County Down

County Down (Irish: Contae an Dúin) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the nine counties of the Province of Ulster, in the northeast of the island of Ireland.[3][4] It covers an area of 2,448 km2 (945 sq mi) and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the north, the Irish Sea to the east, County Armagh to the west, and County Louth across Carlingford Lough to the southwest.

County Down

Contae an Dúin
Coontie Doon/Countie Doun
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 
Mourne Country
Motto(s): 
Absque Labore Nihil  (Latin)
"Nothing Without Labour"
CountryUnited Kingdom
RegionNorthern Ireland
ProvinceUlster
Establishedearly 16th century
County townDownpatrick
Area
 • Total952 sq mi (2,466 km2)
Area rank12th
Highest elevation2,790 ft (850 m)
Population
 (2011)
531,665
 • Rank4th
Time zoneUTC±0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode area
BT
Websitediscovernorthernireland.com/about-northern-ireland/counties/co-down/county-down/
Contae an Dúin is the Irish name, Countie Doun[1] and Coontie Doon[2] are Ulster Scots spellings.

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 was one of two counties of Northern Ireland to have a Protestant majority at the 2001 census. The other Protestant majority County is County Antrim to the North.

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.[5]

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).[6] 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").[7][8]

History
1885 map, with the county divided into baronies

According to Ptolemy During the 2nd century the region was home to the Voluntii tribe. 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 would see waves of English and Scottish immigration. The county was privately planted during the Plantation period.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.

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.

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 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.

Places of interest
King John's Castle on Carlingford Lough.

Subdivisions

Baronies

Main article: Barony (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

Settlements

Cities

(population of 75,000 or more at 2001 Census)[18]

  • Belfast - the eastern suburbs of the city lie partly in County Down but mainly County Antrim
  • Lisburn - the eastern suburbs of the city lie partly in County Down but mainly County Antrim
  • Newry

Large towns

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

Medium towns

(Population of 10,000 or more and under 18,000 at 2001 Census)[18]

Small towns

(Population of 4,500 or more and under 10,000 at 2001 Census)[18]

Administration

The county was administered by Down County Council from 1899 until the abolition of county councils in Northern Ireland in 1973.[19] County Down is now served by the following local government districts:

Transportation

Railways
A steam train on the Downpatrick and County Down Railway travelling through the Ulster drumlin belt near Downpatrick.

Former railways within the county include the Great Northern Railway of Ireland and Belfast and County Down Railway both of which were formed in the 19th century and were closed (or amalgamated) in the 1950s. The Downpatrick and County Down Railway operates a short section of the former Belfast and County Down line as a heritage railway between Downpatrick and Inch Abbey.

Northern Ireland Railways operates the area's modern rail network.

Sport

Association football

In association football, the NIFL Premiership, which operates as the top division, has three teams in the county: Newry City F. C., Ards F.C. and Warrenpoint Town F.C., with Banbridge Town F.C., Bangor F.C. and Lisburn Distillery F.C. competing in the NIFL Championship, which operates as levels two and three.

Gaelic games

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).

Golf

County Down is also home to the No.1-ranked golf course outside of the US, according to Today's Golfer, Royal County Down, which is situated in Newcastle.

Currently ranked No.1 golfer in the world, Rory McIlroy originates from Holywood, situated in the north of the county.

"Star of the County Down" is a popular Irish ballad.

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.[20]

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.

C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, was inspired by the Mourne Mountains. There is a Narnia trail in Kilbroney Park, in Rostrevor.[21]

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.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. 2008 Annual Report in Ulster Scots Archived 29 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine North–South Ministerial Council.
  2. 2006 Annual Report in Ulster Scots Archived 27 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine North–South Ministerial Council.
  3. Taylor, Isaac. Names and Their Histories. Rivingtons, 1898. p.111
  4. Lewis, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); "The See of Down".
  5. https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/five-places-in-northern-ireland-included-in-best-places-to-live-in-britain-list-151651
  6. Long, David (2015). Lost Britain: An A-Z of Forgotten Landmarks and Lost Traditions. Michael O'Mara Books. p. 65. ISBN 9781782434412. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  7. Praeger, Robert Lloyd (1900). Official Guide to County Down and the Mourne Mountains. M'Caw, Stevenson & Orr. p. 123. Retrieved 6 April 2018. Dún county down.
  8. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922). Encyclopedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. University Press. p. 460. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  9. "Saint Patrick's Church". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  10. Crawfordsburn Old Inn website
  11. Kearcsadmin. "St. Brigid's Day". County Kildare Archaeological Society. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  12. For 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy 14 March 1865.
  13. Census for post 1821 figures.
  14. Histpop.org Archived 7 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  15. NISRA.gov.uk Archived 17 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  16. 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.
  17. Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November 1984). "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850". The Economic History Review. 37 (4): 473–488. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x. hdl:10197/1406. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012.
  18. "Statistical classification of settlements". NI Neighbourhood Information Service. Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  19. "Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  20. "Rihanna video: Wildflowers to be planted in north Belfast 'hopeless place'". BBC. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  21. "Mourne Mountains and Ring of Gullion". visitmournemountains.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2020.

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.
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