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County Down (. Ulster Scots: Coontie Doun) is one of the nine counties
Counties of Ireland

In a process that began following the Norman invasion, and was completed in 1606, the island of Ireland was divided into thirty-two county ....
 that form the province of Ulster
Ulster

Ulster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster. The name is sometimes informally used as a synonym for Northern Ireland, one of the countries of the United Kingdom, although Northern Ireland covers only two thirds of Ulster....
 and one of six counties that form Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
. The county forms an area of . The estimated population in 1992 was 416,600, a more recent approximation puts it at about 516,000.






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County Down (. Ulster Scots: Coontie Doun) is one of the nine counties
Counties of Ireland

In a process that began following the Norman invasion, and was completed in 1606, the island of Ireland was divided into thirty-two county ....
 that form the province of Ulster
Ulster

Ulster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster. The name is sometimes informally used as a synonym for Northern Ireland, one of the countries of the United Kingdom, although Northern Ireland covers only two thirds of Ulster....
 and one of six counties that form Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
. The county forms an area of . The estimated population in 1992 was 416,600, a more recent approximation puts it at about 516,000. The county town is Downpatrick
Downpatrick

Downpatrick is a town in County Down in Northern Ireland, about 33 km south of Belfast. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick....
, but the largest town is Bangor
Bangor, County Down

Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland, with a population of 76,403 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001, making it the most populous town in Northern Ireland and the third most populous settlement in Northern Ireland....
. The only whole city is Newry
Newry

Newry is the fourth-largest City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland and eighth on the island of Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, forms the historic border between County Armagh and County Down: Newry was included entirely in the latter by the Local Government Act 1898....
, although east and parts of south Belfast as well as south Lisburn lie within the county also.

Down contains both the southernmost point in Northern Ireland (Cranfield Point
Cranfield Point

Cranfield Point is the Extreme points of the United Kingdom of Northern Ireland. It is located in County Down at the mouth of Carlingford Lough....
) and the easternmost point in Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
 (Burr Point
Burr Point

Burr Point is the Extreme points of the United Kingdom of mainland Northern Ireland, and the Extreme points of Ireland of mainland Ireland. It is located on the Ards Peninsula in County Down, at longitude 5.43?W, 2 km southeast of the village of Ballyhalbert....
).

The county borders County Antrim
County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six Counties of Northern Ireland that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties that historically and geographically constitute the Province of Ulster....
 to the north, the Irish Sea
Irish Sea

The Irish Sea also known as the Mann Sea or Manx Sea, separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea portion of the Atlantic Ocean by St George's Channel between Republic of Ireland and Wales, and to the north by the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland which forms part of...
 to the east and County Armagh
County Armagh

County Armagh is a counties of Ireland in Ulster in the north east of Ireland. It is the smallest, in area, of the six counties that form Northern Ireland and second smallest in Ulster....
 to the west. It is one of only two counties of Ireland
Counties of Ireland

In a process that began following the Norman invasion, and was completed in 1606, the island of Ireland was divided into thirty-two county ....
 to presently have a majority of the population from a Protestant
Protestantism

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
 community background, according to the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th Census in the United Kingdom....
. The other is County Antrim
County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six Counties of Northern Ireland that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties that historically and geographically constitute the Province of Ulster....
.

Geography

Down contains two significant peninsula
Peninsula

A peninsula is a piece of Landform that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paeninsula : paene, almost + insula, island....
s: Ards Peninsula
Ards Peninsula

The Ards Peninsula is a peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland which separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel of the Irish Sea, on Ireland's northeast coast....
 and Lecale peninsula
Lecale peninsula

The Lecale peninsula lies in the east of Northern Ireland, on the south-eastern side of County Down, covering an area of some between Downpatrick and Dundrum, County Down....
.

The county has a coastline along Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough

Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough situated at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons....
 to the north and Carlingford Lough
Carlingford Lough

Carlingford Lough is a sea loch that forms part of the international border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south....
 to the south (both of which have access to the sea). Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough is a lough in County Down, Northern Ireland, separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. It is a popular tourist attraction noted for its fishing and the picturesque villages and townships which border its waters....
 lies between the Ards Peninsula and the mainland. Down also contains part of the shore of Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh

Lough Neagh is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. With an area of 392 square kilometres , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty List of largest lakes of Europe....
. Smaller loughs include Lough Island Reavy
Lough Island Reavy

Lough Island Reavy is a small man-made lough in Kilcoo, County Down, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a great fishing spot, which is controlled by the Belfast Anglers club....
.

