The Halls specialise in soothing, sympathising
and encouraging weary golfers to get back out there and
give it another shot. Come to Glasdrumman Lodge and meet
golfers from all the best clubs worldwide.
Horse riding
and pony trekking can be arranged nearby and other pastimes
obviously include walking in the mountains or on the beaches.
The Silent Valley is four miles away and the Castlewellan
and Tollymore Forest Parks are but twenty minutes drive.
There is also
a well stocked trout Lough at the bottom of the garden and
fresh or sea fishing nearby. Deep sea fishing can be arranged.
Bicycle hire is
available and the Lodge is the ideal starting point for
cycling in the Mournes or the coastal road.
Come
and walk.
There are walks that are gentle, and
walks that are strenuous, in areas unparalleled for scenery
and solitude. Our Rangerover and driver will be available
to take you each day to the beginning of a new walk and
collect you at the end. Walk for an hour or walk for a day;
leave it to us and you will have a memorable experience
in the Mountains of Mourne and awe inspiring forests.The
Mountains of Mourne contain 12 peaks over two thousand feet
tall and include Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland's highest
mountain.
Uniquely for a mountain range, most of the high summits
are grouped together in a compact area only seven miles
broad. Both the Mournes northern boundary at Newcastle and
southern at Rostrevor are distinguished by steep slopes
which dominate the coast; in turn isolating a flat coastal
plain _ the Kingdom of Moume, which lies between the hills
and the sea. The main mountain area remains uninhabited
and without roads, and reserves a quality of unspoiled wilderness.
Miles of winding paths, many of them old quarry tracks,
lead high through the hills making it possible to discover
and enjoy their spectacular scenery.
We have many recommended walks in the
Mournes, ranging from an easy 2 hour walk, to a strenuous
5 hour walk. They have been selected to reflect the greatest
variety of mountain scenery which the Mournes have to offer.
Many follow sections of the Mourne Wall or link with the
Brandy pad. The Mourne Wall was built between 1904 and 1922
to provide local employment, it is an eight foot high, three
foot wide and twenty two mile long wall, connecting 15 mountain
peaks. The Brandy Pad is theroute whereby smuggled goods
from the coast, such as brandy, wine, tobacco, tea, silk,
soap, leather, spices and coffee were transported to Hilltown
for distribution.
The Silent Valley.
A huge reservoir built in the early 1990's to gather waters
from a mountain catchment extending over most of the high
Mournes to supply water to the city of Belfast. Two dams
are ringed by dramatic mountain panoramas, whilst the reservoir
grounds contain parkland, lakes and ponds which supply tranquil
walking terrain.
Tollymore
Forest Park
There are two beautiful forest parks; Castlewellan and Tollymore.
The second is our favourite. It covers an area of almost
500 hectares at the foot of the Mournes, with panoramic
views of the mountains and the sea at nearby Newcastle,
while within its own boundaries are many splendid vistas
of woodland and river. There are many walks, again varying
in time and degree. You may walk though the forest, go down
by the rushing Shimna river, or visit the Arboretum containing
many rare species.
Murlough National Nature Reserve
has a beautiful setting on the coast below the Mourne Mountains.
It is a 5,000 year old sand dune system with heathland and
woodland surrounded by estuary and sea. The different habitats
within the reserve are rich in insects and other animals,
a wide variety of plants including delicate flowers such
as the pyramidal orchid and dune burnet rose, and rare and
colourful butterflies. The sea attracts nesting red bunting,
stonechat and white throat, while many other species of
birds; waders, ducks, swans etc. visit the estuary. The
rich variety to be seen here changes with the seasons but
there is always something of interest.
Come and sightsee
Hardly 85 miles from top to bottom, and only a little wider,
but explore these blue mountains, forest parks and island
studded lakes and you will soon discover Northern Ireland
is a country that is just pretending to be small.
Come and sightsee
in Down
Rowallane Gardens, Saintfield, Ballynahinch.
