County Down
The magnificent 18th-century Mount Stewart is one of Northern Ireland’s grandest stately homes. Entertaining tours tell the story of the house and its…
Must-see attractions in Counties Down & Armagh
Counties Down & Armagh
Perched atop a drumlin, Ulster's most important archaeological site is linked in legend with the tales of Cúchulainn and named as capital of Ulster and…
County Down
This 16-sq-km forest park has walking paths offering awesome views, as well as Northern Ireland's best downhill mountain-biking trails. Arriving by car,…
County Down
Famed for its role as Winterfell in Game of Thrones, 1760s-built Castle Ward House has a superb setting overlooking the bay west of Strangford. The estate…
Counties Down & Armagh
A 10km scenic drive through this forest park provides picturesque views over the surrounding hills. From the parking and picnic area at the top of the…
St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral
Counties Down & Armagh
The city's Anglican cathedral occupies the site of St Patrick's original stone church. The present cathedral's ground plan is 13th century, but the…
Counties Down & Armagh
A first edition of Gulliver's Travels, published in 1726 and annotated by Swift himself, is the most prized possession of the wonderful Armagh Robinson…
County Down
This magnificent glass-and-timber heritage centre houses a multimedia exhibition called 'Ego Patricius', charting the life and legacy of Ireland's patron…
County Down
This excellent aquarium has displays of marine life from Strangford Lough and the Irish Sea as well as tropical fish, otters and a reptile centre with an…
St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral
Counties Down & Armagh
Huge twin towers dominate the approach to Armagh's Roman Catholic Cathedral, built between 1838 and 1873 in Gothic Revival style. Inside it seems almost…
Castle Espie Wildfowl & Wetlands Centre
County Down
Situated 2km southeast of Comber, off the Downpatrick road (A22), Castle Espie is a haven for huge flocks of geese, ducks and swans. The landscaped…
County Down
The British monarch's official Northern Ireland residence is this rambling, late-Georgian mansion, which was built in 1797 for Wills Hill, the first…
County Down
This scenic forest park, 3km west of Newcastle, offers lovely walks and bike rides along the River Shimna and across the Mournes' northern slopes…
Murlough National Nature Reserve
County Down
At the Murlough National Nature Reserve, footpaths and boardwalks meander among the grassy dunes leading to a wide sandy beach with great views back…
County Down
According to legend, St Patrick died in Saul, where angels told his followers to place his body on a cart drawn by two untamed oxen, and to bury the saint…
County Down
This Cistercian abbey was founded in 1193 by Affreca, wife of Norman knight John de Courcy, the builder of Carrickfergus Castle, in thanks for surviving a…
County Down
Ulster's most famous – but rarely visited – Stone Age monument is a strangely elegant tripod dolmen (tomb chamber), that looks as if a giant's hand has…
County Down
These supposedly curative spring waters are traditionally associated with St Patrick – it is said he scourged himself here, spending much of the night…
County Down
Newtownards is overlooked by Scrabo Hill, 2km southwest of town. It was once the site of extensive prehistoric earthworks, which were largely removed…
Counties Down & Armagh
Despite its name, this nature reserve is not an island but a peninsula of land on Lough Neagh's southern edge. The reserve protects a range of habitats –…
County Down
Built by Norman knight John de Courcy for the Cistercians in 1180 on an earlier Irish monastic site, Inch Abbey is visible across the river from Down…
County Down
Downpatrick's 18th-century jail now houses the county museum. In a former cell block at the back are models of some of the prisoners once incarcerated…
County Down
In a wonderful island setting, the 5th-century Celtic monastic community of Nendrum was built under the guidance of St Mochaoi (St Mahee). Its scant…
County Down
Just south of Bessbrook, and 4km west of Newry, is Derrymore House. The elegant thatched cottage was built in 1776 for Isaac Corry, the Irish MP for Newry…
Counties Down & Armagh
This long grassy expanse east of Armagh's centre was a horse-racing, cock-fighting and bull-baiting venue until the 18th century, when Archbishop Robinson…
County Down
The spectacular drystone Mourne Wall marches across the summits of 15 surrounding peaks, including the highest, Slieve Donard (853m). You can walk the 2m…
Seaforde Gardens & Tropical Butterfly House
County Down
Adults and kids alike will enjoy this oasis in the Seaforde demesne, which is home to an 18th-century walled garden with ornamental flower beds, a hedge…
County Down
Castlewellan Forest Park offers gentle walks around the castle grounds, one of the world's largest hedge mazes, the Peace Maze (entry free), and, from…
Counties Down & Armagh
The Armagh Observatory was founded by Archbishop Robinson in 1789 and is still Ireland's leading astronomical-research institute. The observatory building…
County Down
This magnificent Greek Revival building, built as a Presbyterian church in 1841, is thought to have been modelled on the ancient temple of Nemesis on the…
County Down
Historical treasures displayed in the converted laundry, stables and stores of Bangor Castle include the Raven Maps (the only complete folio of Plantation…
Counties Down & Armagh
Aimed mainly at educating young people, the Armagh Planetarium has an interactive exhibition on space exploration, and a digital theatre that screens a…
County Down
Bagenal's Castle, the town's oldest surviving building, houses the Newry & Mourne Museum with exhibits on the Newry Canal and local archaeology, culture…
Counties Down & Armagh
This palace and surrounding 121-hectare estate were home to the archbishops of the Church of Ireland from the 1770s to the 1970s. The palace now houses…
Counties Down & Armagh
This 1824 grand mansion has changed little since the early 1900s. Treasures include a large chamber organ installed in 1824, which visitors can play…
County Down
See how Avalon's handcrafted acoustic guitars are made on a factory tour. Every stage of the guitar-making process is explained, including how the wood…
Downpatrick & County Down Railway
County Down
From mid-June to mid-September, plus December, St Patrick’s Day, Easter, May Day and Halloween, this working railway museum runs steam-hauled trains over…
County Down
This old-fashioned seaside entertainment complex is famous for its swan-shaped pedal boats. There's also a kids' adventure playground, electric-track…
Counties Down & Armagh
Prehistoric axe heads, artefacts found in bogs, corn dollies and straw-boy outfits, and military costumes and equipment are among the items on display at…
Counties Down & Armagh
The Navan Centre has exhibitions that put the Navan Fort in its historical context, and a recreation of an Iron Age settlement. From April to September,…
