Sunday 5 May 2013

About Newcastle Co Down

Newcastle Information

Newcastle Co Down is the premier seaside town of Northern Ireland which famously was sung about by Percy French who  penned "... where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea".
Newcastle Co Down is a small town on the coast in the Dundrum Bay. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the Census of 2001. The extremely popular seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of the tallest mountain in Northern Ireland, namely Slieve Donard, one of the striking Mourne Mountains. Newcastle Co Down is renowned for its most beautiful sandy beach and the famous Royal County Down Golf Club beside the Slieve Donard Hotel. Newcastle Co Down is under the control of the Down District Council area.
Newcastle promotes itself as the activity resort for Northern Ireland and a meeting place for car, bike and lorry rallies, its most special attribute is its location at the foot of Slieve Donard of the Mourne Mountains.
Newcastle Co Down has benefited from a multi million pound upgrade to the promenades which helps to make the beach a high quality seaside attraction which is more accessible for seaside visitors.
The name of the town Newcastle in Co Down is thought to derive from a castle which was demolished in the 19th Century and originally built by Felix Magennis in the late 16th century, which stood at the mouth of the Shimna River. Although the town has been mentioned by the name of Newcastle as early as 1433, so it is likely that another castle had previously stood at that location.
In the 17th century, Ulster ports began to rise in prominence. William Pitt was appointed as Customer of the Co Down ports of Newcastle, Dundrum, Killough, Portaferry, Donaghadee, Bangor and Holywood in 1625.
On 13th January 1843, boats from Newcastle Co Down and from Annalong also in Co Down set out for the usual fishing locations, and were caught in a ferocious gale. 14 boats were lost in the heavy seas including a boat which had gone to the rescue. Only two boats survived the storm, the Victoria and the Brothers. 76 men perished in the disaster, 46 of whom were from Newcastle Co Down. They left twenty seven widows, 118 children, and 21 dependants  A Public Subscription was raised and the cottages, now known as Widows Row in Newcastle, were built for the widows and dependants of the perished Newcastle men. A line of a local song about the fishing disaster says "Newcastle town is one long street entirely stripped of men"
In 1910 Harry Ferguson flew a small plane across the Newcastle Co Down beach in one of the first engine powered flights by aircraft in all of Ireland. Harry completed the flight in an attempt to win a £100 prize from by the town for the first powered flight along the Newcastle strand. His first take off ended badly, but according to a newspaper report "He flew a distance of almost three miles along the foreshore at a low altitude varying between fifty and five hundred feet". This event is recorded by a granite plaque on the promenade behind the Tropicana.
Information about Newcastle Co Down is available on signs throughout the forests and hills. The Mourne Mountains is the setting for many local myths and legends. There are stories of The Blue Lady, a woman abandoned by her husband who's ghost still haunts the mountains of Mourne, and more recently the idea of a great wild cat living in the Mournes. Many of the stories are merely folklore although they may have true origins and have gave many of Newcastle's attractions their names, such as: Maggie's Leap being named after a local girl called Maggie, who leapt over the impressive chasm to her death while fleeing soldiers with a basket of eggs. Many other places in the Newcastle Co Down area get their names from other sources,The Brandy Pad, a popular spot in the mountains is named so because of the illegal brandy smuggling that took place through the area. Another example would be the Bogey Hill just above the Newcastle harbour at the Southern end of the town, which is named after the carts (bogies) that carried Mourne granite from the quarry on Thomas' Mountain down to the harbour. In 1897, T.R.H the Duke and Duchess of York (George V and Queen Mary), grandparents to Queen Elizabeth II, visited Newcastle Co Down to open the Slieve Donard Hotel. Afterwards they visited Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley at Castlewellan Castle.

Population of Newcastle Co Down

Newcastle is classified as a small town by the NISRA (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) (population between 4,500 and 10,000 people). On the Census day in 2001 (29 April 2001) there were 7,444 people living in Newcastle Co Down. Of these:
  • 23.5% were aged under 16 years and 21.7% were aged 60 and over
  • 47.4% of the population were male and 52.6% were female
  • 69.3% were from a Catholic background and 28.4% were from a Protestant background
  • 4.1% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.

Newcastle Co Down Location

New Castle Ireland map location
Newcastle Co Down, N. Ireland map 
Newcastle Co Down is a popular seaside resort and attracts visitors from all over Northern Ireland and from further away. The new Newcastle promenades have won a number of National awards including a Civic Trust Award for Excellence in the Public Realm. In recent years, Newcastle town has started a large Halloween festival (Hallotides), with a carnival-like atmosphere. The free event includes fireworks and a fancy dress competition. Newcastle is home to Northern Ireland's largest mountain Slieve Donard which is in the beautiful Mourne mountain range.
Visitors come in order to walk in the Mourne Mountains, made famous by the song by Percy French, to play golf at Royal County Down (the venue for the 2007 Walker Cup), or to just stroll up the promenaded and relax on the sandy beach, possible to have ride along the beach on a donkey or a pony. The town is famous for:
  • Slieve Donard Hotel - a four star hotel at the North end of Newcastle, which has held host to many famous people
  • Royal County Down Golf Club - The golf course in the town is one of the ten best in the world, and is said to be one of Tiger Woods' favourite golf courses.
  • Mourne Granite - which was quarried here for many years and shipped all round the world. It was used to make paving stones in many cities including London and New York. Mourne granite is also being used to make the base of the 9/11 memorial in New York.

Accommodation in Newcastle Co Down

There are many places to stay in Newcastle Co Down including: Camping in Newcastle; Bed and Breakfast in Newcastle; Self Catering in Newcastle and Hotels in Newcastle. Hotels in Newcastle are available from the Avoca Hotel and the Southern end of the town to the Slieve Donard Hotel at the Northern end of the town.