County Down

The Mournes sweep down to the sea at Newcastle, as the song says, and the coast curves away past Strangford Lough to the Ards Peninsula. Saint Patrick's country anchors the middle of it.

County Down facts

Province: Ulster
County town: Downpatrick
Setting: East coast
Touring region: Northern Ireland
Best for: coast, hiking, history, castles, family
Golf: Royal County Down, the world's most wanted tee time. Our golf guide
Places in the planner: 10

The Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea here, in the words of the song, and they set the terms for the whole county. The Mournes dominate the south of the county, a compact granite range with reservoir valleys and the Mourne Wall walking route, while the coast curves from Strangford Lough to the Ards Peninsula.

North Down is gentler and more suburban, reaching toward Belfast along the lough shore, with seaside towns, the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra, and Mount Stewart's celebrated gardens. Downpatrick, where St Patrick is traditionally said to be buried, anchors the county's early Christian story. The Ards Peninsula, curving around Strangford Lough, is made for a slow drive: island-studded water on one side, the Irish Sea on the other, and villages like Portaferry and Kircubbin in between. It is an easy county to combine with a Belfast city break.

Top sights in Down

Mourne Mountains

A granite mountain range including Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland's highest peak.

Strangford Lough

A large sea lough and marine nature reserve, dotted with islands and birdlife.

Mount Stewart

A National Trust house on Strangford Lough with celebrated formal gardens.

Downpatrick and St Patrick's Grave

The county town, with a cathedral on the Hill of Down where St Patrick is traditionally buried.

Castle Ward

An 18th-century estate on Strangford Lough with trails, gardens and a distinctive house.

Towns & cities in Down

Downpatrick

Saint Patrick is the town's whole story, told at the sites around his traditional burial place. Downpatrick is the county town of County Down.

Bangor

The town grew around an early medieval abbey and grew again as a seaside town. Bangor sits on the County Down coast.

Newcastle

The beach runs the length of the town and the Mournes stand straight behind it. Newcastle is where the Mountains of Mourne meet the sea in County Down.

Hillsborough

Village with a Georgian square, castle and gardens.

Best time to visit

Spring to autumn suits Mourne walking and lough-side days best. Clear winter days can be superb in the mountains, with the right clothing and a careful forecast.

Getting there

Belfast's airports and ferry port are the main gateways, less than an hour from much of the county. From Dublin, the motorway north reaches the south of the county in about two hours.

Places for your trip

Downpatrick: Saint Patrick is the town's whole story, told at the sites around his traditional burial place. Downpatrick is the county town of County Down.
Saint Patrick's Grave, Downpatrick: A granite slab in the graveyard of Down Cathedral marks the traditional burial place of Saint Patrick.
Mourne Mountains and Silent Valley: The Mourne Mountains are a granite range in County Down containing Slieve Donard and the Silent Valley Reservoir.
Inch Abbey: A ruined Cistercian abbey on the River Quoile, quiet even by abbey standards. Inch Abbey stands near Downpatrick.
Bangor: The town grew around an early medieval abbey and grew again as a seaside town. Bangor sits on the County Down coast.
Bangor Abbey: Bangor Abbey was founded by Saint Comgall in the 6th century and became a major centre of early Irish monasticism.
Saul Church: Saul Church near Downpatrick stands on the site traditionally regarded as Saint Patrick's first church in Ireland.
Nendrum Monastic Site: Nendrum is an early monastic site on an island in Strangford Lough with the remains of a round tower and church.
Newcastle: The beach runs the length of the town and the Mournes stand straight behind it. Newcastle is where the Mountains of Mourne meet the sea in County Down.
Royal County Down: The Championship Links at Newcastle, under the Mountains of Mourne. Visitor days are limited and every group takes a caddie.

What's on

No anchor festival is based here, but the Irish year is full: next up nationally is TradFest (20–24 Jan 2027, Temple Bar, Dublin). See the full events calendar

Nearby counties