52 acres of natural garden containing plants from many parts
of the world, daffodils and rhododendrons in spring reach
their peak around the end of May to early June; summer flowering
trees and shrubs continue the display. In the Wall Garden
herbaceous plants, fuchsias and shrub roses will flower
until autumn frost. The Rock Garden with primula, meconopsis,
heathers and dwarf shrubs is interesting throughout the
year and in late autumn and early winter many interesting
birds are to be seen feeding in the grounds.
Castleward,
Strangford
A 700 acre country estate with woodland, lake and seashore.
The eighteenth century house is an architectural wonder;
with facades in different styles, the west front Classical
to suit the first Viscount; and the east front Gothic to
suit Lady Bangor's taste. The division of styles is carried
throughout the house, which is filled with furniture, decorative
arts and personal objects giving the impression that the
family still lives there. The stable yard recalls life below
stairs in the Victorian era. The laundry is packed with
equipment and garments of the period and in the pastimes
centre everyone can dress in replica costumes and play with
Victorian dolls and games. The farmyard with mills and slaughterhouse
continues the story of the Victorian estate.
Walks though the estate pass the shores
of Strangford Lough. There are formal and landscaped gardens
with fine shrubs and specimen trees, fortified tower house,
corn and sawmills. Many species of indigenous birds can
be studied in the walled garden. In June an opera takes
place each year, with a picnic in the grounds in the style
of Glynebourne.
Mount Stewart, Newtownards
On the east shore of Strangford Lough a fascinating eighteenth
century house with nineteenth century addition, the home
of the Lord Castlereagh. Mount Stewart boasts one of the
greatest gardens in Ireland. In fact a gardener from the
White House visited Mount Stewart whilst staying at Glassdrumman
Lodge and he considered them to be the finest gardens he
had ever seen in the world. They were created by the wife
of the seventh Marquis of Londonderry, with an unrivalled
collection of rare and unusual plants, colourful parterres
and magnificent formal and informal vistas. The Temple of
the Winds, James 'Athenian' Stuart's banqueting hall of
1785, overlooks Strangford Lough.
Strangford
Lough
The unspoilt natural environment of this beautiful area
on the east coast of County Down is especially striking.
The 18 mile long fjord of Strangford Lough is virtually
an inland sea of international importance as a sanctuary
for birds and other wildlife. Studded with islands and surrounded
by gently rolling drumlins, the Lough has for centuries
provided a unique range of habitats. From the fast flowing
currents of the narrows at the mouth of the Lough to the
mudflats under Scrabo Tower, a rich variety of marine animals
has been found. The Lough is the most important site for
common seals in Ireland. Flocks of wildfowl and waders visit
the Lough in winter and islands provide safe nesting for
about one third of all Ireland's terns in summer. The story
of Strangford Lough is told in an interpretation centre
at the Strangford Lough Barn in Castle Ward.
Strangford Village is the departure
point for the car ferry to equally picturesque Portaferry,
which has a stone tower house and two fine waterside castles.
Downpatrick encapsulates more
history; the Downe Hunt Club (the oldest in the British
Isles); the 173 Southwell Charity Almshouses and Bluecoat
School; the hilltop 13th/19th century Cathedral where St
Patrick lies beneath a simple boulder reading 'Padric' and
Denvir's Hotel with its debtor's sanctuary no longer a legal
defence after a tricky day at the white fenced hilly racecourse.
Also well worth a visit is the country jail where they hanged
Thomas Russell, hero of the 1798 rebellion. It is now the
county museum with restored cells. Spend the day, visit
the Quoile riverbanks, Inch Abbey and Struel Wells all on
the outskirts of Downpatrick.
The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum,
Cultra
Situated at Cultra just seven miles east of Belfast this
famous open air museum covers 176 acres of park and woodlands
overlooking Belfast Lough. Buildings, which range from the
humblest of cottiers' houses, to complete churches, schools,
mills, shops and tiny terraces, have all been carefully
deconstructed then re-erected in an open air landscape.
