such as Leighlinbridge and Ballinabranna. The [[N80 road (Ireland)|N80]] cross-cuts the county for {{convert|33|km|mi|abbr=on}}, running from Carlow town to the Wexford border at Bunclody. The [[N81 road (Ireland)|N81]] was built to replace the old local railway line and traverses the county for {{convert|22|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Ballon, through Rathvilly and Tullow, up to the County Wicklow border and on to Dublin city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tii.ie/roads-tolling/our-road-network/|work=Transport Infrastructure Ireland|title=National Road Network|access-date=25 May 2020|archive-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801052930/https://www.tii.ie/roads-tolling/our-road-network/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Bus Éireann]], as well as private coach operators, provide bus services to villages and towns across the county.

The county is served by the following national [[National primary road|primary roads]] and [[National secondary road|secondary roads]]:
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: 10px"
! colspan="5" align=center style="background-color: #cfb;" | Major roads in County Carlow
|-
! style="background-color: #cfb;" | Road Name
! align=left style="background-color: #cfb;" width="600" | Description
! align=right style="background-color: #cfb;" | Length
|-
| align=right | [[File:IRL N9.svg|60px|link= N9 road (Ireland)]] [[Image:M9-IE confirmatory.svg|60px|link=M9 motorway (Ireland)]]|| [[Dublin]] – [[Carlow]] – [[Kilkenny]] – [[Waterford]] || {{convert|119.01|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
| align=right | [[File:IRL N80.svg|60px|link= N80 road (Ireland)]]|| [[Tullamore]]  – [[Portlaoise]] – [[Carlow]] – [[Enniscorthy]]|| {{convert|114.7|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|-
| align=right | [[File:IRL N81.svg|60px|link= N81 road (Ireland)]]|| [[Tallaght]] – [[Blessington]] – [[Baltinglass]] – [[Rathvilly]] – [[Tullow]] || {{convert|76.8|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|}

====Rail====
[[File:Borris Viaduct, Borris, County Carlow-1.jpg|thumb|right|The {{convert|800|m|ft|abbr=on}}-long Borris railway viaduct was completed in 1860]]
Rail coverage in Carlow is sparse, with only one active rail line currently serving the county. The [[Great Southern and Western Railway]] extended to Carlow town in August 1846. This line remains in use and serves both Carlow town and Muine Bheag along the main [[Dublin–Waterford railway line]]. The line is operated by [[Irish Rail]] and runs eight trains per day (Monday to Friday) from Carlow to [[Heuston Station]]. It is primarily used by commuters to Dublin city.

Historically, the railway network was more extensive. A rail line ran from [[Naas]] in County Kildare to Tullow and Rathvilly. This line opened in 1886 and was designed to pass through the scenic west Wicklow hills. The line closed for passenger traffic in 1947, and finally terminated all operations in 1959.<ref>{{cite web | title=Rathvilly station | work=Railscot – Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | access-date=23 November 2007 | archive-date=2 March 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302022802/http://www.railbrit.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/r/rathvilly/index.shtml |title=Disused stations – Rathvilly  |access-date=25 May 2020 |archive-date=21 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221231744/http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/r/rathvilly/index.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

An additional line connecting Carlow to [[Wexford]] was constructed by the Bagenalstown and Wexford Railway Company. It opened its first station in December 1858 and operated two trains per day before going bankrupt in June 1864. Great Southern and Western Railway bought the line, and its successor [[CIÉ]] continued its services until 1 January 1963.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography/transport/growth-of-transportation-/railways-2-carlow-bagenal/ |title=Bagenalstown to Wexford Railway |website=askaboutireland.ie |access-date=25 May 2020 |archive-date=21 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721192003/http://askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography/transport/growth-of-transportation-/railways-2-carlow-bagenal/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Air====
{{See also|List of airports in the Republic of Ireland}}
For international flights, [[Dublin Airport]] is the closest international airport to Carlow. The airport is less than 2 hours by car from most towns and villages in the county. The airport can also be accessed via bus from some of the larger towns, or by linking the train from Carlow town or Bagenalstown to the [[Aircoach]] in Dublin city. [[Waterford Airport]] is the closest regional airport; however, it is currently non-operational.

