County Down
map | |
---|---|
Basic data | |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Administrative headquarters: | Downpatrick |
Province: | Ulster |
Irish name: | To Dún |
Surface: | 2465 km² |
Residents: | 454,000 (estimate) |
Down ( Irish An Dun , "the fortress", named after the place Downpatrick , Dún Pádraig ) is one of six historic counties ( counties ) of Northern Ireland .
geography
The county is located between Carlingford Lough , the River Bann , Belfast Lough and the Irish Sea . The landscape is shaped by the last ice age . There are higher elevations in the south with the Morne Mountains and in Central Down with the Clieve Croob .
history
The county has a long history in which the construction of megalithic sites played a prominent role. The story of Down is part of the history of Ireland until the island was partitioned ; look there. The historical battle of Mag Ráth (Moira in County Down) in 637 is preserved in mythical form in the story Cath Maige Rátha in Leabhar Buidhe Lecain ("The Yellow Book of Lecan").
For County Down includes the small village of Millisle . There, on Millisle Farm , around 300 Jewish children and young people were housed and trained from May 1938 until it was closed in 1948. As refugees, they were brought out of the German Reich on the Kindertransport and brought to safety in Northern Ireland .
economy
25% of the agricultural area is used for arable farming ( barley , potatoes , vegetables ), 75 percent for livestock ( cattle , pigs , poultry , sheep ). Fishing is practiced along the coast and there are several important seaside resorts .
Around Belfast the industry is concentrated. There is primarily a mechanical engineering , electrical, computer and textile industry .
Cities
- Ardglass
- Banbridge
- Bangor
- Comber
- Downpatrick
- Dromore
- Dundonald
- Holywood
- Kilkeel
- Lisburn (part of County Antrim )
- Moira
- Newcastle
- Newry
- Newtownards
Attractions
- Annadorn dolmen
- Audleystown ( Cairn )
- Ballynoe Stone Circle
- Ballystokes , ( cup-and-ring markings )
- Drumena Cashel , ( Dun )
- Court Tomb by Dunnaman ( Court Tomb )
- Finnis basement accessible to visitors
- Giant's Ring (stone circle)
- Goward ( Portal Tomb )
- Inch Abbey
- Jordan's Castle
- Kilfeaghan (portal tomb)
- Kilkeel (Portal Tomb)
- Church at St. John's Point
- Killevy Churches
- Legananny (Dolmen)
- Millin Bay (Cairn)
- Nendrum monastery
- Burrenwood
Personalities
- Robert Ross , officer in the British British Army (1766–1814)
- Robert Stewart, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry , British statesman (1769–1822)
- Francis Crozier , officer in the British Royal Navy and polar navigator (1796–1848)
- Arthur Edward Kennedy , politician and British colonial administrator (1809-1883)
- William Kelly Northern Irish classical speaker, Bible interpreter, author and preacher of the Brethren Movement (1821-1906)
- Colin Blakely , actor (1930–1987)
- Pat Jennings , soccer player (born 1945)
- Rose Marie , singer (* 1956)
- Gary Lightbody , singer and front man of the rock band Snow Patrol (* 1976)
Coordinates: 54 ° 22 ′ N , 5 ° 56 ′ W