Places to visit

Strangford Castle

Strangford Castle is a castle that overlooks the harbour in Strangford, County Down, Ireland (Irish: Baile Loch Cuan, Contae an Dúin, Éire). It is located across Strangford Lough from Portaferry Castle. Rising to ten metres in height on the north, it is a three-storey stone tower house that is almost square inside with walls that are over one metre thick. Originally built in the 15th century the majority seen today is from the 16th century.

 

Kilclief Castle - Caislean Cill Cleithe

Kilclief Castle (Irish: Caislean Cill Cléithe) is a tower-house castle beside Strangford Lough and 2.5 miles (4 km) south of the village of Strangford, County Down, Northern Ireland (Irish Baile Loch Cuan, Contae an Dúin, Éire). Kilclief Castle is the oldest tower-house in the peninsula of Lecale (Irish Leath Cathail)  and was built between 1412 and 1441. 

Portaferry Castle

Portaferry Castle is a 16th century tower house in Portaferry, County Down, Ireland (Irish: Port a' Pheire, Contae an Dúin, Éire). The building is square building with a small projecting turret on the south corner. It is three storeys high with an attic. The eastern corner of the building is in ruins. There is an entrance at the base of the tower. There is a curved stairway within the tower leading to the first floor. There is a spiral stairway in the west corner leading to the roof level.

Quoile Castle

Quoile Castle is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east from the town of Downpatrick, County Down, in the north of Ireland (Irish: Dún Pádraig, Contae an Dúin, Tuaisceart Éireann). It is on the east bank of the River Quoile (Irish An Caol) and quite close to the A25 road that goes from Downpatrick towards the village of Strangford (Irish Baile Loch Cuan). Quoile Castle is a three storey tower house constructed by Captain West in the 16th-century. It was inhabited by the West family into the 18th century. There is a visitor centre at the site along with picnic tables. There are also pleasant walks along the River Quoile close to the castle

Ballynoe Stone Circle

The Ballynoe Stone Circle photograph A.E. Van Giffen

Ballynoe Stone Circle is a large circle of over 50 upright stones, some of which reach to a height of about six feet. It is located in the small village of Ballynoe (Irish an Baile Núa) which is approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Downpatrick, County Down, in the north of Ireland (Irish: Dún Pádraig, Contae an Dúin, Tuaisceart Éireann). It is thought to date from around the Neolithic period starting around 4000 BC to the early Bronze Age about 2500 BC. The stone circle surrounds a mound which when excavated was found to cover two cists containing cremated bones. The stones of the circle appear to be astronomically aligned. There are three pairs of stones outside of the circle.

Margaret Castle

This is a tower house built in the fifteenth century with two stories remaining. There are four castles in this town. The others are Ardglass Castle from the fifteenth century, Cowd Castle a late fifteenth/early sixteenth century two story tower house. Jordans Castle a four story rectangular tower house possibly from the fifteenth century.

Clough Castle - Caisleán an Chloch

Clough Castle, Main Street, Clough, County Down, Northern Ireland, October 2009 image courtesy Commons Wikipedia author Ardfern

Clough Castle (Irish: Caisleán an Chloch) is located in Clough, County Down, north of Ireland (Irish: Irish: an Chloch, Contae an Dúin, Tuaisceart Éireann). The 25 ft high motte and bailey Anglo-Norman earthwork castle is thought to have been built at around 1200 AD.  It has a mount (motte), stone tower and outer enclosure (bailey) with views that give it a commanding defensive position. It is situated near the junction of the A25 and A24 roads in Clough and acces is always open to the public.

Dundrum Castle

Dundrum Castle is a castle, situated above the town of Dundrum, County Down, Northern Ireland (Irish: Dún Droma, Contae an Dúin, Éire). This is a ruined twelfth early thirteenth century Norman Castle. It was strengthened in the thirteenth century with the addition of a large round keep and two towered gatehouse. In the fourteenth century outer walls were added and in the seventeenth a mansion was built in a corner of the outer bailey. The site is open to the public.

Drumena Cashel Stone Fort

This stone fort, with average wall heights standing about 2.75 meters and over three metres thick, dates back to the early Christian period. Within the site is a souterrain about fifteen metres long and over two metres high and remains of dwellings. It is situated 2 miles (3 km) south west of Castlewellan (Irish Caisleán Uidhilín) off the A25 road to Rathfriland, County Down, north of Ireland (Irish: Ráth Fraoileann, Contae an Dúin, Tuaisceart Éireann). It is close to the small man-made lough Lough Island Reavy.

Moyry Castle - Caisleán na Maighre

Moyry Castle (Irish: Caisleán na Maighre) was built in 1601 and is situated in the townland of Carrickbroad (Irish: Carraig Bhrádach) in County Armagh, in the north of Ireland (Irish: Contae Ard Mhacha, Tuaisceart Éireann). The building which is three stories high stands on solid rock and is square with unusual rounded corners. It is close to the village of Jonesborough (Irish: Baile an Chláir) in the Ring of Gullion about 5 miles (8 km) south of Newry.

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