Places to see in ( Downpatrick - UK )
Places to see in ( Downpatrick - UK )
Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It has been an important site since ancient times. Its cathedral is said to be the burial place of Saint Patrick.
As the largest town in the Lecale area, Downpatrick is a commercial, recreational and administrative centre for the locality and serves as a hub for the nearby towns and villages. Within a 30 minutes drive from Belfast, the location serves as a commuter town for a large number of people. The town has a number of primary and post-primary schools educating students from all over the east Down area.
Downpatrick is characterised by the rolling drumlins that are a feature of the Lecale area and a legacy of glaciation during the Pleistocene, the Down drumlins themselves are underlaid by Ordovician and Silurian shales and grits. Its lowest point lies within the marshland surrounding the north east of the town, recorded as being 1.3 ft (0.40 m) below sea level. Downpatrick is approximately 22 miles (35 km) from Belfast and has a regular bus service to the city.
Ballyalton Court Cairn is a single court grave situated on a rock outcrop by the roadside 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from Ballyalton village, which is 2.25 miles (3.62 km) east of Downpatrick, at grid ref 531 448. Ballynoe Stone Circle, a large circle of over 50 closely spaced upright stones, surrounding a mound which, when excavated, was found to contain two cists in which cremated bones were found, is only 2.5 miles (4 km) south in the hamlet of Ballynoe.
Down County Museum, is located on the Mall in English Street in Downpatrick and was formerly the old Down County Gaol. It was built between 1789 and 1796 at the behest of the County Grand Jury of Down under the supervision of Marquess of Downshire, the Earl of Hillsborough and the Hon Edward Ward, it was designed by architect Charles Lilly.
Downpatrick Racecourse, is located on the Ballydugan Road on the outskirts of Downpatrick. Horse racing has been held at Downpatrick under the charter of James II of England.
Downpatrick & County Down Railway is Ireland's only full-sized heritage railway. Built on the BCDR's former line to Belfast, it links the town with Inch Abbey and various other places of historical interest.
Inch Abbey, a large, ruined Cistercian monastic site featuring early Gothic architecture is 0.75 miles (1.2 km) north-west of Downpatrick on the north bank of the River Quoile off the main road to Belfast. The Lecale peninsula covers an area of some 78 square miles (200 km2) between Downpatrick and Dundrum. It is an area of historical and geographic significance.
The Mound of Down or Rathkeltair is one of the major earthworks of Ulster, situated on the NW edge of Downpatrick it is a good example of an Iron Age defensive earthwork in the middle of which a Norman Motte and Bailey was built by John de Courcy after his defeat of Rory Mac Donlevy in 1177.
St. Patrick Center, is the only permanent exhibition in the world dedicated to the patron saint of Ireland, and one of the best tourist destinations in Ireland. Quoile Castle is a ruined 16th-century tower house, just off the main road from Downpatrick to Strangford.
Downpatrick is situated at the junction of the A7 (Downpatrick to Saintfield and Belfast) road, the A25 (Downpatrick to Newry and Dublin) road and the A2 coast road. While there are no rail services in Downpatrick, Ulsterbus provides bus services to and from the Downpatrick Bus Station. Downpatrick railway station on the Belfast and County Down Railway, opened on 23 March 1859 and Downpatrick Loop Platform opened on 24 September 1892.
( Downpatrick - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Downpatrick . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Downpatrick - UK
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Derry, Northern Ireland - Travel Around The World | Top best places to visit in Derry
Top best places to visit in Derry, Northern Ireland
Derry or, more officially, Londonderry is the second largest city of Northern Ireland.
The city is also nicknamed the Maiden City by virtue of the fact that its walls were never breached despite being besieged on three separate occasions.
Derry is the only remaining walled city in Ireland that is completely intact and it is one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe.
There are many historical buildings that can be visited when walking down the City Walls.
St Columb’s Cathedral is the mother church of the Ireland Diocese of Derry.
Situated along the City Walls, First Derry Presbyterian Church has recently been re-opened and is now used as a place of worship.
Another admirable church of great importance is the neo-Gothic St Augustine’s Church.
Located within the historic walls Tower Museum, the main museum of the city, tells the story of the city from prehistory to the present.
Right in the center of Derry is a monument dedicated to the citizens who lost their lives during World War I, the Diamond War Memorial.
In the Bogside neighborhood is a historical landmark, a free-standing gable wall, that commemorates Free Derry.
