(Ceatharlach.)

Carlow is the county town of County Carlow the name comes from the Irish (Ceatharlach) it is situated in the Provence of Leinster on the River Barrow. It is surrounded by rich farmland, the land and its strategic location made it a prime target for the Anglo Normans who built a castle there between the years 1207-13,. Lionel, Duke of Clarence built a wall around the town in 1361, despite this the town fell to Art MacMurrough Kavanagh in 1405, who burn both the castle and town. Some time after this the Normans must have taken possession again. In 1577 it was taken by Rory Óg O'More, Cromwell's forces besieged the castle in 1650 and when it fell the defenders were slaughtered.

A notable battle took place in the town during the 1798 rebellion, on the morning of May 25th some 4,000 poorly armed rebel marched on the town which appeared diserted, when they emerged from Tullow street they were met with a hail of musket fire, the had marched into a carefully planned ambush. Mant took shelter in nearby houses which were then set alight, more than 500 were killed that day, with a further 200 being executed later.

The remains of 417 of the rebels were buried on the far side of the river Barrow, at Graigue the place came to be known as the Croppie Grave.

The Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption, designed by Thomas Cobden, has the distinction of being the first Catholic church to be built following the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, it was completed in 1833.

The design is Gothic with a lantern tower 46 Meters (150 ft) high