The River Lagan
River Lagan

The River Lagan is a major river in Northern Ireland which runs 40 miles from the Slieve Croob mountain in County Down to Belfast where it enters Belfast Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea....
 forms most of the border with County Antrim. The River Bann
River Bann

The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of the province to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh....
 also flows through the southwestern areas of the county. Other rivers include the Clanrye
Newry River

File:Newry River.JPGNewry River and River Clanrye are names for one of the rivers of Ireland; it passes through the city of Newry and empties into Carlingford Lough near Warrenpoint....
 and Quoile
River Quoile

The Quoile is a river in County Down, Northern Ireland....
.

There are several islands off the Down coast: Mew Island, Light House Island and the Copeland Islands
Copeland Islands

The Copeland Islands is a group of islands in the north Irish Sea, north of Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland consisting of Lighthouse, Mew and Copeland Island....
, all of which lie to the north of the Ards Peninsula. Gunn Island lies off the Lecale coast. In addition there are a large number of small islands in Strangford Lough.

County Down is where, in the words of the famous song by Percy French, "The mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea", and the granite
Granite

Granite is a common and widely occurring type of Intrusion , felsic, igneous rock rock . Granite has a medium to coarse texture, occasionally with some individual crystals larger than the groundmass forming a rock known as Porphyry ....
 Mourne Mountains continue to be renowned for their beauty. Slieve Donard
Slieve Donard

Slieve Donard is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland, and in the province of Ulster as a whole, at . It is situated by the small seaside town of Newcastle, County Down on the east coast....
, at , is the highest peak in the Mournes and in Northern Ireland. Another important peak is Slieve Croob
Slieve Croob

File:Sliabh Cr?ibe.jpgSlieve Croob is the largest of a small group of peaks in the centre of County Down, north of the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland....
, at , the source of the River Lagan.

Places of interest

  • An area of County Down is known as the Brontė Homeland (situated between Rathfriland
    Rathfriland

    Rathfriland is a small market town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a hilltop Plantation of Ulster town between the Mourne Mountains, Slieve Croob and Banbridge and is in the barony of Upper Iveagh....
     and Banbridge
    Banbridge

    Banbridge is a rapidly growing town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road . It grew as a Coach ing stop and from Irish linen manufacturing....
    , where Patrick Brontė
    Patrick Brontė

    Reverend Patrick Bront? was an Ireland Anglican curate and writer, who spent most of his adult life in England and was the father of the writers Charlotte Bront?, Emily Bront? and Anne Bront?, and of Patrick Branwell Bront?, his only son....
     had his church), after Patrick Brontė (originally Prunty), father of Anne
    Anne Brontė

    Anne Bront? was a United Kingdom novelist and poet, the youngest member of the Bront? literary family.The daughter of a poor Ireland clergyman in the Church of England, Anne Bront? lived most of her life with her family at the remote village of Haworth on the Yorkshire moors....
    , Charlotte
    Charlotte Brontė

    Charlotte Bront? was a United Kingdom novelist, the eldest of the three famous Bront? sisters whose novels have become standards of English literature....
    , and Emily Brontė
    Emily Brontė

    Emily Jane Bront? ; was a United Kingdom novelist and poet, now best remembered for her only novel Wuthering Heights, a classic of English literature....
    , who was born in this region.
  • The city of Newry
    Newry

    Newry is the fourth-largest City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland and eighth on the island of Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, forms the historic border between County Armagh and County Down: Newry was included entirely in the latter by the Local Government Act 1898....
     in the south of the county contains St Patrick's (Church of Ireland
    Church of Ireland

    The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. Like other Anglican churches, it considers itself to be both Catholicism and Protestant Reformation....
    , 1578), overlooking the city centre from Church street, on the east side of the city, which is considered to be Ireland
    Ireland

    Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
    's first ever Protestant
    Protestantism

    Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
     church. Newry is also the home of the first summit-level canal ever to be built in the British Isles
    British Isles

