County Down in the north eastern corner of Ireland boasts clean sandy beaches, championship golf courses and impressive mountain scenery of the Mourne Mountains.
Down is Ireland's most easterly county, bordered by Armagh and Antrim, it to is one of the counties of Northern Ireland. One of the county's most prominent features is the Ards Peninsula, famed for its sandy beaches and bucket-and-spade resorts. This peninsula protects Strangford Lough, almost meeting the mainland across the scenic strait known as the Narrows at the quaint harbour town of Portaferry.
Down's county town is Downpatrick and it is here that St Patrick built his first church, where Downpatrick Cathedral now stands. Saint Patrick is also buried here, at a spot marked by a bolder with the inscription Patric, along with Ireland's other patron saints, St Brigid and St Colmcille. The Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick outlines the life and times of Ireland's most famous saint.
By the seaside town of Newcastle is another of County Down's prominent features, the famous Mourne Mountains, as recalled in the song by Percy French. These distinctive rolling granite mountains form twelve summits rising above 2,000ft, the tallest Slieve Donard, is 2,796ft and is the highest peak in Northern Ireland.
The countryside around the River Bann, between Banbridge and Rathfriland, is known as locally Bronte Country and was the homeland of Patrick Bronte, father of the famous novelists Ann, Charlotte and Emily Bronte.
County Down is also home to the Royal County Down Golf Course just outside Newcastle.