As typical of the dol- mens of Co. Down (Accommodation, Down, Ireland) the structure known as the Sliddery- ford dolmen at Newcastle may be mentioned. It is situated in a field close to the road from Dundrum to Newcastle, within 1 1/2 miles of Dundrum. The dolmen stands about 9 ft. high, and the granite cap-stone, which measures 8 ft. by 7 1/2 ft., is 3 1/2 ft. thick. A little distance from the dolmen is a large pillar stone measuring 11 ft. 3 in. in height from the ground. Another well-known Co. Down (Self Catering, Down, Ireland) dolmen is that of Legananny, which stands on the western slope of Boley Lough about 6 miles north- west of Castlewellan in the townland of Legananny. The cap-stone is a coffin-shaped granite slab, measuring ii ft. in length and 5 ft. in width at the broadest part; it is supported by 3 pillars. The Kempe Stone dolmen in the same county also deserves mention; it is not far from the village of Dundonald. The cap-stone is of large dimensions and covers a chamber formed of six large blocks. Human bones were discovered in 1830 on excavating the chamber, in which in 1897 Mr. Hugh Kirk of Newtownards discovered the fragment of a decorated food vessel of Bronze-Age date. Many of the dolmens arc in a ruined condition. The largest of the two monuments at Kilcloony deserves description. The; cap-stone measures 20 ft. long by 13 ft. broad, and is in places J ft. thick. It is supported by two pillars at the east end, each about 6 ft. in height, and slopes to the west, resting on a low slab which forms the end of the chamber. A smaller dolmen of similar construction lies some yards to the west of this. There is also a remarkable series of monuments in the townland of Finner, parish of Inishmacsaint, consisting of several dolmens, and a earn containing a dolmen-like chamber ; the earn has been ruined, and burnt human bones were discovered in the cist. A short distance from the earn were discovered a grave containing burnt bones, and an urn ; close by are traces of two stone circles.

In the town of Newtownards are the ruins of the once famous monastery of Movilla. The extant remains consist merely of the gables, and portions of the side walls of the ancient church, into which arc built an interesting series of Anglo-Norman slabs. They are of the usual type with a floriated cross; some bear a sword showing them to be monuments of knights, others bear shears for a lady. There is one slab with an Irish inscription to Dertriu, who is supposed to have been Abbot of Movilla in the tenth century. The ruins of the church at present to be seen probably belong to the fifteenth century. The original foundation is reputed to date from about a.d. 550, the monastery having been founded by St Finnian for Augustinian Canons.

Land Area: 2,448 km

County Town: Downpatrick

Population: 454,000 (estimate)

Province: Ulster

Down, one of Ireland’s most fertile counties is remarkable for its many low, beautifully cultivated hills. Down (Hotels, Down, Ireland) has many important historic sites and ancient monuments, together with attractions for sportsmen and sightseeing tourists. There’s plenty to be upbeat about in this fine county, which has great beaches, good value hotels and exceptional traditional pubs.

O Hanlons Bar, is a 400-year-old public house that is set alongside a stone bridge over a river. The area has one of the most outstanding natural beauty, attractive for outdoors enthusiast. The tradition is very much alive with regular traditional music sessions in the pub. These are ‘open’ sessions, combining the natural welcome with the opportunity for the best of music and song that the assembled gathering can produce. Grace Neill’s has been established in 1611, thereby listing this bar in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest pub in Ireland. Two or three paces from the front door, passing the old bar and through a narrow doorway, the pub moves rapidly into the 21st century and is transformed from an Irish pub into a bistro. They also offer an excellent dining pub serving 600 meals per week. Grace Neill’s, has won several awards in recognition of the variety of menu and standard of presentation and quality. This old shrine provides excellent cuisine and hospitality, which makes this establishment a cut above the rest. After nearly four centuries, Grace Neill’s is definitely one of a finest pub around. The Stove Bar is a charming pub, which was established in 1826, famous for its storytelling and singing sessions, which all started a long time ago with John Lavery, a farmer and magistrate. Now five generations later, this highly successful bar is well known for its great pints of Guinness, warmth and charm.

No trip to Down (Accommodation, Down, Ireland) is complete without visiting a good pub and listening to traditional Irish music. Because the real soul of Ireland can only be found in the fantastic rhythm of its music and dancing.

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Down, a county of Ireland, in Ulster, 42 m. long and 34 broad; bounded E by the Irish sea, W by Armagh, NW by Antrim, and S by Carlingford bay and the ocean; divided into 60 parishes, and sends 4 members to parliament. Copper and lead are found; also are black marble susceptible of a high polish, slate, coal, freestone, and crystals. The Mourne Mountains in the south of the county form one of the most beautiful areas in Ireland. The Rowallane Gardens hold an excellent collection of plants, one of the best in Ireland. Bangor, County Down is a major seaside resort.

