Visit Newcastle, County Down Places

Welcome to Visit Newcastle, County Down Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Newcastle, County Down

  

Newcastle, County Down Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Newcastle, County Down

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Newcastle, County Down history

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The name of the town is thought to derive from the castle built by Felix Magennis of the Magennis clan in 1588, which stood at the mouth of the Shimna River. This castle was demolished in 1830. The town is referred to as New Castle in the Annals of the Four Masters in 1433, so it is likely that he built on the site of an existing structure. In the 17th century Ulster ports began to rise in prominence. In 1625 William Pitt was appointed as Customer of the ports of Newcastle, Dundrum, Killough, Portaferry, Donaghadee, Bangor and Holywood. The Montgomery Manuscripts record that Newcastle was besieged and later captured by Sir James Montgomery of the Ards in April 1642 in the aftermath of the 1641 Rebellion (pp. 128–134). Prior to 1641 the Castle belonged to the Magennis’, but after the rebellion the property was confiscated and granted to Robert Hawkins, great grandfather to Robert Hawkins who assumed the surname of Magill. The date 1588 was inscribed on a stone placed over the front entrance of the Castle, built by Felix Magenis. Newcastle passed from the Magills to the Mathews, and subsequently to the Annesleys. In the late 1700s the Castle was modernised by the Matthews and then the Annesleys, and rented by the Board of Customs for the accommodation of revenue officers. Around 1830 the castle was demolished and the ‘Annesley Arms Hotel’ was constructed within the original castle compound. The 3rd Earl Annesley built a new ‘marine residence’, called ‘Donard Lodge’ on the lower mountain slope above the town (it was demolished in 1966). St. John’s Church was also opened on ‘The Rock’ in 1832 to accommodate the visitors and growing population in Earl Annesley’s developing seaside resort. The Newcastle fishing disaster occurred on 13 January 1843 when boats from Newcastle and Annalong set out for the usual fishing stations, and were caught in a gale. 14 boats were lost in the heavy seas including a boat which had gone to the rescue. Only two boats survived, the Victoria and the Brothers. 73 men perished, 46 of whom were from Newcastle. They left twenty seven widows, one hundred and eighteen children, and twenty one dependants. A Public Subscription was raised and the cottages, known as Widows Row, were built for the widows and dependants. A local song about the disaster says “Newcastle town is one long street entirely stripped of men” In 1910 Harry Ferguson flew a small plane across Newcastle beach in one of the first engine powered flights by aircraft in Ireland. He completed the flight in an attempt to win a £100 prize offered by the town for the first powered flight along the strand. His first take off ended badly, but according to a modern 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 plaque on the promenade. The town’s history is poorly recorded and is held mostly by local people and their stories of the past. Information on the town 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 whose ghost still haunts the mountains, and more recently the idea of a wild cat living in the Mournes. Many of the stories although have true origins are only folklore and give many of the towns 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 area get their names from other sources, ‘The Brandy Pad’, a path through the mountains, is named so because of the illegal brandy smuggling that took place through the area. Another example is Bogey Hill just above the harbour at the Southern end of the town, which is named after the carts 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 (the future George V and Queen Mary), grandparents to Queen Elizabeth II, visited Newcastle to open the Slieve Donard Hotel. Afterwards they visited Hugh Annesley, 5th Earl Annesley at Castlewellan Castle. A process of preserving the local history has begun since 2014 via a community Facebook page ‘History of Newcastle, Co. Down’. Photographs and information on the area’s history are being collected via the page, and a history of the town will be published. Greater historical detail about the town will be added to this page as part of this research process. It is hoped that this collective history will enhance the experience of both locals and tourists by promoting an informed historical appreciation for the area. Newcastle was fortunate enough to escape the worst of the Troubles and its residents both Catholic and Protestant lived in relative peace with each other though there has been considerable objection to loyalist band parades in the town.

You can visit Newcastle, County Down places with Walkfo Newcastle, County Down to hear history at Newcastle, County Down’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Newcastle, County Down has 15 places to visit in our interactive Newcastle, County Down map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Newcastle, County Down, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Newcastle, County Down places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Newcastle, County Down & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 15 audio facts unique to Newcastle, County Down places in an interactive Newcastle, County Down map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Newcastle, County Down Places Map
15 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Newcastle, County Down historic spots	Newcastle, County Down tourist destinations	Newcastle, County Down plaques	Newcastle, County Down geographic features
Walkfo Newcastle, County Down tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Newcastle, County Down

  

Best Newcastle, County Down places to visit

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Newcastle, County Down has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Newcastle, County Down’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Newcastle, County Down’s information audio spots:

Bryansford GAC Bryansford GAC (Irish: Áth Bhriain) is a Gaelic football and ladies’ Gaelic club in Newcastle, County Down. Founded in 1926, their most notable period was in 1970, when they won the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.

Royal County Down Golf Club Royal County Down Golf Club is located in Newcastle, County Down. It opened 132 years ago on 23 March 1889 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland. It has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and Annesley Links.

Murlough Nature Reserve Murlough Nature Reserve lies on the coast of County Down in Northern Ireland, situated close to Newcastle. It has views of Slieve Donard, the highest peak in the Mourne Mountains and Dundrum Bay. Its sand dune system has been managed by the National Trust since 1967.

Visit Newcastle, County Down plaques