County Louth
Dublin-Belfast corridor straddling the border—PayPal's Dundalk presence and M1 commuter access demonstrate how peace process normalized cross-border prosperity in Ireland's smallest county.
County Louth—Ireland's smallest county—straddles the Dublin-Belfast corridor. Drogheda and Dundalk provide urban anchors; M1 motorway enables commuting to both capitals. This border position created complications during Troubles; peace process normalized relations.
Dundalk's technology park attracted data centers and back-office operations. PayPal, State Street, and other companies established operations; Dundalk IT (now part of DkIT) supplies graduates.
The county benefits from what Belfast and Dublin don't offer: lower costs with accessibility to both. Cross-border workers, back-office operations, and manufacturing exploit this position.
Battle of the Boyne (1690) occurred near Drogheda; historical sites attract heritage tourism. Cooley Peninsula provides scenic contrast to corridor development. Louth demonstrates how border regions can prosper when borders open; vulnerability persists if political circumstances restrict movement again.