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The town of Carlow is the county town and administrative centre of the County Carlow located in the south east of Ireland 84 kilometres from Dublin.
The population of the town numbers about 20,000 people, 3,000 of whom are students.
The River Barrow flows through the town, and forms the historic boundary between counties Laois and Carlow.
Carlow town is County Carlow's largest town and its administrative centre.
The Carlow area has been settled for thousands of years.
St Mullins Monastery is believed to have been established around the 7th century.
Carlow Castle was constructed by William Marshall, Earl of Striguil and Lord of Leinster, c1207-13, to guard the vital river crossing.
Saint Patrick's College dates from 1793 and the Carlow Courthouse was constructed in the 19th century.
St Mullins today houses a Heritage Centre.
During the 1798 Rebellion Carlow was the scene of a massacre of 600 rebels and civilians following an unsuccessful attack on the town by the United Irishmen, known as the Battle of Carlow.
The Liberty Tree sculpture in Carlow, designed by John Behan, commemorates the events of 1798.
The rebels slain in Carlow town are buried in the 'Croppies Grave', in Graiguecullen.
Carlow industry has come a long way since the early 20th century, when the town became the centre of Ireland's slow process of industrialization with the creation of the Irish sugar Company - then the cutting edge of industry in Ireland, the sugar factory opened in 1926 as a private enterprise and was eventually nationalised before reverting to private ownership.
The sugar factory closed in 2005, with bitter recriminations, as the management of the parent company Greencore decided that it was no longer economical to run the factory nor was it viable to upgrade the facility.
Today, the principal industry in Carlow is production of electronics goods and engineering products.
The biggest commercial impact on the town is the presence of Carlow Institute of Technology, which is a significant employer in the town as well as providing the benefit of the spending power of 3,000 students.
Since opening its doors in October 2003 Fairgreen Shopping Centre has also played a large part in employment in the area, with Tesco, Heatons, Next, New Look and River Island being the main tenants of the shopping centre.
Nonetheless, the town shares problems associated with other provincial towns in Ireland - the inability to attract significant new industry.
The German appliance manufacturer, Braun Ireland Ltd and engineering specialist, Lapple Ireland Ltd, both have substantial plants in Carlow.
There is a wide choice of hotels both in the town and in the vicinity.
Guesthouses and B&Bs are available in Carlow and around the perimeter of the town.
Restaurants abound and there is a very good vibrant pub and music nightlife.
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