The county has two airstrips which are used for light aircraft and recreational flying. The Hacketstown Airfield ([[ICAO airport code|ICAO Code]]: EIHN) is located on the Tinaheally Road approximately {{convert|1|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of Hacketstown and has one 375m runway. The Killamaster Airstrip is located {{convert|12|km|mi|abbr=on}} northwest of Carlow town.<ref>[http://www.flyinginirelandmagazine.com/main/content/view/16/40/ Airfield and Airport Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830221335/http://www.flyinginirelandmagazine.com/main/content/view/16/40/ |date=30 August 2009 }}. Flying in Ireland magazine.</ref>

==Sport==
===GAA===
{{Main|Carlow GAA}}
[[File:Croke Park 17 Mar 2014.jpg|thumb|Mount Leinster Rangers at the [[2014 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Final|2014 All-Ireland Club Final]]]]
In [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]], Carlow is recognised as a [[dual county]], meaning that [[Gaelic football]] and [[Hurling]] are equally popular. The county competes in Division 1B of the [[National Hurling League]] and Division 3 of the [[National Football League (Ireland)|National Football League]]. Historically, the county has seen little success at top level in either sport, its biggest achievement being a Leinster football [[Leinster Senior Football Championship|provincial]] win in 1944. That year, Carlow progressed to the [[All-Ireland Senior Football Championship|All-Ireland]] semi-final, in which they were beaten by [[Kerry GAA|Kerry]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.carlowgaa.ie |title=Carlow GAA Website |website=carlowgaa.ie |access-date=13 March 2020 |archive-date=24 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524151819/https://carlowgaa.ie/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

At club level, the county has seen much more success. Football clubs compete annually in the [[Carlow Senior Football Championship]]. The competition was first played for two years in 1889 and 1890, after which financial constraints suspended activities until 1897. Ballon O'Gorman Mahons won the first, and what would be their only, championship title in 1889, beating the Tullow Stars and Stripes 1–01 to 0–00. The most successful club in the county is [[Éire Óg GAA (Carlow)|Éire Óg]], with 28 Senior Football Championship titles. At provincial level, clubs from Carlow have won 6 [[Leinster Senior Club Football Championship]] titles, the 3rd most of any county. Of these, Éire Óg have won 5 and [[O'Hanrahans GFC]] have won 1, the most recent of which was in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://leinster.gaa.ie/rollofhonour/rhleinsterFootball.asp |title=Leinster Football Role of Honour |website=leinster.gaa.ie |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221112438/http://leinster.gaa.ie/rollofhonour/rhleinsterFootball.asp |access-date=17 April 2020 |archive-date=21 February 2011 }}</ref> No team from Carlow has ever won the [[All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship]], although Éire Óg have been runners up on two occasions in 1993 and 1996.

The county's hurling tradition is more recent, dating back to the first [[Carlow Senior Hurling Championship]] in 1927. The first championship was won by Carlow town in a 2–03 to 1–04 victory over Bagnelstown. The most successful hurling club in the county is [[St. Mullin's GAA|St. Mullin's]], with 27 titles. In 2013 [[Mount Leinster Rangers GAA|Mount Leinster Rangers]] became the first Carlow club to win a [[Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship|Leinster Senior Club Hurling]] title,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.the42.ie/mount-leinster-rangers-denis-murphy-1232211-Dec2013/ |title=History – Mount Leinster Rangers amazing hurling achievement in 2013 |website=the42.ie |date=27 December 2013 |access-date=12 April 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728230116/https://www.the42.ie/mount-leinster-rangers-denis-murphy-1232211-Dec2013/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and the club made in to the finals of the [[All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship|All-Ireland]] the following year, but were beaten by [[Portumna GAA|Portumna]].

===Other sports===
[[File:River Barrow - geograph.org.uk - 488725.jpg|thumb|Fishing along the River Barrow]]
In addition to Gaelic games, clubs for other organised sports were set up across the county in the latter half of the 19th century. Several Carlow landlords were involved in the formation of the [[Phoenix Cricket Club]] (Ireland's oldest cricket club) in 1830. Local aristocrat Horace Rochfort founded the Carlow Cricket Club the following year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/sports-recreation/sport/sporting-carlow/cricket/ |title=Cricket |website=askaboutireland.ie |access-date=19 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728223641/http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/sports-recreation/sport/sporting-carlow/cricket/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Bagnelstown]] Cricket Club was set up in 1843, making the derby between these two clubs the longest provincial cricket rivalry in Ireland. Towards the end of his life, Rochfort also established the [[County Carlow Football Club|Carlow Rugby Football Club]] (Ireland's second oldest rugby club) in 1873, as well as the Carlow (and later Ireland) [[Polo]] club.<ref>{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=aRFeCgAAQBAJ&q=horace+rochfort+polo&pg=PA23 |title=Profiles in Polo: The Players Who Changed the Game |work=Horace A. Laffaye|isbn=9781476662732 |access-date=22 May 2020 |last1=Laffaye |first1=Horace A. |date=28 August 2015 |publisher=McFarland }}</ref>

