Located in a 350 acre estate made up of woods and farm lands, Killeavy Castle was built in the…
Our View
The Mournes were immortalised in the song The Mountains of Mourne written by Percy French in 1896, and recorded more recently by The Kingston Trio, and Don McLean. They also influenced C.S. Lewis to write The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The climb to Slieve Donard Summit can be strenuous but worth it for spectacular views; the Co. Down coast, Newcastle town, Murlough Dunes and on a clear day Scrabo Tower to the North and the Isle of Man to the East. The Glen River Path leads up to the saddle, or col, between Donard and Commedagh and the Mourne Wall, a well-known feature in the Mournes. One of the last active granite quarries in the Mournes is Thomas's Quarry. It is from here the 47 tonne, 40 feet (12m) long Delamont Millennium stone was quarried, the highest modern standing stone in Northern Ireland. Another place to explore is Bloody Bridge. The name refers to a massacre at the site during the 1641 rebellion; the bodies of slain prisoners were thrown over the bridge into the river, turning the water red. Finally, take a wander along the Mourne Coast Path, which is hugely important for the access it affords visitors to an otherwise generally inaccessible coastline. The paths run from the rocky coastline of Dundrum Bay to the lower slopes of the Mourne Mountains.
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About the area
Discover County Down
Geographically, County Down seems to put a long arm around Strangford Lough, over 70 square miles of water. The arm is the Ards Peninsula, the most easterly part of Ireland.
Strangford Lough is a ria (a drowned estuary), caused by rising sea levels at the end of the Ice Age It is dotted with some 70 small islands, actually the highest points of drowned drumlins (small rounded hills) formed of material left behind by glaciers. The Lough is home to large flocks of wintering wildfowl that congregate on the mudflats surrounding its shores. About 9 square miles of the lough are a designated reserve for this reason.
Bangor is at the top of the peninsula, and with its picturesque seafront promenades, a charming marina and many shops and restaurants, it is regularly voted the most desirable place to live in Northern Ireland. Much of the town dates from the Victorian era with some historic buildings as well as some more modern development, and one of the largest open-air markets in Northern Ireland.
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