Dundalk Bay

Dundalk Bay is a shallow inlet on Ireland's eastern coast, bordered to the north by the mountains of the Cooley peninsula. Rivers enter the bay near Dundalk, and at low tide extensive sands and mudflats are exposed. North of the peninsula, Carlingford Lough offers another route into the coast; the medieval port of Carlingford traded through its sheltered waters. Ships approaching Dundalk had to find their way among the shallows and tides, while fishing communities worked the waters along the shore.