In the same area of the Free Derry Museum is the Bloody Sunday Memorial.
But the Bogside is best known for its large political murals found on the walls of Free Derry Corner.
A more contemporary sculpture in the city, known as Hands Across the Divide, serves as a symbol of the two communities coming together.
Outside of the city walls are many important landmarks worth visiting, such as:
St Eugene’s Cathedral, where there is the Roman Catholic minster.
St Columba’s Church Long Tower, the Roman Catholic Church with the beautiful altar.
And the Guildhall, a large hall where many social and political events have been held.
The Guildhall is located between City Walls and the River Foyle.
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Holywood Town Belfast - Places to Visit in Northern Ireland
Cities and towns, these are the two different places that tourists get attracted to when it comes to visiting a new country for the first time and trying to explore as much of it as possible, or even for the local people who want to get to know more about their own personal country.
Holywood town is part of Northern Ireland, it is located in the metropolitan area of Belfast city in county Down. This town in Northern Ireland is a civil parish and townland of 755 acres, lying on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor.
Going back into the history of this old city, one will get to ask about the name which lots of people now pronounce in the same way as Hollywood is pronounced. Back in the old days, the name Holywood was rather Sanctus Boscus, which means Holy Wood, and it was given to this place by the Normans after the woodland surrounding the monastery founded by St. Laseran before 640.
There are different interesting things that might be held in this town, such as the jazz and blues festival which is held there. There are other things that distinguish this town as well, such as the distinctive building known as the Old Priory. Even though this might sometimes be mistaken for the famous Hollywood in the United States of America, it is also considered one of the most visited towns in county Down for the fashion boutiques that it has, the delis and the galleries.
Holywood is also one of Northern Ireland's famous towns and places because it boasts Ireland's only surviving Maypole dating back to 1700 when a Dutch ship ran aground offshore and as a show of gratitude, they erected their broken mast.
We have already mentioned that the jazz and blues festival is held in Holywood, but there is also the annual May Day Celebrations which are considered the main focus when it comes to this town, and this is actually one of the big events in Ards and North Down calendar, when the school children dance around the maypole alongside market stalls and family attractions.
Holywood town stands as one of the beautiful places with a history carried behind which tourists and locals could visit and check what it has to offer - at least we have already mentioned some of the reasons why we believe this is considered a good place to travel to - but there are still other towns that could be visited in county Down as well, such as the Village of Saintfield ( Donaghadee which is 18 miles away from Belfast ( Crawfordsburn ( and Portaferry (
When it comes to the different attractions in county Down, Northern Ireland, there are different things which we should refer to as well in addition to these towns which we have mentioned, such as checking the Whiterocks Beach in Portrush ( Dundrum Castle ( Ballywalter Beach ( Down County Museum ( Tollymore Forest ( and lots of other things to dig deep behind and discover if you got the chance to be in county Down.
Being a place that is not far away from Belfast city, it is also considered a great suggestion for those touring the city to consider making a different kind of plan and add this destination to their list, they will end up visiting another part of Northern Ireland which they might have never thought about visiting before. The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in County Down at Cultra, is another touristic attraction that is just next to Holywood which visitors and travelers could also check (
Have you ever been to Holywood in Northern Ireland before? Have you ever realized that there is another Holywood than the one you are used to hear about when it comes to the United States of America? Have you ever been there or ever planned a trip to this beautiful town in county Down? At least now you could make a proper plan and enjoy yourself there.
Holywood in county Down, Northern Ireland, might not be the biggest town to visit or the one with the most attractions, but it is definitely one of the towns close to Belfast that could still offer history along with some attractions that people could enjoy visiting and bring back stories from to their homes and families.
So, are you now planning to visit Holywood and see what this small town getting mixed up with the big US Hollywood actually looks like? Plan your visit as a local or a tourist and let us know your feedback and hear about the stories you will have there in this small town.
Enjoy watching the video about Holywood!
The best locations around Ireland / Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.
What's in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland?
Have you ever been around all the towns and cities of Northern Ireland? There are lots of things to discover in every single town and every city out there, just adopt the investigator personality and follow all the trails that would lead you to something interesting and exciting to see.
Banbridge is one of those places in county Down, Northern Ireland, which one could visit and check what it has. Banbridge is a town in county Down that lies on River Bann and the A1 Road. The name of this small town was taken from a bridge that was built over River Bann back in 1712.
