Ardee

For other uses, see Ardee (disambiguation).

Ardee Baile Átha Fhirdhia
Town
View north along Market Street, from the battlements of Ardee Castle
Coat of arms of Ardee Coat of arms
Motto: Na Bris Sith, Na Bris Cairdis Don't Break Peace, Don't Break Friendship
Ardee Location in Ireland
Coordinates:
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Louth
Population (2011)[1]
• Urban	4,541
• Rural	2,877
Irish Grid Reference	N958906

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1821	3,588	—
1831	3,975	+10.8%
1841	3,679	−7.4%
1851	2,752	−25.2%
1861	2,580	−6.2%
1871	2,972	+15.2%
1881	2,622	−11.8%
1891	2,067	−21.2%
1901	1,883	−8.9%
1911	1,773	−5.8%
1926	1,729	−2.5%
1936	2,383	+37.8%
1946	2,346	−1.6%
1951	2,489	+6.1%
1956	2,719	+9.2%
1961	2,710	−0.3%
1966	2,919	+7.7%
1971	3,183	+9.0%
1981	3,252	+2.2%
1986	3,559	+9.4%
1991	3,604	+1.3%
1996	3,791	+5.2%
2002	3,948	+4.1%
2006	4,694	+18.9%
2011	4,927	+5.0%

Ardee (/ˈɑːr.diː/; Irish: Baile Átha Fhirdhia, meaning "townland of Ferdia's ford") is a town and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is located at the intersection of the N2, N52, and N33 roads. Ardee is on the banks of the River Dee and is approximately 20 km (12 mi) from Dundalk, Drogheda, Slane and Carrickmacross. It currently has a population of about 5000.

History

Originally called Atherdee, its name is derived from the Irish Áth Fhirdia (the Ford of Ferdia), from the mythological four day battle between Cúchulainn and Ferdia, for the defence of Ulster from Queen Maeve of Connacht. Ferdia fell after four days of battle and is buried on the southern banks of the river alongside the Riverside Walk. Ardee Castle in the town (St. Leger's) is the largest fortified medieval tower house in Ireland.

An eight km (five miles) railway line once linked the town to the main Dublin - Belfast line. The station opened on 1 August, 1896 and passenger services ended on 3 June, 1934. The line continued as a freight service until finally closed on 3 November, 1976, serving the local fertiliser factory, sugar beet, and livestock transport. The trackbed was lifted in the late 1980s, and much of the short route is now a designated walkway.

The river Dee was the northern border of The Pale in medieval times.

Ardee has one secondary school called Ardee Community School.

Also of note is "Jumping Church" which is located about five km (three miles) outside the town at Kildemock. Legend has it that a non-Christian was buried inside the Church walls and that later that night, the Church jumped so as to leave his remains outside of the sacred ground.

Recent developments

Ardee has grown much in the last ten years, mainly as a result of easy access to new roads including the M1 motorway which links Dublin to Belfast. The development of the town resulted in a dramatic rise in house prices in the area.

This development caused a growth in industrial businesses being established in and around Ardee. Oriel Attachments, manufacturers in excavator attachments, Oriel Flues -manufacturers in stove attachments, Bryan Lynch salads - manufacturers of fresh delicatessen salads and Farrell Office Furniture to name but a few.

The Norman castle in Ardee has been recently refurbished and used to house the district courthouse, which is now housed in the new Civic Offices Complex at the Fairgreen.

A festival for Ardee was launched in 2009 titled the "The Turfman Festival". It is held on the August bank holiday weekend with numerous community events happening on the street from singing to face painting.

Now the town of Ardee is twinned with the town of Nettuno, Italy. The twinning agreement was signed in 2010 by their respective mayors.