Carlingford Heritage Centre

Carlingford Heritage Centre is located in the deconsecrated Church of Ireland Holy Trinity Church in the heart of the medieval town of Carlingford. There are several points of interest that make it well worth a visit. A colourful mural decorating the interior western façade presents an artist’s impression of how Carlingford looked in the Middle Ages and allows the Centre’s staff to visually guide visitors around medieval Carlingford. The opposite eastern façade boasts the stunning Hugh Moore stained-glass. The Centre has on permanent display the documented history of the town with the first references to the Vikings in the area circa 850 AD, through the Anglo-Norman and Medieval eras and into modern times. This historical exhibit is embellished with maps, drawings, illustrations, and photographs, all attractively presented in handmade triptychs, lining the walls. A fascinating audio-visual presentation, ‘The Ages of Carlingford’, documents the history of Carlingford from the Ice Age to the Steam Age. For children, there is an art station with pictures of medieval motifs to colour and trace. The Heritage Centre also stages temporary exhibitions pertaining to different aspects of local heritage. The Centre boasts superb acoustics and is therefore used regularly for traditional as well as classical music concerts. Carlingford Heritage Centre is also a popular venue for weddings and other civil ceremonies. Surrounding the church is a large graveyard with the earliest surviving headstone dating back to 1703. Tours of the graveyard are offered by the Centre as are tours of the medieval town and of Carlingford Castle, a late 12th century Norman Castle.