County Louth is the smallest county in Ireland but nonetheless offers wonderful attractions for its size.
The county, located north of Dublin on the east coast of Ireland is only 820 square kilometres in size and because of this is known affectionately as the "Wee County".
The county has a population of 111,000.
Bisected by the M1 motorway that forms the North/South Economic Corridor, the county stretches from the historic town of Drogheda in the south on the border with County Meath to the medieval town of Carlingford on the Cooley Peninsula and adjoins the Northern Ireland counties of Down and Armagh.
Louth consists mainly of fertile surging country with a coastline of sandy bays and occasional rocky headlands.
In the North, between Dundalk Bay and Carlingford Lough, is the mountainous Cooley Peninsula and it is here that the legend of the Cattle Raid of Cooley lives on.
Its wild and powerful landscape is a fitting location for this epic tale famed in Irish mythology.
Here the scenery is stunning as the mountains sweep down to the lovely villages of Carlingford and Omeath, which look across Carlingford Bay to the towns of Kilkeel and Warrenpoint in County Down.
This area of Ireland is often referred to as the "Killarney of the North" such is the beauty of the landscape.
Despite being the smallest county in Ireland by land area, Louth is densely populated.
The two main towns, Drogheda and Dundalk comprise a population of approximately 70,000 people and both have rapidly expanded during nineties and noughties because of their proximity to Dublin and the completion of the M1 motorway.
The improved road infrastructure, together with an excellent main line railway network, has made them ideal towns for commuters working in Dublin.
Located on the N2, Ardee is Louth's third town.
This is a much smaller market town, with a population of some 4,000 people.
Another small town that is growing rapidly is the mid- Louth town of Dunleer.
There is a wide range of accommodation in Louth from castles such Smarmore Castle and Darver Castle in mid- Louth to a variety of hotels, guesthouses and B&B's.
There are plenty of restaurants and pubs for lively entertainment throughout the towns and rural areas of the county.
Louth offers many leisure pursuits from mountain climbing to sea-fishing, horse and greyhound racing at Dundalk, and numerous golf clubs throughout the county, including the world-famous Co.
Louth Golf Club, better known as Baltray, at Drogheda.
Louth is also the site of many historical and heritage sites including Old Melllifont Abbey, near Collon and the Monasterboice Tower and Muirdeachs High Cross north of Drogheda.
A trip to the county of Louth will surprise those who were of misconception that it offered nothing of interest to the tourist.