Carlow,
Ireland
Sister City since 1998
City Coordinator - Tom & Mary Burns
We welcomed our newest Sister
City, Carlow, Ireland, to the Tempe community with the
official signing making it our seventh sister city on June
12, 1998 in Carlow. Tempe's Mayor, Neil G. Giuliano,
lead a delegation of more than twenty representatives from
Tempe to participate in this exciting event. The signing
coincided with Carlow's Bicentenary Commemoration as the
site of the "98 Insurrection" in 1798.
County Carlow, one of Ireland’s smallest counties, is
bordered by the scenic Blackstairs Mountains to the east.
The fertile limestone land of the Barrow Valley and the
Killeshin Hills lie in the west of Carlow.
The county’s most prominent feature is the
5000-year-old granite formation known as Browne’s
Hill Dolmen. It's believed to have the largest
capstone in Europe, weighing a colossal 100 tonnes.
Located on the banks of the River Barrow, Carlow town is a
bustling market centre serving a large rural area. One of
the most impressive pieces of architecture in the town has
a very interesting background; it is believed that the
courthouse on Carlow Street, modelled on the Parthenon in
Athens, was originally meant for Cork, but the plans for
the two buildings became mixed up.
Other towns worth seeing include the Georgian village of
Borris, and the small angling town of Tullow on the River
Slaney.
Carlow is a tiny inland county in the shape of an
upside-down triangle, south-west of County Wicklow. The
River Slaney flows through its eastern part, which is an
extension of the granite area of County Wicklow. West of
this lies the fertile lime-stone land of the Barrow valley,
and beyond to the north-west is pleasant upland country.
The county has much to offer the sightseer, the sportsman
and the climber.
Carlow, the county town is pleasantly situated on the River
Barrow. Its thriving industries include a beet sugar
factory, flour milling and malting. Carlow has long had the
feel of a university town. St Patrick's College - the first
ecclesiastical college in Ireland (1789) - has been joined
in recent years by the Regional Technical College, adding
to third level academic activities and the student
population.
After dark, Carlow provides a wide range of evening
entertainment options to suit all tastes and pockets.
Carlow is famous for its Little Theatre and there are
frequent shows during the season. Live music is featured in
many of the town's pubs.