County Down Information

Down is located in Ulster, bordered by Louth, Antrim and Armagh and is part of the United Kingdom. It is situated within fairly easy driving distance of Dublin and Belfast airports. The county has a wealth of varied natural beauty - the majestic Mourne Mountains to the north, and a beautiful stretch of coastline to the south dotted with pretty seaside villages.  It has numerous ancient and historic sites, great shopping (particularly in Newry) and plenty of accommodation options. The county has no shortage of festivals to attend from opera to theatre to street entertainment.

Down has a proud sporting tradition, and narrowly missed out on becoming All-Ireland football champions in 2010. Down’s sporting prowess is also evidenced in the shape of one of golf’s biggest draws, Rory McIlroy, major champion, and Holywood, County Down native.

Down boasts Ireland’s first nature reserve - Murlough National Nature Reserve – wonderfully situated by Dundrum Bay close to the Mourne Mountains. Other attractions of note include Down County Museum at Downpatrick, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and The Irish Linen Centre and Museum in Lisburn. Victorian Rostrevor close to the border with Louth is charming and scenic and its Cloughmore stone is the birthplace of one of Ireland’s ancient myths involving the heroic Fionn MacCumhaill. Nearby Warrenpoint is equally picturesque and been a popular seaside retreat since the 1800s.

Down’s Top Five

Mourne Mountains - Perhaps the most celebrated of Ireland’s mountain ranges, made famous by the Percy French lyrics ‘Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea', the Mourne Mountains are Down’s greatest outdoor attraction, and house Slieve Donard, Ulster’s highest peak. The Mournes are a great place to go climbing, hiking, hillwalking as well as trekking and bird-watching.

Adventure Sports - If adventure sports and outdoor activities are on the to-do list, then Down is a fantastic holiday choice. Activities on offer include horse-riding, bouldering, canoeing, abseiling and Ireland’s first mountain-boarding centre "Surfin’ Dirt". Tollymore National Outdoor Centre in the south of the county provides a range of courses in adventure sports, has accommodation onsite and benefits from stunning views over the Mournes.

The Coastline - Down’s 200 mile coastline is something to discover. Its resorts and seaside towns are pretty and tastefully developed, with a variety of family friendly activities on offer. The beaches are excellent, wide and golden with plenty of traditional seaside charm. Portaferry houses the award-winning aquarium Exploris. Bangor Marina - in the north of the county - is a great place to view yachts, pleasure craft, and there are a number of regattas held in the area during the summer season.

Golf - Down boasts some of Ireland’s top golf courses, the most famous being Royal County Down, voted one of the world’s top ten links courses. It is one of the oldest golf courses in Ireland, founded in 1889, and is located in the Murlough Nature Reserve. Its spectacular ninth hole is one of the most photographed in the world.

The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum - Located in the north of the county, close to Bangor and not far from Belfast, is the excellent Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, well worth a visit and often regarded as Ulster’s best museum. It consists of an open-air village museum containing around thirty buildings typical of various regions in the North. These have been taken from their original locations and rebuilt, complete with furnishings authentic to their period allowing visitors to take a trip around the province in one setting.

A Taste of Down’s Festivals

The Opera Fringe Festival is an opera themed festival, held annually in Downpatrick in conjunction with the opera season of Castleward estate and takes place in June. The Boley Fair is held in Hilltown, during the month of July, and celebrates traditional crafts and skills with demonstrations of sheep-shearing, rope-making and has street stalls and other family friendly activities on offer.

The Festival of the Peninsula celebrates music, storytelling and folklore, taking place in Newtownards in September. The Ards Guitar Festival is held there in October, and its programme includes classical guitar to Blues, Bluegrass, folk and Jazz music.

The Ulster-Scots Frontier Festival takes place in Newry and honours the lengthy heritage of Ulster-Scots traditional music, poetry and culture.

The Mourne Walking Festival, a three day festival held at the end of June, features a variety of organised walks, rambles or hikes. The Kingdom of Mourne Festival programme includes music, dance and tours of the mountains and is held in mid-July in Kilkeel.

The Fiddler’s Green Festival is held in Rostrevor in mid summer, attracting traditional musicians from around Europe.

The Blues on The Bay and The Maiden of The Mournes Festivals both take place in Warrenpoint. The Blues on The Bay weekend takes place in May while Down’s answer to the Rose of Tralee – The Maiden of The Mournes - is held in August every year, with local and international girls participating.