Down (Bed and Breakfasts, Down, Ireland) was the first area in the north to be captured by the Normans, when John de Courci marched north from Dublin with 300 or so men in 1177. They were soon assimilated and the region retained its largely Gaelic character until the seventeenth century when, even though the area was not formally included in the Plantation of Ulster, there was a large influx of English and Scottish settlers. Presbyterians and members of the Church of Ireland now constitute about two-thirds of the population. Under the organizational reforms carried out in Northern Ireland in 1973, the county ceased to exist and was divided into various smaller administrative units. Identification with the old county continues in the daily lives of the people.

The Main Surnames of Down (Hotels, Down, Ireland) are Campbell, McAleavey, Hamilton, O\‘Neill, McCartan, Dodds and Gilmore

The chief towns include Belfast, Ballymena, Antrim, Lisburn, Newry, Downpatrick, Kilkeel, Banbridge, Bangor, Newtownards and Larne.

Unlike other parts of Ireland this area has a tradition of emigration, in the main to North America, which stretches back to the 17th century. This steady stream of Ulstermen and women were largely Presbyterians. Emigration on a large scale became commonplace in the first half of the 18th century. County Down was less badly affected by the Great Famine than many other counties. One of its effects was a large exodus from the rural areas to the city of Belfast, part of which is in County Down. The population of Down (Holiday Cottages, Down, Ireland) in 1841 was 368,000. In 1851 this had been reduced by approximately eleven percent.

The Ulster Historical Foundation is designated by the Irish Family History Foundation to provide a genealogical research service for the counties of Antrim and Down (Self Catering, Down, Ireland) (including the City of Belfast) in Northern Ireland. The Ulster Historical Foundation offers a full service to enquirers. In addition to having access to civil records of birth, death and marriages, valuation and tithe records the Ulster Historical Foundation is in the process of computerising the following church records:

Roman Catholic records commencing in 1798

Church of Ireland records commencing in 1637

Presbyterian records from 1675 and

Non-Subscribing Presbyterian records from 1757.

In all a total of 1.5 million records relating to the area have been computerised at the Centre and the computerisation of records continues. The Centre also has access to all records held at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland.

(now portion of the Cathedral) of Downpatrick; and Newtownards Priory. Grey Abbey, situated in the village of Grey Abbey, on Strangford Lough, Co. Down, the most picturesque of the ecclesiastical buildings remaining in the province, was founded in a.d. 1193 by Affreca, the wife of John de Courcy, and colonised by Cistercian monks from the Abbey of Holm Cultram in Cumberland. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Its Irish name was Mainistir Liath the Grey Monastery ; in early records it is referred to a De Jugo Dei in Ultonia. The ruins consist of the church and conventual buildings. The church is cruciform in plan, and most of its walls are standing ; it consists of an aisleless nave, chancel, and transepts, with a square tower at the junction of the nave and chancel. The transepts have eastern chapels. The conventual buildings are on the south of the church : they are in a ruinous condition, but their foundations can easily be traced: they comprise the sacristy, chapter house, calefactory with the monks dorter above it, kitchen, refectory and buttery. The cloister garth is much damaged, but appears to have been oblong in plan. A number of mediaeval masons marks can be seen incised upon fragments of building stones and the walls of the building The architecture of the abbey appears to belong as a whole to the thirteenth century, but there arc some traces of Romanesque work. The convent was dissolved in a.d. 1541 when some of its possessions were granted to Gerald earl of Kildare. A curious leaden matrix of a seal of Ralph Irton bishop of Carlisle a.d. 1280-1291 was discovered in 1842 when clearing out the foundations of the ruins of Grey Abbey. The matrix is probably a contemporary forgery, as lead is an unusual material for the seal of a bishop. As an explanation of the presence of the matrix at Grey Abbey it may be stated that Grey Abbey was an affiliated cell of the Abbey of Holm Cultram in Cumberland in the diocese of Carlisle. A certain Ralph, who was first, Abbot of Grey Abbey, and afterwards, of Holm Cult- ram, subsequently became Bishop of Carlisle. An entry of a.d. 1222 refers to the promotion of Ralph to the Abbotship of Holm Cultram from Grey Abbey. If, there- fore, it be assumed that Ralph entered the monastery at a very early age and lived to be over ninety, it would account for the presence of his seal-matrix at Grey Abbey.

Newtownards priory was founded by Walter de Burgo earl of Ulster, in a.d. 1244, being dedicated to St Columba, and occupied by Friars Preachers (Domini- cans). It was a foundation of some importance, and provincial chapters of the Order were held in it in 1298 and 1312. At the dissolution of the monasteries it was surrendered to Henry VIII.s commissioners by the last prior, Patrick ODoran. The priory and its lands were granted by King James I. to James, Viscount Clandeboy, and were afterwards assigned to Hugh, Viscount Mont- gomery of the Ards. Nothing now remains of the conventual buildings but the church. This consists of a nave and north aisle with a tower, which projects from the centre of its external wall. There are some traces of a chancel. The nave is the only remaining portion of the church which dates from the foundation. The west and south walls are fairly preserved, and there is some interesting fifteenth-century work in the nave arcade. The tower, which is later than either the nave or aisles, belongs to the Jacobean period.

