Holiday in Northern Ireland - County Down

County Down
South of Belfast is County Down, and the eastern portion of this county contains the Ards Peninsula and Strangford Lough, with some excellent holiday cottages and houses to rent. This begins at Bangor, a traditional seaside resort with a fine beach, amusements and a pier. One of the best attractions is the Tonic Cinema, a classic example of architecture from the golden age of the cinema, and it is still showing films to appreciative audiences.

At the top of the lough is Newtownards, a fine market town that has a small airfield where light aircraft are available to hire for flights over the surrounding area. If you would rather keep your feet on the ground, then a climb up the Scrabo Tower, all 122 steps, will give an alternative view south down the lough, north to Belfast, and, on a clear day you can even see Scotland. It was a gift to the 3rd Marquis of Londonderry in 1857 for his efforts to relieve the suffering of his tenants during the Great Famine. A couple of miles outside of the town is the Somme Heritage Centre, which details the Irish involvement in the First World War, and has audio-visual displays and a mock-up of a trench so that you can see what life was like for the serving soldier. If you want to rent a self-catering cottage on the Ards Peninsula then Newtownards has a good choice of holiday accommodation.

The water here has an estuarine feel about it, and these mud flats, sand banks, and drumlin islands make it a perfect place for migrating birds. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust premises at Castle Espie offer probably the best bird watching in Northern Ireland. Some 12,000 Brent Geese fly in from Greenland to over winter here, almost 10% of the world's population, and there are regular gatherings of Golden Plover, Curlew, Redshank, and Lapwing, as well as huge clouds of Ducks and Widgeon. Many people stay here on a bird-watching holiday in Northern Ireland.

On the opposite side of the lough is Mount Stewart, the seat of the Marquis of Londonderry. This lovely country house still has a family feel to it even though its occupants have taken some of the most important political decisions of the last two hundred years. For example, Lord Castlereagh was born in the house, and in the Dining Room are the 22 chairs that the leading protagonists occupied when negotiating at the Congress of Vienna. Halfway up the main staircase is a huge painting of the horse Hambletonian, recently voted one of the top 100 paintings in the British Isles. There are other treasures in the house including a fire screen covered with original pictures of birds by Edward Lear, and copies of plays by Sean O'Casey, dedicated to Edith, wife of the 7th Marquis. This same Edith laid out the superb gardens, which cover an area of over 90 acres. The temperate climate here, due to the Gulf Stream, has helped the gardens to flourish and attractions include an Italian, Spanish, sunken, and Maori garden, and you can relax in the Temple of the Winds and gaze out over the lough. There is a large collection of animal statuary on the Dodo Terrace dedicated to the 'Ark Club', the politicians and soldiers that were entertained by the Marchioness in the 1920s and '30s.

Along the shore of the lough at Greyabbey are the ruins of the first truly Gothic church built in Ireland, and a carefully restored and maintained 'physic garden', much as it would have been when the monks were in charge here. The pretty village next door is a haven for antique hunters and these are situated in a handsome coach-yard off the main street, and also some nice coffee shops to relax in once you have made your purchase.

On the Irish Sea coast is an un-ending line of wonderful sandy beaches so this is an idyllic location if you are looking for a holiday cottage by the sea. Starting at Donaghadee, a small fishing port that was visited by Peter the Great when he was travelling around Europe learning the craft of a shipwright, there are some gorgeous traditional cottages in County Down. You can stay by the beach at Millisle, with the Ballycopeland Windmill just inland, or a holiday house near Ballywalter or Clogher, with its excellent golf course.

Near the tip of the peninsular is the National Trust owned village of Kearney. This is a complete Irish village, restored to its original condition of about 1840, and some of these lovely homes are available to rent.

The small town of Portaferry is the jump-off point for those who want to explore the rest of south Down. The car and passenger ferry takes you across the mouth of the lough to Strangford, and the chance to see an architectural peculiarity, Castle Ward. This house is the product of two different minds, Bernard, and his wife, Lady Anne Ward, and was completed in 1760. He preferred the classical style of Palladian architecture, she was a fan of high Gothic and the couple disagreed so vigorously that the result is a mix of the two. The front half is an example of classical restraint on the outside, with wonderful plasterwork inside, including a real fiddle, hat, and basket dipped in plaster and stuck on the walls. The back half is all painted and John Betjeman, when he went into the Boudoir, remarked that he felt that he was 'standing beneath a cow', so extravagant is the ceiling decoration. The 700 acres of parkland and gardens house a farm museum, working corn mill, and a chance for children to dress-up in 18th century costume.

