County Down

County Down Contae an Dúin Coontie Doon / Countie Doun
Coat of arms
Motto: Absque Labore Nihil  (Latin) "Nothing Without Labour"
Country	United Kingdom
Region	Northern Ireland
Province	Ulster
County seat	Downpatrick
Area
• Total	945.2 sq mi (2,448 km2)
Area rank	12th
Population (2001)	492,840
• Rank	4th
Contae an Dúin is the Irish name, Countie Doun and Coontie Doon are Ulster Scots spellings.

County Down (named after its county town, Downpatrick) is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the south-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,448 km², with a population of about 492,840. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland, lying within the province of Ulster.

The county was archaically called Downshire. It borders County Antrim to the north, the Irish Sea to the east and south, County Armagh to the west, and County Louth to the southwest. In the east of the county is Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula. The largest town is Bangor, on the northeast coast. Three other large towns and cities are on its border: Newry lies on the western border with County Armagh, while Lisburn and Belfast lie on the northern border with County Antrim. Down contains both the southernmost point of Northern Ireland (Cranfield Point) and the easternmost point of Ireland (Burr Point).

It is one of only two counties of Ireland to presently have a majority of the population from a Protestant community background, according to the 2001 census. The other is County Antrim.

Geography

Mourne Mountains

Down contains two significant peninsulas: Ards Peninsula and Lecale peninsula.

The county has a coastline along Belfast Lough to the north and Carlingford Lough to the south (both of which have access to the sea). Strangford Lough lies between the Ards Peninsula and the mainland. Down also contains part of the shore of Lough Neagh. Smaller loughs include Lough Island Reavy.

The River Lagan forms most of the border with County Antrim. The River Bann also flows through the southwestern areas of the county. Other rivers include the Clanrye and Quoile.

The mouth of Carlingford Lough from Knockree in south County Down

There are several islands off the Down coast: Mew Island, Light House Island and the Copeland Islands, 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 Mourne Mountains continue to be renowned for their beauty. Slieve Donard, at 849 m (2,785 ft), is the highest peak in the Mournes and in Northern Ireland. Another important peak is Slieve Croob, at 534 m (1,752 ft), the source of the River Lagan.

Places of interest

• An area of County Down is known as the Brontë Homeland (situated between Rathfriland and Banbridge, where Patrick Brontë had his church), after Patrick Brontë (originally Brunty), father of Anne, Charlotte, Emily Brontë, and Branwell Bronte. Patrick Bronte was born in this region.
• The city of Newry in the south of the county contains St Patrick's (Church of Ireland, 1578), overlooking the city centre from Church street, on the east side of the city, which is considered to be Ireland's first ever Protestant church.^{[citation needed]} Newry is also the home of the first summit-level canal ever to be built in the British Isles.^{[citation needed]}
• Down is also home to Exploris, the Northern Ireland Aquarium, located in Portaferry, on the shores of Strangford Lough, on the Ards Peninsula.
• The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn is one of Ireland's oldest hostelries, with records dating back to 1614. It is predated however by Donaghadee's Grace Neill's which was opened in 1611. The Old inn claims that people who have stayed there include Jonathan Swift, Dick Turpin, Peter the Great, Lord Tennyson, Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, former US president George H. W. Bush, and C. S. Lewis, who honeymooned there.
• Scrabo Tower, in Newtownards, was built as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry.
• Saint Patrick is reputed to be buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, reputedly alongside St. Brigid^{[citation needed]} and St. Columba^{[citation needed]}.
• Saul, County Down (from the Irish: Sabhall meaning "Barn" – where Saint Patrick said his first mass in Ireland

Settlements

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1659	15,183	—
1821	325,410	+2043.3%
1831	352,012	+8.2%
1841	361,446	+2.7%
1851	320,817	−11.2%
1861	299,302	−6.7%
1871	277,294	−7.4%
1881	248,190	−10.5%
1891	224,008	−9.7%
1901	205,889	−8.1%
1911	204,303	−0.8%
1926	209,228	+2.4%
1937	210,687	+0.7%
1951	241,181	+14.5%
1961	266,939	+10.7%
1966	286,631	+7.4%
1971	311,876	+8.8%
1981	417,978	+34.0%
1991	454,411	+8.7%
2001	489,004	+7.6%

Cities

(population of 75,000 or more at 2001 Census)

• Belfast (east)
• Newry (partially in County Armagh; has city status)

Large towns

(population of 18,000 or more and under 75,000 at 2001 Census)

• Dundonald
• Newtownards
• Bangor

Medium towns

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

• Banbridge
• Downpatrick
• Holywood

Small towns

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

• Ballynahinch
• Carryduff
• Comber
• Donaghadee
• Dromore
• Kilkeel
• Newcastle
• Warrenpoint

Intermediate settlements (population of 2,250 or more and under 4,500 at 2001 Census) Ballygowan Castlewellan Hillsborough Killyleagh Moira Portaferry Rostrevor Saintfield Waringstown Villages (population of 1,000 or more and under 2,250 at 2001 Census) Annahilt Annalong Ardglass Ballywalter Crossgar Drumaness Drumbeg Dundrum Gilford Greyabbey Helen's Bay Kilcoo Kircubbin Magheralin Millisle Portavogie Rathfriland

Small villages or hamlets (population of less than 1,000 at 2001 Census) Atticall Annsborough Ballyhalbert Ballyhornan Ballykinler Ballymartin Bryansford Burren Cabra, County Down Carrowdore Clough Cloughey Crawfordsburn Donaghcloney Dromara Gilnahirk Groomsport Hilltown Killinchy Killough Lawrencetown Leitrim Listooder Longstone Loughbrickland Loughinisland Mayobridge Saul Scarva Seaforde Sheeptown Strangford

Subdivisions

Baronies

Main article: Baronies of Ireland

• Ards Lower (from the Irish: Aird)
• Ards Upper
• Castlereagh Lower
• Castlereagh Upper
• Dufferin (from the Irish: Duifrian)
• Iveagh Lower, Lower Half (from the Irish: Uíbh Eachach)
• Iveagh Lower, Upper Half
• Iveagh Upper, Lower Half
• Iveagh Upper, Upper Half
• Kinelarty (from the Irish: Cineál Fhártaigh)
• Lecale Lower (from the Irish: Leath Cathail)
• Lecale Upper
• Lordship of Newry
• Mourne (from the Irish: Múrna)

Parishes

Main article: List of civil parishes of County Down

Townlands

Main article: List of townlands in County Down

Sport

The Down County Board administer gaelic games in the county. Down are the most successful team north of the border in terms of All-Ireland Senior Football Championships won with 5 in total. In terms of Ulster they share that accolade with Cavan who also have 5 titles.

They currently have four minor all Ireland titles (1977, 1987, 1999 and 2005), twelve Ulster titles (1959, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1991, 1994) and one under 21 all Ireland title (1979).

They have ten minor Ulster titles (1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1977, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1999), and nine under 21 Ulster titles (1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1977, 1979, 1986, 1987, 1999) following second on the table as Tyrone is first with 11.

Main article: Down GAA

See also

• Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland (County Down)
• List of civil parishes of County Down
• List of places in County Down
• List of townlands in County Down
• Lord Lieutenant of Down
• High Sheriff of Down

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

• County Down at the Open Directory Project
• County Down tourism
• Armagh and Down tourism
• Culture Northern Ireland - Industrial Heritage of County Down
• Down Gaelic Athletic Association/Cummann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste An Dún
• Genealogy indexes for County Down
• Ardglass fishing port on East Down coast