The only remaining portions of the Abbey church at Down (Hotels, Down, Ireland), are now embodied in the cathedral of Down-patrick. The Abbey was founded in 1186 by John de Courcy for Benedictine monks, and the modern cathedral, commenced in 1790, was grafted on to the remains of the eastern arm of the Abbey church. The remains of the Abbey to be noticed are some capitals in the nave arcades, and some mouldings in other portions of the building, which belong to the Gothic period; some fragments of Irish Romanesque work are also to be seen. The nave and transepts of the church, and the conventual buildings have disappeared, but their foundations are probably buried under the ground of the neighbouring fields and gardens. Inch Abbey was founded by John de Courcy in 1180 for Cistercian monks. The ruins are attractive, but not extensive; there is little left of the church except the chancel, the windows of which are in the style of the thirteenth century. The remains of the monastery of Saul, Co. Down (Accommodation, Down, Ireland), are scanty ; the site is, however, interesting as it commemorates by its position and name (Sabhall=a. barn), the place where Christianity was first preached in Ireland. When St Patrick landed near Downpatrick in a.d. 432 he preached to the lord of the soil, Dichu, and his people, in a barn. A church was later erected on the same site, and a monastery for Regular Canons was founded, which was restored in the twelfth century by Malachias O Morghair bishop of Down. The greater portion of the church has now disappeared, but there is a small cell in the churchyard said to be the tomb of Bishop O Morghair.

Dromore (the great ridge) is a bishopric of considerable antiquity, having been founded early in the sixth century. The ancient cathedral was destroyed in the rebellion of the seventeenth century : the present edifice was built by Jeremy Taylor, bishop of Down and Connor, who held this See in commendam. Jeremy Taylors building appears to have been a plain oblong church with a square, plain tower at the west end. It has been restored within recent years ; an apse has been added to the east end, and on the north side an aisle. The Cathedral of Kilmore (the great church) is quite modern, having been built about 1860. It is a small church of cruciform shape with a central tower sur mounted by a small spire. Lisburn Cathedral owes its origin to Charles II., who in 1662 constituted the parish church of Lisburn the cathedral church of Down and Conner; the cathedral churches of both these places being at that time in ruins. It is an uninteresting church planned as a parallelogram. Raphoe Cathedral is a cruciform church with a tall square western tower. It does not show any signs of age, but possibly contains some ancient portions built into the walls. Raphoe is a corruption of Raith-both, the fort of the huts.
The port of Ardglass, Co. Down (Holiday Cottages, Down, Ireland), was of much importance at the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, and no less than seven castles were built there by de Courcy. But the remains of castles now to be seen in this locality are of considerably later date; the best preserved of these, formerly known as Jordans Castle, is situated near the Quay. It is supposed to be named after Jordan dc Saukvill. The castle was besieged for a long period during the Earl of Tyrones rebellion. The present remains consist of a lofty tower, 70 ft. in height, which is maintained in excellent order by its present owner, Mr. F. J. Bigger. The Savages of the Ards peninsula, Co. Down (Holiday Homes, Down, Ireland), were the great castle builders of this region, and ruins of some of their numerous strongholds still exist. At Portaferry there are the remains of what must have been a strong fortress. It consists at present of a rectangular keep, and belongs to the present representative of the Savage family, Major-General Nugent. Another ruin of interest is Kirkistone Castle, Bally- halbert, which was built by Roland Savage early in the seventeenth century. The keep, which is still perfect, is in the centre of a square enclosure, the southern wall of which is flanked by a circular tower at each corner. This Jordans Castle, now called Castle Shane, Ardglass, Co. Down (Bed and Breakfasts, Down, Ireland) building is remarkable as being one of the few castles in the Ards district in which the courtyard has been preserved. The remains of several castles may be seen in the neighbourhood of Strangford Lough, practically all are of Anglo-Norman origin; now they are, mostly in a ruinous condition.

The most interesting of these Anglo-Norman castles is that of Dundrum, Co. Down, which has recently been identified with the Castrum de Rath mentioned in records of the thirteenth century. It was erected by John de Courcy on a rocky elevation on the site of Dun Rudhraighe, an ancient Celtic fort, in which was held, according to tradition, the Fled Bricrend, the feast of Bricriu, which forms the subject of a well-known Middle-Irish tale. The tower of Dundrum is probably the most perfect example of a donjon in Ireland. It is a cylindrical shell of masonry, with an external diameter of 45 ft., the walls arc 8 ft. thick, and the tower measures 43 ft. in height. The basement chamber of he donjon is cut out of the rock. A moat quarried out of the solid rock partially surrounds the donjon. A portion of the original wall round the courtyard is still standing : on the southern slope of the hill are the ruins of an Elizabethan house. Plan of Dundrum Castle Dunluce Castle is a romantic ruin occupying the whole of a detached basaltic rock. There arc the remains of the entrance barbican and two towers : the residential buildings include the Great Hall, 70 ft. by 23 ft., and another large apartment with bedrooms over these. The castle was probably erected by the MacQuillans, who were in occupation when the MacDonnels came over from Scotland after their surrender of the lordship of the fslcs to James IV in 1476.   ]]> http://down.travelinireland.com/down/architecture/architecture-in-down.html/feed