In association football, Carlow was represented in the [[League of Ireland]] by [[F.C. Carlow]], which competed in the [[A Championship]] until the club's disbandment in 2016. While the county currently lacks a prominent football club, local amateur clubs compete in the Carlow and District Football League.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.carlowsoccer.ie/homepage.aspx?oid=1027 |title=CDFL Home |website=Carlow Soccer |access-date=15 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728223818/http://www.carlowsoccer.ie/homepage.aspx?oid=1027 |url-status=live }}</ref> There are also over a dozen golf courses within the county, among them the Carlow Golf Club, Killerig castle, Borris Golf Club and the Mount Wolseley Spa and Golf Resort.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Club
! Sport
! League
|-
| [[County Carlow Football Club]]
| [[Rugby union]]
| [[Leinster League]]
|-
| IT Carlow Basketball
| [[Basketball]]
| NBCC League
|-
| Carlow Cricket Club
| [[Cricket]]
| [[Leinster Cricket Union]]
|-
| Carlow Hockey Club
| [[Field hockey]]
| Leinster Hockey Association
|-
| St Laurence O'Toole AC
| [[Athletics (sport)|Athletics]]
| National Championships
|-
| Carlow Lawn Tennis Club
| [[Tennis]], [[Badminton]], [[Squash (sport)|Squash]]
| {{center| – }}
|}

==Culture and Heritage==
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = Butler Coat of Arms Rampart Lion (cropped).png
| width1 = 85
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = Lions rampant of the [[Butler dynasty]]
| image2 =  Arms of William the Conqueror (1066-1087).svg
| width2 = 103
| alt2 = 
| footer = 
| caption2 = Lions passant of [[Duchy of Normandy|Normandy]]
}}
The patrimony of the [[Butler dynasty|Butlers of Ormond]] encompassed parts of County Carlow as well as most of the modern counties of [[County Tipperary|Tipperary]] and [[County Kilkenny|Kilkenny]], and all three counties share a [[Armorial of Ireland#Counties|similarly styled coat of arms]] which reflect the Butler dynasty. Their first recorded use was in 1665, collectively making them the oldest county coats of arms in Ireland.<ref name=carney>Genealogical office Ms.60, ''Some 1150 Tricks of Family arms, with arms of Bishoprics and of counties Carlow, Tipperary and Kilkenny collected by Carney, Ulster about 1668'', folio 190</ref> Most other counties adopted a coat of arms after independence, whereas Carlow, Kilkenny and Tipperary continue to use their historic Butler-era coat of arms.<ref>[[Arthur Charles Fox-Davies]], ''The Book of Public Arms'', Second edition, London, 1915</ref>
[[File:Carlow colours.PNG|thumb|left|150px|The Carlow Gaelic games flag]]
The county's [[coat of arms]] comprises an [[Ermine (heraldry)|Ermine]] field – a white background with a pattern of black shapes representing the winter coat of the [[stoat]].  The linings of medieval coronation cloaks and some other garments, usually reserved for use by high-ranking peers such as the Butlers, were made by sewing many ermine furs together to produce a luxurious white fur with patterns of hanging black-tipped tails.

