Must-see attractions in Counties Down & Armagh

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

This magnificent glass-and-timber heritage centre houses a multimedia exhibition called 'Ego Patricius', charting the life and legacy of Ireland's patron…

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…

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…

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…

The British monarch's official Northern Ireland residence is this rambling, late-Georgian mansion, which was built in 1797 for Wills Hill, the first…

This scenic forest park, 3km west of Newcastle, offers lovely walks and bike rides along the River Shimna and across the Mournes' northern slopes…

At the Murlough National Nature Reserve, footpaths and boardwalks meander among the grassy dunes leading to a wide sandy beach with great views back…

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…

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…

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…

These supposedly curative spring waters are traditionally associated with St Patrick – it is said he scourged himself here, spending much of the night…

Newtownards is overlooked by Scrabo Hill, 2km southwest of town. It was once the site of extensive prehistoric earthworks, which were largely removed…

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 –…