At the beginning of time, Banbridge was famously used as a coaching stop on the road for those travelling from Belfast to Dublin. Back in time, this small town thrived from the manufacturing of the Irish linen. Banbridge town is now the headquarters for Banbridge District Council.
Whenever it comes to a town or city in a country and knowing more about the history that they might carry, it seems interesting to listen to some of the unusual stories. In the case of Banbridge town, mentioning the main street is important since it was an unusual one because it rises to a steep heel before leveling out, even back in the 1800's an underpass was built to give the horses carrying heavy loads the chance to reach their destination without fainting before reaching the top; this bridge was named Downshire bridge although it was always being referred to as the cut.
Like any other place in the world, there are also some places to visit and things to do in Banbridge, county Down, even if it will end up being a small town that could be all rotated in a small period of time. Since the beginning of this town happened through the excellence in the linen world then visiting something related to this area will be a must when it comes to Banbridge, such as going to Fergusons Irish Linen Factory or passing by Linen Hill.
Of course people will be excited to look back in history and see the underpass that was built in the past but which is now used as a passage for cars, but there are also some places which one should be willing to visit and which include Mount Ida Pottery, Solitude Park, Arts in the Garden, Dromore Cathedral (Church of Ireland), Donaghmore High Cross, Loughbrickland Park, as well as the walking across the streets of the town and some of the other places that you could be exploring by yourself, which could be also about the restaurants, cafes and bars.
Banbridge town in county Down has its notable people who are famously known across the country and who happen to be from this town - some visitors tend to love the place more when they come to know that one of their favorite famous characters happen to be from this small town they are visiting. From those famous characters who come from this town, there are the Bronte sisters who are now famous for their books, John Butler Yeats who is an artist and father of four artistic kids, Cyril Scott and Arthur Cox who are both actors, as well as Joseph M. Scriven who is the writer of the poem which became the hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
Since Banbridge is a town in county Down then we have to refer to those other towns and villages which we have been to before and which are all located in county Down as well. We have been to Portaferry ( we visited Donaghadee ( we have also been to Rostrevor before ( Newcastle in county Down was one of the places we have been to as well ( and these of course come in addition to the touristic destinations which we might visit in every single place of these, such as Scrabo Tower in Newtownards ( and Mount Stewart House and Garden in the same place (
Northern Ireland is filled with lots of places that one could visit and enjoy the beauty of nature or the magnificence of history. Being to Banbridge was one of the trips we planned to experience this small town that has started its way through the linen industry and also check this town which was built by Bann River and thus got its name from it and from the bridge that was built for people to cross it.
Have you ever been to Banbridge before? Do you know what's in this small town? You should then! If you have the time to visit this small town in county Down then try to pass by it, it is not far away from Belfast and could provide you with a different experience.
Banbridge, the home to the Star of the County Down was the town we stopped at during this trip to know more about its history and the different places which we could visit in it and know more about what it could offer; you should make a plan!
The best locations around Ireland / Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.
Rathlin Island and the sea of Moyle
Amidst the rugged landscape of this isolated island, you can let your mind wander and discover a tranquility and beauty that is so unexpected.
The ferry to Rathlin Island travels just six miles across the Sea of Moyle. This island is six miles long, one mile wide, L shaped and home to a small population of around seventy people.
In the harbour is the Boathouse, where visitors can discover some of the exciting history, learn about present day island life and see some artefacts from shipwrecks around the island. A short walk around to Mill Bay there is a colony of seals, who are fun to just sit and watch!
At the other side of the harbour are two churches where visitors can sit quietly or just admire the architecture. At the west of the island is the renowned RSPB Seabird Centre, where puffins, guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes can be viewed during the summer months. It is also home to some magnificent views, on clear days Donegal, the North Antrim coastline, the island of Islay and the Mull of Kintyre can be seen. Throughout the year special occations are celebrated with ceilidhs. Music, song and dance remain at the heart of the community life.
There are many tales of myth and mystery surrounding Rathlin, the most famous tells of Robert the Bruce. In 1306, the Scottish King was driven from Scotland by Edward I of England and took refuge on Rathlin. While he was on Rathlin, it is said that he watched a spider persevering again and again to bridge a gap with its web. Eventually it succeeded. Robert the Burce took heart from the spider's efforts, raised fresh forces and returned to Scotland to fight for his kingdom. He too, eventually succeeded and in 1314, regained the crown of Scotland.