There are two further symbols per [[Fess]]. On the left side, a red [[Lion (heraldry)#Lions rampant|lions rampant]], the heraldic symbol of the branch of the Butler dynasty which resided within Carlow. On the right side, two [[Lion (heraldry)#Lions passant|lions passant]] from the [[Flag and coat of arms of Normandy|coat of arms of Normandy]], which symbolise that the Butlers derived their authority from the [[Angevin Empire|Angevin monarch]].<ref>Purcell, pp. 6–17</ref> This latter symbol makes Carlow's coat of arms unique in the [[Republic of Ireland]], where British monarchical emblems are not typically present on local or national government seals.
[[File:A Carlow Fence at Muine Bheag.jpg|thumb|right|190px|A "Carlow Fence"]]
In [[Gaelic games]], the [[List of flags of Ireland#County Flags|county flag]] was first adopted in 1910.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-irishman-s-diary-1.271507 |title=An Irishman's Diary |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=24 May 2020 |archive-date=22 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122202054/https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-irishman-s-diary-1.271507 |url-status=live }}</ref> The flag is a green, red and yellow [[Tricolour (flag)|tricolour]] adapted from the coat of arms of [[Carlow town]]. The town's coat of arms displays a green and yellow flag with the Butler red lion in the centre, flying over [[Carlow Castle]]. The county flag has several variant forms, often displaying either the county coat of arms or the [[Carlow GAA]] logo in the middle.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://carlowtourism.com/carlow-flag/ |title=Carlow Flag |website=carlowtourism.com |access-date=20 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231641/https://carlowtourism.com/carlow-flag/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===County Songs===
The Irish [[Folk music|folk song]] "[[Follow Me Up to Carlow]]" is the county anthem,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://carlow-nationalist.ie/2018/11/16/new-website-features-all-things-carlow/ |title=New website features all things Carlow |website=carlownationalist.ie |date=16 November 2018 |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728224713/https://carlow-nationalist.ie/2018/11/16/new-website-features-all-things-carlow/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and is used for a variety of tourism and sporting purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://carlowtourism.com/follow-me-up-to-carlow-concert-series/ |title=The Follow Me Up To Carlow Concert Series |website=carlowtourism.com |access-date=10 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231638/https://carlowtourism.com/follow-me-up-to-carlow-concert-series/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the song itself is not actually about Carlow. It celebrates the defeat of the [[English army]] by [[Fiach McHugh O'Byrne|Fiach Mac Aodh Ó Broin]] at the [[Battle of Glenmalure]] in 1580. A "Song for Carlow" competition was held in 2005 to select a new unofficial anthem based on the county. Out of 112 entries, a song entitled "The Red, Yellow and Green" by country singer [[Derek Ryan (singer)|Derek Ryan]] was chosen as the winner by a live audience and panel of judges.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.myshalldrumphea.com/song-for-carlow.htm |title=Garryhill Duo Win 'Song for Carlow' |website=myshalldrumphea.com |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=20 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120152226/http://www.myshalldrumphea.com/song-for-carlow.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Comedian [[Richie Kavanagh]] has also written numerous songs which make reference to the county and its landmarks, including "It's Called the County Carlow" and "The Carlow Fence" – a comedic song of admiration for the county's unique [[Quaker]]-style decorative [[granite]] fences.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.richiekavanagh.ie/song-lyrics/the-carlow-fence/ |title=The Carlow Fence by Richie Kavanagh |website=richiekavangh.ie |access-date=20 May 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728224556/https://www.richiekavanagh.ie/song-lyrics/the-carlow-fence/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.conry-michael-books.com/2_the_carlow_fence.html |title=The Carlow Fence |website=conry-michael-books.com |access-date=20 May 2020 |archive-date=16 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216143841/http://www.conry-michael-books.com/2_the_carlow_fence.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Art and Festivals===
The VISUAL Centre is located on the Old Dublin Road in Carlow town and hosts a [[contemporary art]] museum as well as the [[George Bernard Shaw]] Theatre. Shaw had familial ties to the town and inherited properties through his mother's family. He donated his properties to the Carlow Urban Council in 1944 for the ''"common welfare"'', specifically stipulating that the properties could not be privately sold or used to subsidise the local rates.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.visualcarlow.ie |title=VISUAL Carlow |website=visualcarlow.ie |access-date=24 May 2020 |archive-date=16 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516005739/https://www.visualcarlow.ie/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