The eastern shore of the lough is dotted with islands and the only town of any note is Killyleagh. This is a picturesque place dominated by its castle, a somewhat Disneyesque affair with allsorts of turrets and roves and was the birthplace of Hans Sloan, the founder of the British Museum and Kew Gardens. The town is the centre for much of the sailing on the lough and so has plenty of stores to supply the hungry yachtsmen. One of the highlights of the year takes place just to the north at Sketrick Island, where there is an annual homemade raft competition, open to all and sundry.

Right at the southern end of Strangford Lough is Downpatrick, one of the holiest places in Ireland. Down Cathedral, which towers over the town is the supposed resting place of St Patrick, and a stone slab in the graveyard marks this grave. It is not only him who is buried here but also Saints Brigid and Colmcille, so there are three reasons to break your journey here. The town has a comprehensive museum dedicated to St Patrick, the only one in Ireland to detail all of his life and achievements, and it is no surprise to know that the area of the county to the south is regarded as St Patrick's Country. It is said that he landed at Saul, just east of Downpatrick, on his return to Ireland in 432 AD after twenty-five years wandering and preaching on the Continent. And it was here that he decided to end his days after a further twenty years converting the Irish.

As was common with most early Christian missionaries, Patrick was a great one for proving that God would overcome pain and suffering. To this end he tested himself, and his belief, by immersing himself in the freezing-cold waters of Struell Wells, and spent the best part of a night, teeth chattering all the while, 'singing psalms and spiritual songs'. The Wells are just to the south of Downpatrick, and you can take waters for curing eye problems, and if you go to the one that Patrick spent his night in, this will cure problems of the feet. Maybe after all those years on the road the spring water had done his feet some good.

Taking the coast road out of the village of Strangford you first come to the village of Kilclief with its 15th century tower house. This was built by John Cely, the naughty Bishop of Down, who was defrocked for living here with his mistress, Lettice Savage, a married woman. Further along the coast is a lively fishing town, Ardglass that was once the most important port in Ulster, hence the large number of fortified buildings and towers in the town.

The town of Newcastle, on the coast and on the edge of the Mourne Mountains, is the home of one of the best, if not the best, links course in the world. The Royal County Down Golf course is a serious test for even top professionals, with its bunkers, high winds, steeply undulating topography, and spectacular scenery all make a round here very memorable. Mind you, the cost of a round is equally so. If you are on for something a bit more strenuous and are planning a walking holiday in this area, then there are plenty of charming places to stay around Newcastle and Kilkeel. If you are looking for quality self-catering near Newcastle then you will be spoilt for choice.

'The Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea', so wrote the local poet and artist Percy French. These beautifully shaped pink-grey peaks, with twelve of them rising to over 2,000ft, are a walkers paradise and you can follow the old Brandy smuggler's paths through them. Weather conditions can change quite quickly here so do go prepared, but once you are on the peaks it is difficult to get lost thanks to a 22-mile long wall that links the main inner summits. Many tourists want to stay near the Mountains of Mourne and here you will find vacation rentals in the rolling countryside of Co Down, self-catering cottages with a log fire, castles to rent, and coastal properties near Rostrevor in the foothills of the mountains of Mourne. This part of County Down is a very popular place to rent a holiday home as the countryside is glorious and there is so much to see and do.

In the heart of the county, and on the river Bann, lies Banbridge, an important linen generations and you can take a tour around their factory and see all the various processes that the raw material has to go through before becoming your table cloth. The town is also notable for being the birthplace of the Reverend Patrick Bronte and outside the town are various, well signposted, attractions documenting his early life in and around the area. The Bronte Homeland Trust has preserved the remains of the two-room cottage where he grew up, the church where he held his first ministry, and several other places important to his upbringing. Also in the town is the Banbridge Genealogical Service, which holds copies of valuation books for the local districts, Ordnance Survey maps, and a small reference library to help in your search.

Near the county border with Antrim is the pretty Georgian town of Hillsborough, and its late 18th century mansion, Hillsborough Castle, is the home of the Royal Family when they visit the province. Originally the home of the Marquises of Downshire, the house was bought by the Government in 1922 as the residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland, it was the place where the Good Friday Agreement was signed. The parkland around the house is notable for the number of different walks on offer through the woodland, or around the lake in its centre. The town is within striking distance of most of the major attractions in the south of County Down and renting a self-catering property near Hillsborough will give you a good base to tour the area.

Irish tourist information

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