County Down ~ Northern Ireland

County Down or Contae An Dúin as it is called in the Irish Gaelic is one of the six traditional counties of Northern Ireland (or Ulster as it is also known) and is situated at the most southern point of the Province. Its County town is Downpatrick. Before the arrival of the English invaders the area we now know as Down was called Ulladh or Ulidia which was the ancient name for Ulster. Although there is plenty of archaeological evidence to indicate the presence of prehistoric man in the region, the most prolific early settlers were the Pictish people who lived mainly in the area to the north east of the county into the 6th century. They called their homelands Dalaradia, and it stretched from the southern part of what is now Antrim into north County Down. St Patrick established his first Christian mission at Saul and is said to be buried in Downpatrick Cathedral. Following their Conquest of mainland Britain, the Normans arrived in County Down in the 12th century. They built a number of fortifications in the region as protection against the native peoples; a prime example is the castle at Dundrum. County Down has its own Brontë Country, named after Patrick Brontë the father of the famous authors who was born here. Like most of Ireland, the county has seen its share of bloodshed over the centuries as it has struggled against 'outsiders'. During the so called 'troubles', sectarian violence affected the region, but since the ceasefire, the county is happily reverting to a peaceful and scenically beautiful place.

Geography

The county covers a total area of 952 square miles and has an estimated population of 64000. Most of the population live in the larger towns to the north east. County Down shares borders with County Antrim to the north and County Armagh to the west. It is a maritime county with an eastern shoreline on to the Irish Sea coast. It is a mountainous region with the impressive Mountains of Morne that stand around 2,800 feet at their highest point (and that in the words of the song famously 'sweep down to the sea') to the south, and the Ballynahinch range in the centre of the region. The land gradually evens out towards the Strangford Lough that forms a tidal inlet to the Irish Sea to the east. The soil is generally fertile and supports a thriving agriculture in the plains around the bases of the mountains.

Industry

Although there are small pockets of light industry within the county, agriculture is the most significant industry with special importance being placed on the farming of livestock that do well on the rich pastureland. The county is undoubtedly beautiful and has much to offer with its breathtaking lakes and mountainous countryside and since the end of the violence, visitors are returning in ever increasing numbers to the region. Consequently, tourism is quickly becoming the area's fastest growing form of revenue.

Cities, towns and villages within County Down