Dundalk

Dundalk (Irish: Dún Dealgan) is a town in County Louth, Republic of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland. It takes its name from Dún Dealgan, "Dalga's fort" and officially became a town in 1189. It is located at a ford on the Castletown River. The town's crest reads "Mé do rug Cú Chulainn Cróga" (I gave birth to brave Cú Chulainn) Dundalk is twinned with the town of Rezé in France.^[2]

Dundalk Irish: Dún Dealgan
Town
Clanbrassil Street, the main thoroughfare of Dundalk
Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Mé do rug Cú Chulainn cróga  (Irish) "I gave birth to brave Cú Chulainn"
Dundalk Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 54.009°N 6.4049°W / 54.009; -6.4049
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Louth
Dáil Éireann	Louth-East Meath
EU Parliament	East
Area [1]
• Town	24.68 km2 (9.53 sq mi)
Population  (Census 2011)
• Rank	6th
• Urban	31,073
• Rural	25,581
• CSA	56,654
Irish Grid Reference	J048074
Dialing code	042, +353 42
Website	www.dundalk.ie

Dundalk has a large population of 39,004 inhabitants. In 2003, Dundalk was amongst nine cities and towns to be given "Gateway status" in the Irish Government's "National Spatial Strategy". "Gateway towns" will be the first to get funding for improving their towns.^[3]