Things you didn't know about... County Down

The hills are alive in County Down

In County Down, it's worth looking up. County Down has the highest peaks in Northern Ireland, and the Mountains of Mourne are world famous, sweeping, as the Percy French song says, down to the sea. The mountains are crossed by the Mourne Wall, which is 35 km long and passes over fifteen summits.

All you need is lough

You enter Strangford Lough, on the Irish Sea coast, through a narrow and violent channel called "The Narrows". Inside the lough, however, especially at the northern end, all is tranquil. There are 365 islands inside the lough, one for every day of the year, although some of these are really hillocks left exposed by the low tide.

The Lion, The Witch and County Down

County Down is the real-life location of Narnia. The magical land described by C.S. Lewis in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and other books is said to be based upon the mountains of Mourne.

Tiger loves to play golf here

The seaside town of Newcastle in County Down is well-known for its walks to the Mourne Mountains, and also for the Royal County Down Golf Club, apparently one of Tiger Woods's favourite courses.

County Down is up on its star count

Bangor is the home town of BBC's Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon, who describes it as "really pretty, my favourite place". Other famous people from County Down include the racing driver Eddie Irvine, politician David Trimble and legendary goalie Pat Jennings, Northern Ireland's most capped footballer.

County Down, resting-place of St Patrick?

The patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, is reputedly buried in the graveyard at Down Cathedral, in Downpatrick, the county town.

County Down is in with the inn crowd

The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn, County Down (just north of Belfast) boasts an impressive roll-call of former guests. Since its opening in 1614, they include Jonathan Swift, Dick Turpin, Peter the Great, Lord Tennyson, Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, American President George Bush (the first one) and C.S. Lewis, who had his honeymoon there.