In the east of the county is
Strangford Lough and the
Ards Peninsula. The largest settlement is
Bangor, a city 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 was one of two counties of Northern Ireland to have a
Protestant majority at the time of the
2001 census. The other Protestant-majority County was County Antrim to the north.[7] However, as of the 2021 Census, it is now the only county in which there is a Protestant background majority, as Antrim has Protestant background plurality.[8] In the 2021 census, Ards and North Down had the highest number of "No Religion" responses (30.6%) for Northern Ireland.[9]
In March 2018, The Sunday Times published its list of Best Places to Live in Britain, including five in Northern Ireland. The list included three in County Down:
Holywood,
Newcastle, and
Strangford.[10]
The county has two cities:
Newry and
Bangor. The latter is the most recent, gaining city status on the 2nd of December, 2022. [11]
Toponymy
County Down takes its name from dún, the Irish word for
dun or fort, which is a common root in Gaelic place names (such as
Dundee,
Dunfermline and
Dumbarton in Scotland and
Donegal and
Dundalk in Ireland).[12] The fort in question was in the historic town of
Downpatrick, originally known as Dún Lethglaise ("fort of the green side" or "fort of the two broken fetters").[13][14]
History
During the 2nd century the region was home to the Voluntii tribe, according to
Ptolemy. From the 400s–1177 County Down formed a central part of the kingdom of
Ulaid. Ulaid was a frequent target of Viking raids in the eighth and ninth centuries, however fierce local resistance prevented the Norse from setting up permanent settlements in the region. In 1001 a fleet led by
Sigtrygg Silkbeard raided much of the region in retribution for the Ulaiden's refusal to offer him sanctuary from
Brian Boru the previous year.
The region was
invaded by the
Normans in 1177. From the 1180s–1600s the region saw waves of English and Scottish immigration. In 1569 the Irish Parliament passed "An Act for turning of Countries that be not yet Shire Grounds into Shire Grounds".[15] In 1570 a commission was issued in pursuance of that statute "to survey and make enquiry in the countries and territories ... that are not shire ground, or are doubtful to what shire they belong; to limit and nominate them a shire or county; to divide them into countries, baronies or hundreds, or to join them to any existing shire or barony" "for the countries or territories of Arde,[a] as well this side Blackstafe[b] as the other side, Copelande islands,[c] the Dufferin,[d] Clandeboy,[e] Kilultoghe, the Glynes[f] with the Raughlines,[g] Momerie and Carie,[h] the Rowte M'William (
McQuillan)[i] and all lands between lough Coine[j] and lough Eaghe,[k] and the water of Strangforde and the Banne.[l] To certify their proceedings before the 1st August."[16][17] The county was privately planted during the
Plantation period (16th–17th centuries). During the
Williamite War in Ireland (1689–1691) the county was a centre of Protestant rebellion against the rule of the Catholic
James II. After forming a scratch force the Protestants were defeated by the
Irish Army at the
Break of Dromore and forced to retreat, leading to the whole of Down falling under
Jacobite control. Later the same year
Marshal Schomberg's large
Williamite expedition arrived in Belfast Lough and captured Bangor. After laying
siege to Carrickfergus, Schomberg marched south to
Dundalk Camp, clearing County Down and much of the rest of East Ulster of Jacobite troops.[citation needed]
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 and Castlewellan Lake near Castlewellan, Clea Lough near Killyleagh, Lough Money and Loughinisland near Downpatrick and, within the
Mourne Mountains,
Silent Valley Reservoir, Ben Crom Reservoir, Spelga Dam and Lough Shannagh.
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.
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 at least seventy islands (several inhabited) along with many islets – or pladdies – in Strangford Lough,[18] although folk tradition says there are 365 islands in Strangford Lough, one for every day of the year.[19]
County Down is where, in the words of the song by
Percy French, "
The mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea", and the area around the
granite Mourne Mountains continues to be known for its scenery.
Slieve Donard, at 849 m (2,785 ft), is the highest peak in the Mournes, in Northern Ireland and in the province of Ulster. Another important peak is
Slieve Croob, at 534 m (1,752 ft), the source of the River Lagan.
Saul, County Down (from the Irish: Sabhall meaning "Barn") – where Saint Patrick said his first eucharist in Ireland
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.[21] The
Newry Canal is also the first summit-level canal ever to be built in the
British Isles.
Cloughmore (The Big Stone), a 30-ton Granite boulder lies on the Slieve Martin Mountain Ridge approximately 1000 ft. above
Rostrevor village in
Kilbroney Park.
Down is also home to
Exploris, the Northern Ireland Aquarium, located in
Portaferry, on the shores of Strangford Lough, on the Ards Peninsula.
An area of County Down is known as the Brontë Homeland (situated between
Rathfriland and
Banbridge, where
Patrick Brontë had his church.) Patrick Brontë (originally Brunty), father of
Anne,
Charlotte,
Emily and
Branwell, was born in this region.
The county was administered by
Down County Council from 1899 until the abolition of county councils in Northern Ireland in 1973.[35] County Down is now served by the following
local government districts:
The
Down County Board administers
Gaelic games in the county. Down is the most successful team north of the border in terms of
All-Ireland Senior Football Championships won with five (1960, 1961, 1968, 1991 and 1994) 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, twelve Ulster titles and one under 21 all Ireland title (1979). The Ards peninsula is a hurling stronghold.
The county is named in the lyrics of the song "
Around the World", from the film Around the World in 80 Days, which was an American top ten hit for
Bing Crosby and UK top ten hit for
Ronnie Hilton, both in 1957, although it was
Mantovani's instrumental version which was actually used in the film.
Rihanna's video "
We Found Love" was filmed there in 2011, causing complaints when the singer removed her clothes to reveal a bikini.[39]
The
Ulster singer
Van Morrison has made reference to the County Down in the lyrics to several songs including "Northern Muse (Solid Ground)", "Mystic of the East" and the nostalgic "
Coney Island", which names several places and landmarks in the county. Van Morrison also covered "Star of the County Down" with
the Chieftains as a part of their collaboration album Irish Heartbeat.
Sam Hanna Bell based his novel of Ulster rural life, December Bride (1951) in the Ards peninsula. A film version of the novel, also called December Bride, was produced in 1990 and released in November 1991.
The Academy Award-winning short film The Shore (2011) was filmed in and around Killough bay by director/writer Terry George and his daughter Oorlagh. The film starred Ciaran Hynds, Kerry Condon and Connleth Hill.[43]
^Northern Ireland General Register Office (1975). "Table 1: Area, Buildings for Habitation and Population, 1971".
Census of Population 1971; Summary Tables(PDF). Belfast: HMSO. p. 1.
Archived(PDF) from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
^Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. (eds.). Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
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,
ISBN978-1-84682-069-4.
External links
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