    The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include Great Britain and Ireland, and numerous smaller islands....
    .
  • Down is also home to Exploris
    Exploris

    Exploris is a large public aquarium situated in Portaferry, Northern Ireland.External links*Exploris...
    , the Northern Ireland Aquarium, located in Portaferry
    Portaferry

    Portaferry is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough....
    , on the shores of Strangford Lough, on the Ards Peninsula.
  • The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn
    Crawfordsburn

    Crawfordsburn is a small picturesque village in County Down, Northern Ireland. The village, which is now effectively a commuter suburb, lies between Holywood and Bangor, County Down to the north of the A2 road, about 4km west of Bangor town centre....
     is one of Ireland's oldest hostelries, with records dating back to 1614. The inn claims that people who have stayed there include Jonathan Swift
    Jonathan Swift

    Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satire, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Dublin....
    , Dick Turpin
    Dick Turpin

    For other meanings see Dick Turpin .Richard Turpin The Highwayman was a legendary England rogue and highwayman. Turpin engaged in poaching, burglary, cattle rustling, horse theft, highway robbery and murder before being executed in York....
    , Peter the Great
    Peter I of Russia

    Peter I the Great or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov ruled Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his weak and sickly half-brother, Ivan V of Russia....
    , Lord Tennyson
    Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson

    Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom and remains one of the most popular English poets.Tennyson excelled at penning short lyrics, including "In the valley of Cauteretz", "Break, break, break", "The Charge of the Light Brigade ", "Tears, Idle Tears" and "Crossing the Bar"....
    , Charles Dickens
    Charles Dickens

    Charles John Huffam Dickens, Royal Society of Arts , pen-name "Boz", was the most popular English people novelist of the Victorian era, as well as a vigorous Reform movement....
    , Anthony Trollope
    Anthony Trollope

    Anthony Trollope became one of the most successful, prolific and respected English language novelists of the Victorian era. Some of Trollope's best-loved works, known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire; he also wrote penetrating novels on politics, social, gender issues and conflicts of hi...
    , former US president George H. W. Bush
    George H. W. Bush

    George Herbert Walker Bush served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Bush held a variety of political positions prior to his presidency, including Vice President of the United States in the administration of Ronald Reagan and Director of Central Intelligence under Gerald R....
    , and C. S. Lewis
    C. S. Lewis

    Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as Jack, was an academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist....
    , who honeymooned there.
  • Scrabo Tower
    Scrabo Tower

    Scrabo Tower is located to the west of Newtownards in County Down, Northern Ireland.The landmark, which is visible from most of north Down, was built on a volcanic plug above the town in 1857 as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry who was one of the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington's generals during the Napo...
    , in Newtownards
    Newtownards

    Newtownards , is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula....
    , was built as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry
    Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry

    Charles William Stewart , 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, Order of the Garter, Order of the Bath, Royal Guelphic Order, Privy Council of the United Kingdom , known as Sir Charles Stewart from 1813 to 1814 and as the Lord Stewart from 1814 to 1822, was a United Kingdom soldier, politician and nobleman....
    .
  • Saint Patrick
    Saint Patrick

    Saint Patrick , said to have been born Maewyn Succat , was a Roman Britain-born Christianity missionary and is the patron saint of Ireland along with Brigid of Kildare and Columba....
     is reputed to be buried at Down Cathedral
    Down Cathedral

    Down Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a Church of Ireland cathedral located in the town of Downpatrick in Northern Ireland....
     in Downpatrick, reputedly alongside St. Brigid and St. Columba.


Settlements


Large towns

(population of 18,000 or more and under 75,000 at 2001 Census)
  • Bangor
    Bangor, County Down

    Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland, with a population of 76,403 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001, making it the most populous town in Northern Ireland and the third most populous settlement in Northern Ireland....
  • Dundonald
    Dundonald

    Dundonald is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies in the outer suburbs of east Belfast.Dundonald's population stands at approximately 20,000, with the majority of residents coming from the Unionists community....
  • Newry
    Newry

    Newry is the fourth-largest City status in the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland and eighth on the island of Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, forms the historic border between County Armagh and County Down: Newry was included entirely in the latter by the Local Government Act 1898....
     (has city status)
  • Newtownards
    Newtownards

    Newtownards , is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula....

