Togher (in Irish An Tóchar, meaning causeway or level place) is a rural parish of 19,500 acres approximately in Co. Louth on Ireland’s North-East coast. It is located 25 kilometres south of the county town of Dundalk, and 21 kilometres north of the historic town of Drogheda.
It can bereached via the R132 from Dundalk or via the R166 from Drogheda, with access now made increasingly easy due to the M1 motorway. and has approximately 8km of beautiful coastline stretching from its border with Clogherhead Parish at the Skinore River in the south to Annagassan bridge in the north, where it adjoins the Parish of Darver. Current population stands at 2,162 residents, with approximately one quarter of these aged 18 years and under.
It’s inland boundaries are the Parishes of Kilsaran, Dunleer and Clogherhead. Togher, as we now know it is an amalgamation of six medieval parishes (namely Clonmore, Port, Dysart, Dunany, Salterstown and Drumcar) and to the present day the ruins of these six parish Churches stand within the confines of the six well – kept graveyards.
As a rural parish with good soil, farming has been one of the mainstays of the local economy and life in Togher. Local blue clay quarries also provided much employment between the 1940 and the 1970s. When this activity ceased the parish continued to benefit as the two quarries in Boicetown and Simonstown were converted into man-made lakes that now provide habitats for an abundance of wildlife.
Togher also has a wealth of community activity that provides leisure opportunities for all ages and interests.
Naomh Fionnbarra GAA Football Club and St. Anne’s Camogie Club have long provided sporting outlets for boys and girls, men and women. Other sports clubs include Togher Golf Society and Togher Gun Club.
The parish also has an active ICA group, an art group, beach committee (Port beach), tidy towns committee (Annagassan) and Credit Union.
The two national schools located in the parish each have an active parent’s committee and each of the churches has an altar committee.
Recently, a Togher Macra na Feirme and Togher Theatre Group have also been established. What is thought to be Togher’s first ever panto, Cinderella, was staged in Drumcar Hall in February 2010.
* Thanks to www.togher.info
& Ciara Farrell for the image, via Google Maps
Togher Parish 