Counties Down And Armagh Overview

Locals flock to this sleepy, scenic area to take advantage of the seaside—the coast of Down and the Ards Peninsula are covered with fishing villages, holiday resorts, and 17th-century ruins. The Mourne Mountains, south of Belfast and a lough away from the Irish Republic, rise above the town of Newcastle, the largest seaside resort in County Down. An inland county surrounded by rivers and lakes, Armagh is an ancient ecclesiastical city set on the rolling hills of Northern Ireland’s Drumlin Belt. The best time to visit County Armagh is during apple blossom season in May, when the countryside, known as the “Orchard of Ireland,” is a veritable sea of pink. At the southern end of the Ards, Downpatrick celebrates the legacy of the beloved St. Patrick, while stunning mansions like Castle Ward and Mount Stewart Estates add a shimmer of grandeur and historical significance to the region.

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