Medium towns

(population of 10,000 or more and under 18,000 at 2001 Census)
  • Banbridge
    Banbridge

    Banbridge is a rapidly growing town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road . It grew as a Coach ing stop and from Irish linen manufacturing....
  • Downpatrick
    Downpatrick

    Downpatrick is a town in County Down in Northern Ireland, about 33 km south of Belfast. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick....
  • Holywood
    Holywood

    Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the shores of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor, County Down. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby....

Small towns

(population of 4,500 or more and under 10,000 at 2001 Census)
  • Ballynahinch
    Ballynahinch, County Down

    Ballynahinch is a market town in County Down, Northern Ireland and with Newcastle, County Down and Downpatrick, one of the three largest towns of the Down District Council area....
  • Carryduff
    Carryduff

    Carryduff is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, about 10 kilometres south of Belfast city centre. It had a population of 6,595 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
  • Comber
    Comber

    Comber is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, 5 miles south of Newtownards, at the northern end of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 8,933 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
  • Donaghadee
    Donaghadee

    Donaghadee is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated on the east coast, about from Belfast and about eight miles north east of Newtownards....
  • Dromore
    Dromore, County Down

    Dromore is a small market town in the Lagan Valley, in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies 19 miles south-west of Belfast, on the A1 road Belfast to Dublin road....
  • Kilkeel
    Kilkeel

    Kilkeel is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and the town?s harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland....
  • Newcastle
    Newcastle, County Down

    Newcastle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the United Kingdom Census 2001. The seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains, and is known for its sandy beach and the Royal County Down Golf Club....
  • Warrenpoint
    Warrenpoint

    Warrenpoint is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northern shore of Carlingford Lough. The town is alternatively, but not usually, known in Irish by the name of the townland within which it is located: Rinn Mhic Giolla Rua meaning "the promontory/point of the red-haired servant"....

Intermediate settlements

(population of 2,250 or more and under 4,500 at 2001 Census)
  • Ballygowan
    Ballygowan

    Ballygowan is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, with the town of Comber a short distance to the north-east, the town of Saintfield to the south, and the city of Belfast a further distance to the north-west....
  • Castlewellan
    Castlewellan

    Castlewellan is a large village in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain, 11 miles south west of Downpatrick....
  • Hillsborough
    Hillsborough, County Down

    Hillsborough is an attractive tourist town in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated 19 km from the city of Belfast. The historic centre of the village contains significant amounts of Georgian architecture....
  • Killyleagh
    Killyleagh

    Killyleagh is a large village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the A22 road from Downpatrick, on the western side of Strangford Lough....
  • Moira
    Moira, County Down

    Moira is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, between Lisburn and Lurgan. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 3,682 people....
  • Portaferry
    Portaferry

    Portaferry is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough....
  • Rostrevor
    Rostrevor

    Rostrevor is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on Carlingford Lough and the hill of Slieve Martin, at the base of the Mourne Mountains and on the Kilbroney River....
  • Saintfield
    Saintfield

    Saintfield is a market town located in mid-County Down, Northern Ireland, situated roughly halfway between Belfast and Downpatrick on the A7 road ....
  • Waringstown
    Waringstown

    Waringstown is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated two miles south-east of Lurgan. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 2,523 people....

Villages

(population of 1,000 or more and under 2,250 at 2001 Census)
  • Annahilt
    Annahilt

    Annahilt or Anahilt is a village in north County Down, Northern Ireland. It is 7.5 miles south of Lisburn, and about 14 miles south-west of Belfast, on the main road between Ballynahinch and Hillsborough, County Down....
  • Annalong
    Annalong

    Annalong is a picturesque seaside village in County Down, Northern Ireland situated at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. It had a population of 1,778 people at the United Kingdom Census 2001 and lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area....
  • Ardglass
    Ardglass

    Ardglass is a coastal village in County Down, Northern Ireland and still a relatively important fishing harbor. It is situated on the B1 Ardglass to Downpatrick road, about 11 kilometres to the south east of Downpatrick, in the Lecale peninsula on the Irish Sea....
  • Ballywalter
    Ballywalter

