In the 17th century Lord Limerick (James Hamilton), Earl of Clanbrassil created the modern town we know today. He was responsible for the construction of streets leading to the town center; his ideas came from many visits to Europe. In addition to the demolition of the old walls and castles, he had new roads laid out eastwards of the principal streets. The most important of these new roads connected a newly laid down Market Square, which still survives, with a linen and cambric factory at its eastern end, now Aiken Military Barracks. This was the beginning of Dundalk as an industrial town.
In the 19th century the town grew in importance and many industries were set up in the local area. This development was helped considerably by the construction of a railway linking Dublin with Belfast, the expansion of the docks area or ‘Quay’ and the setting up of a board of commissioners to run the town.
The town continued to grow in the 20th century. Many industries prospered and provided employment for generations of townspeople. Today many fine international companies have factories in Dundalk, from food processing to high-tech computer components.
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