What's the story here?

Omeath is a small village with a slip located on the Cooley Peninsula near the head of the Carlingford Lough inlet and on its southwestern shore. Omeath had a population of about 600.




The slip and surrounding area dry out completely at low water. Vessels either have to take to the ground close-in or anchor well out in limited water. 1 metre of water, in excellent mud holding, will be found about 300 metres east by northeast of the head of the slip.

How to get in?

Seaward approaches are detailed in eastern Ireland's coastal overview for Strangford Lough to Dublin Bay . Navigating Carlingford Lough provides a tide timer for the entrance and sailing directions for the run-up the Lough.

At the No. 22 Port-hand marker, Fl.R.2s, lading into the Warrenpoint entrance channel and turn off to port for the town. The area immediately offshore of Omeath dries out well beyond the end of the slip at low water.




Anchor according to draft or conditions. Land at the slip that has water on the top half of the tide. At high water, the slip has about 0.5 metres alongside. It is also possible to haul the tender up onto the foreshore.

Why visit here?

Omeath, in Irish: 'Ó Méith', the name comes from the 'Ui Méith' tribe that settled here around the 4th century. The tribe separated and settled into two territories; one called alternatively 'Ui Méith Tire' or Ui Méith Macha from its inland and/or Armagh situation, the other 'Ui Méith' or Ui Méith Mara on account of it bordering the sea. This became anglicised to the name of 'Ó Méith' and finally Omeath. The inhabitants of the area in the ninth and tenth centuries were the Aighneachta. They called the area 'Cuailghne' a contraction of 'Cuan Sminih Aigneach' that meant the 'Bay of the swim of Aigneach'.




When the Vikings first came to 'Karlingfjord', as they named it, they laid upon the shores for some time in harmony with their Irish neighbours. However, this changed when they became more aggressive and territorial. They plundered and destroyed the early Christian monastery of 'Cillansnimh', 'Church of the Swim', at Narrow Water in 841 A.D. and then the Viking leader, 'Horn', established a permanent naval base in Omeath around 851 A.D.




This caused considerable friction and an uneasy relationship with the natives from that time onward. The Viking Omeath stronghold held out for more than 70 years and they ruled the lough area from this seat. In 928 A.D. Muirchertach mac Néill, called 'Muirchertach of the Leather Cloaks', in old Irish 'Muirchertach na Cochall Craicinn', drove them out of the area. Muirchertach's brother became High King Of Ireland, and later, his son Domnall ua Néill was crowned High King in 956.




The first inhabitation of Omeath may have been tied to the Viking invasion, but the present-day village's foundation was an evolution from a railway station. The 1873 Dundalk, Newry, Greenore Railway, (DNGR) provided a link between the towns in its title runs close to the western shore of Carlingford Lough. These connected to the North Western Railway port at Greenore, where a ferry service operated to Holyhead. It was formally wound up in 1957, and in its time, it made Omeath a favourite resort for Northern Ireland day-trippers. But unlike its opposite Warrenpoint, Omeath never developed into a major residential centre.




During the time it was serviced by the railway Omeath became a noted Irish-speaking area and had its own college. The people of the Carlingford Mountains tended not to travel far into the anglicised parts, where the speaking of Gaelige had been banned. This caused the language and its rich tapestry of folklore to remain alive here in this remote hinterland. However, a decline was inevitable, and in the 1950s and 60s, the rich Gaelic tradition began to fade owing to economic migration to England and America. The college existed until the early twentieth century where the Park Hotel now stands. The last native speaker of Omeath Irish was Anne O'Hanlon, who died in 1960 aged 89. One of the most respected regional poets, Seamus MacCurtha, lived in Omeath.




Today, nestled at the foot of the large ranges of the Carlingford Mountains, chief amongst them the 512 metres Clermont Cairn and the 589 metres Carlingford Mountain, Omeath is a quiet, sleepy village overlooking the beautiful Carlingford Lough. At low tide, the drying sandy shore, with stones and seaweed, makes the area popular with commercial winkle collectors. The small summertime ferry provides a close link to Warrenpoint across the border where slight variances of local laws or currency exchange rates provide the occasional incentive to cross over.




Sited on the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, steeped in Irish history and with an abundance of spectacular scenery, Omeath is another quiet stopover for a shallow draft vessel’s tour of Carlingford Lough. It is the ideal point to join The 7km-long Carlingford–Omeath Greenway coastal path, which now follows the old Dundalk, Newry and Greenore railway and is open to both walkers and cyclists. Less than a half mile from Warrenpoint it is also a good quieter alternative to the busy town.

What facilities are available?

Omeath is a very small village that has a restaurant, pub, basic provisions and a petrol station. It has good road access located on the R173 regional road approximately 6 km from Carlingford and about 8 km from Newry.

A regular bus service runs through the village and links the village with Newry and Dundalk town. Bus Éireann Route 161 operates Monday to Friday, and Halpenny Travel operates a service on Sundays with journeys to Dundalk and Newry.

In the summer months, a regular foot passenger ferry service operates between Omeath and Warrenpoint County Down. Bikes and small motorcycles can also use this service during the summer months.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred in Omeath.

With thanks to:

Brian McJury, Warrenpoint Harbour Master.