    Ballywalter is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula between Donaghadee and Ballyhalbert....
  • Crossgar
    Crossgar

    Crossgar is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, approximately 15 miles south of Belfast in Northern Ireland on the main A7 road between Saintfield and Downpatrick....
  • Drumaness
    Drumaness

    Drumaness is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, 5 kilometres to the south of Ballynahinch, County Down, beside the main A24 Belfast to Newcastle, County Down road....
  • Dundrum
    Dundrum, County Down

    Dundrum is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, lying by Dundrum Bay. It is situated 4 miles outside Newcastle, County Down on the A24 road....
  • Gilford
    Gilford

    Gilford is a village situated in County Down, Northern Ireland. Gilford is situated between the towns of Portadown and Banbridge. It is also only around 4/5 miles distance from the town of Lurgan....
  • Greyabbey
    Greyabbey

    Greyabbey is a small village located on the eastern shores of Strangford Lough, on the Ards Peninsula, County Down, Northern Ireland, 7 miles south of Newtownards....
  • Helen's Bay
    Helen's Bay

    Helen's Bay is a village on the North Down coastline at Grey Point between Crawfordsburn and Seahill, four miles west of Bangor, Northern Ireland....
  • Kilcoo
    Kilcoo, County Down

    Kilcoo is a small village in County Down situated between Hilltown and Castlewellan. Kilcoo has a population 1415 people.Situated beside Kilcoo is Lough Island Reavy, a small man-made lough....
  • Kircubbin
    Kircubbin, County Down

    Kircubbin is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland on the shores of Strangford Lough, between Newtownards and Portaferry. The population now sits around 2,000....
  • Millisle
    Millisle

    Millisle is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, lying on the Ards Peninsula, about south of Donaghadee. It had a population of 1,800 in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
  • Portavogie
    Portavogie

    Portavogie is a village and fishing port in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,594 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
  • Rathfriland
    Rathfriland

    Rathfriland is a small market town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a hilltop Plantation of Ulster town between the Mourne Mountains, Slieve Croob and Banbridge and is in the barony of Upper Iveagh....

Small villages or hamlets

(population of less than 1,000 at 2001 Census)
  • Annsborough
    Annsborough

    Annsborough is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the A25 road between Downpatrick and Newry, approximately 0.8 kilometres to the east of Castlewellan and 17 kilometres to the south west of Downpatrick....
  • Ballyhalbert
    Ballyhalbert

    Ballyhalbert is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula between Ballywalter and Portavogie....
  • Ballykinler
    Ballykinler

    Ballykinlar is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, 12 kilometres south west of Downpatrick, in the parish of Drumaroad. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 348 people....
  • Ballymartin
    Ballymartin

    Ballymartin is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, near Annalong. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 414 people....
  • Bryansford
    Bryansford

    Bryansford is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated between the towns of Newcastle, County Down, Dundrum and Castlewellan. It lies in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains and is the location of Tollymore Forest Park....
  • Carrowdore
    Carrowdore

    Carrowdore is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the Ards Peninsula. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 816 people....
  • Clough
    Clough

    Clough is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated approximately 3 miles from Dundrum, County Down on the A2 road between Newcastle, County Down and Belfast....
  • Cloughey
  • Crawfordsburn
    Crawfordsburn

    Crawfordsburn is a small picturesque village in County Down, Northern Ireland. The village, which is now effectively a commuter suburb, lies between Holywood and Bangor, County Down to the north of the A2 road, about 4km west of Bangor town centre....
  • Donaghcloney
    Donaghcloney

    Donaghcloney or Donacloney is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 972 people....
  • Dromara
    Dromara

    Dromara is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, 10km to the south west of Ballynahinch on the Hillsborough, County Down Road, situated in the most southerly portion of the Belfast Metropolitan Area, with a small part of the village lying in the Lisburn Borough Council area....
  • Groomsport
    Groomsport

    Groomsport is a village two miles north east of Bangor, Northern Ireland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the south shore of Belfast Lough and on the north coast of the Ards Peninsula....
  • Hilltown
    Hilltown, County Down

    Hilltown is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. Hilltown is the main village of the Parish of Clonduff which also contains rural areas and another village named Cabra....
  • Killinchy
    Killinchy