There are a number of cultural activities and events held within the county each year. The Carlow Arts Festival has been held annually since 1979 and is aimed at promoting culture and the arts within the county.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://carlowartsfestival.com |title=Carlow Arts Festival |website=carlowartsfestival.com |access-date=24 May 2020 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605092421/https://carlowartsfestival.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Taste of Carlow Festival is centred around local [[cuisine]] and showcases locally produced bread, cheese, pastries and [[Craft Beer]]s. The Festival of Writing and Ideas is held each year on the grounds of Borris House and features live discussions with novelists, poets and journalists.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://festivalofwritingandideas.com |title=Festival of Writing and Ideas |website=festivalofwritingandideas.com |access-date=24 May 2020 |archive-date=29 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729023116/https://festivalofwritingandideas.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==People==
{{See also|Category: People from County Carlow}}
[[Image:Omearaautumnal.jpg|thumb|180px|''Autumnal greys'' (1880) by [[Frank O'Meara]]]]
*[[Turtle Bunbury]] – Historian and author
*[[Pierce Butler (American politician)|Pierce Butler]] – soldier, planter, and statesman, recognized as one of United States' [[Founding Fathers]]
*[[Finnian of Clonard]], 5th century saint
*[[William Dargan]] – engineer, often seen as the father of Irish railways
*[[Alan Harverson]] – organist and teacher{{citation needed|date=May 2021|reason=source needed for his connection with Carlow}}
*[[Samuel Haughton]] – polymath, in 1866 published a formula for calculating the drop needed to cause instantaneous death at hangings
*[[Richie Kavanagh]] – comic songwriter
*[[Myles Keogh]] – [[American Civil War]] military officer and later [[Captain (US Army)|Captain]] of Company I, [[7th Cavalry Regiment (United States)|U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment]]
*[[Richard Montfort]] – architect and engineer, first Chief Engineer of the [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]].
*[[David Mullins (jockey)|David Mullins]] – Irish jockey, notable for riding [[Rule The World (horse)|Rule The World]] to win the [[2016 Grand National]]
*[[Peter Murphy (broadcaster)|Peter Murphy]] – radio and television broadcaster, presented [[RTÉ]]'s ''Cross Country Quiz'', was born in Carlow
*[[Seán O'Brien (rugby union, born 1987)|Seán O'Brien]] – Leinster, London Irish, Ireland and British & Irish Lions international rugby player
*[[Frank O'Meara]] – Carlow-born artist known for his [[impressionist]], [[plein air]] [[landscape painting]]
*[[Thomas P. O'Neill (historian)|Thomas P. O'Neill]], historian
*[[Mary O'Toole]] – first woman [[Municipal court|municipal]] judge in the United States
*[[Saoirse Ronan]] – Oscar nominated and Golden Globe awarded actress
*[[Derek Ryan (singer)|Derek Ryan]] – Country music singer & former member of Pop band [[D-side]]
* [[Molly Scott (athlete)|Molly Scott]] - athlete and barrister
*[[William Desmond Taylor]] – silent film director and actor
*[[Kathryn Thomas]] – RTÉ presenter
*[[John Tyndall]] – the 19th century scientist who was the first to explain why the sky is blue

==See also==
*[[List of monastic houses in Ireland#County Carlow|List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Carlow)]]
*[[Lord Lieutenant of Carlow]]
*[[High Sheriff of Carlow]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{EB1911 poster|Carlow (county)}}
{{wikivoyage}}
*[http://www.carlow.ie Carlow Local Authorities]

==Bibliography==
* Campbell, Timothy R. and Royle, Stephen A.: The country house and its demesne in County Carlow.
* Conry, Michael: The Personality of County Carlow: landscape and people. Carlow History and Society
* Doran, Linda: Medieval settlement hierarchy in Carlow and the 'Carlow Corridor' 1200–1550. Carlow History and Society
* {{Cite book |first=George |last=Fletcher |title=Ireland |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge, UK |year=1922 |isbn=978-1316620021}}
* {{cite web |author=National Trails Office |year=2010 |url=http://www.irishtrails.ie/National_Trails_Office/Publications/NTO_Review.pdf |title=Setting New Directions. A review of National Waymarked Ways in Ireland |publisher=[[Irish Sports Council]] |location=Dublin |accessdate=30 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531143831/http://www.irishtrails.ie/National_Trails_Office/Publications/NTO_Review.pdf |archive-date=31 May 2011 }}
* Nolan, William: County Carlow 1641–1660: Geography, land ownership and society. Carlow History and Society
* O’Byrne, Emmett: 'A divided loyalty': The MacMurroughs, the Irish of Leinster and the Crown of England 1340–1420. Carlow History and Society
* O'Toole, Jimmy: The landed gentry in decline – A County Carlow perspective.
* Purcell, Michael Carlow in Old Pictures & Carlow in Old Pictures Vol 2

{{Geographic location
|North = [[County Kildare|Kildare]] <!-- Commented out: [[File:KildareCrest.png|32px]] --> 
|West = [[County Kilkenny|Kilkenny]] [[File:County Kilkenny arms.svg|27px]]
|Northwest = [[County Laois|Laois]] [[File:Laoiscocologo.png|38px]]
|Centre = County Carlow
|East = [[County Wicklow|Wicklow]]|Southeast = [[County Wexford|Wexford]] [[File:IRL COA County Wexford 3D.svg|30px]]
}}

{{County Carlow}}
{{Ireland counties}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|52|40|N|6|50|W|region:IE_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki|display=title}}

[[Category:County Carlow| ]]
[[Category:Leinster|Carlow]]
[[Category:Counties of the Republic of Ireland|Carlow]]
[[Category:Local government areas of the Republic of Ireland|Carlow]]