    Killinchy is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, two miles inland from the western shores of Strangford Lough in the Ards Borough Council area....
  • Killough
    Killough

    Killough is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, five miles south east of Downpatrick. It is notable for its sycamore-lined main street....
  • Lawrencetown
    Lawrencetown, County Down

    Lawrencetown Known locally as 'Laurencetown', is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the main route between Banbridge and Portadown....
  • Loughbrickland
    Loughbrickland

    Loughbrickland is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the main Belfast to Dublin road. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 681 people....
  • Loughinisland
    Loughinisland

    Loughinisland is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated between Downpatrick and Ballynahinch, around four Statute Mile west of Downpatrick and twenty-one miles south of Belfast....
  • Mayobridge
  • Scarva
    Scarva

    Scarva is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the main road west of Banbridge. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 320 people....
  • Seaforde
    Seaforde

    Seaforde is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, one mile north of Clough on the main Ballynahinch to Newcastle, County Down road....
  • Strangford
    Strangford

    Strangford is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated across Strangford Lough from Portaferry and is the main base for the Strangford Lough ferry service....


Sport


Down is a strong GAA county. There is a proud tradition of gaelic football & Hurling within the county.

Gaelic Football

Honours won

All-Ireland Senior Football Championships: 5

1960, 1961, 1968, 1991, 1994

All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championships: 1

1979

All-Ireland Minor Football Championships: 4

1977, 1987, 1999, 2005

All-Ireland Junior Football Championships: 1

1946

National Football Leagues: 4

1960, 1962, 1968, 1983

Ulster Senior Football Championships: 12

1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1991, 1994

Ulster Under-21 Football Championships: 7

1965, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 2005, 2008

Ulster Minor Football Championships: 10

1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1977, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1999

Ulster Junior Football Championships: 8

1931, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1958, 1965, 1966, 1971

McKenna Cups: 11

1944, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1972, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2008

GAA All Stars Awards: 19

1971 (S. O’Neill), 1972 (S. O’Neill), 1975 (C. McAlarney), 1978 (C. McAlarney), 1981 (P. Kennedy), 1983 (L. Austin, G. Blaney), 1990 (J. McCartan), 1991 (C. Deegan, B. Breen, R. Carr, G. Blaney), 1994 (M. Magill, P. Higgins, D.J. Kane, G. McCartan, G. Blaney, J. McCartan, M. Linden)

Hurling

Three Down hurling clubs, Ballycran, Ballygalget and Portaferry play in Antrim League. The first two used the experience to win Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championships. Although they had not won the B championship in four final appearances, when the Ulster hurling championship was revived Down won titles in 1992, 1995 and 1997.

In 2008, Down made history as the first GAA county to field two inter-county hurling teams in the National Hurling League. A South Down team - made up of hurlers from non-Ards clubs - recorded their first win by beating Cavan at Ballela, scoring 4-15 to Cavan's 0-9 in Division Four of the league.

Honours Won

All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships: None

All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championships: None

All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championships: None

All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championships: 1

1964

National Hurling Leagues: None

Ulster Senior Hurling Championships: 4

1941, 1992, 1995, 1997

Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championships: 12

1969, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 2003, 2004, 2005

Ulster Minor Hurling Championships: 12

1930, 1932, 1934, 1957, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1978, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1994

Ulster Junior Hurling Championships: 7

1956, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1992, 1993

All Stars: 1

1992 (G. McGrattan)

See also

  • Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland (County Down)
    Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland

    Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland is a link page for any abbey, priory, friary or other religious house in Northern Ireland....
  • List of places in County Down
    List of places in County Down

    This is a list of city, towns, villages and hamlets in County Down, Northern Ireland. See the list of places in Northern Ireland for places in other counties....
  • List of townlands in County Down
    List of townlands in County Down

    In Ireland County are divided into Civil Parishes and Parishes are further divided into townlands. The following is a list of townlands in County Down, Northern Ireland:...


Further reading

  • Harris, Walter (attributed). 1744. The Ancient and Present Stare of the County of Down...Dublin.
  • The Memoirs of John M. Regan, a Catholic Officer in the RIC and RUC, 1909–48, Joost Augusteijn, editor, District Inspector, Co. Down 1930s, 1919, ISBN 978-1-84682-069-4.


External links