The dedication, skill and commitment
required to complete this operation so faithfully and with
such precision is awe inspiring. Yet today the museum is
still growing, developing into an area which will take one
all day to fully appreciate and will certainly convince
the tourist they are in an environment where time stood
still long ago. Exhibits include a bank, print shop, spade
mill, forge and a coal yard. In the fields the land is farmed
by traditional methods and there are horse drawn carriage
rides and demonstrations of traditional crafts and amusements.
The transport section displays pony
traps, sailing schooners, early bicycles and Ulster built
early motor cars. There is also a display reflecting 200
years of Irish transport, including street trams and Old
Maeve, the largest steam locomotive ever built in Ireland.
Come and sightsee
in Armagh
The Orchard County
Armagh is a beautiful, highly cultivated land rich in history,
heritage and rural scenery. Here you will find Navan, one
of Europe's most important archaeological sites, agreed
to be the oldest town in Ireland. Armagh's two cathedrals
look out from their separate hills across the apple blossom
filled vale. The Church of Ireland Cathedral of St Patrick
is the 18th church built there since St Patrick's first.
St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral on the opposite hill
has distinctive twin spires.
The Argory, Armagh
Set in 315 acres of wooded countryside, overlooking the
River Blackwater, this house dates from 1824 but has remained,
for the most part, unchanged since the turn of the century.
Fascinating furniture and interesting contents include an
1824 organ; the imposing stableyard including a coach house,
harness room and laundry. There is a charming sundial garden
with extensive walks.
Armagh Ancestry
Ireland was at one time rich in its sources to trace Irish
Ancestry, but in 1922 a fire in the Four Courts, Dublin,
destroyed much of the documentation for people worldwide
to legitimately claim Irish Ancestry. Over the next few
years Armagh Ancestry will be providing a pathway across
the Four Courts fire. The Centre will establish a comprehensive
genealogical database containing those sources now considered
the most useful in establishing a family tree.
Armagh County Museum
All brass bound wood and glass. One of Ireland's finest
small museums.
The Palace Stables Heritage Centre is
a picturesque Georgian building which encloses a cobbled
courtyard set in the undulating parkland of the Palace Demesne.
The building has been lovingly restored.
and now the visitor can experience stable life in the 18th
century
The Planetarium, in the grounds
of the observatory has star shows and NASA equipment plus
mock ups of spacecraft, as well as early astronomical equipment.
and close by …
Tyrone Crystal, Dungannon
See the blowing and cutting stages of fine glass manufacture.
Each piece passes through a minimum of 25 pairs of skilled
hands. There are over 700 different pieces to choose from;
stemware, bowls, vases, decanters or a unique piece created
and engraved for a special occasion. It is the only Irish
crystal, to have both of the major quality marks.
Come and sightsee in Antrim
Travel the Antrim
Coast and visit the Giant's Causeway
To the north of Antrim
lie the beautiful Glens of Antrim. Each of these nine valleys
has a character of its own, they form a lovely romantic
realm of rivers, woodlands, waterfalls and wild flowers.
Glenariff, the best known has glorious waterfalls and broadleaved
woodland.
Known as one of the seven wonders of
the world the Giant's Causeway is famous for its
unusual rock structures; about 40,000 amazingly precise
columns of dark basalt to which lichens and other vegetation
add various colours. It is the result of even cooling of
lava 55 million years ago - or it was a causeway to Scotland
built-by the Irish giant Finn McCool! The wreck site of
the Spanish Armada treasure ship 'Gironda' (1588) is found
just east of the Causeway at Port-na-Spaniagh. Gold and
silver treasure recovered after 400 years under the sea,
is on display in the Ulster Museum.
Larrybane and Carrick.a.Rede
Limestone headland and former basalt quarry, with coastal
walks leading to Carrick-a-Rede, the swinging rope bridge
which is put up each spring by salmon fishermen. It swings
80ft above the sea across a perilous 60ft wide chasm to
a small rocky island and access to the summer salmon which
run the coast, some ending in the great fixed nets below
the rock island.
Other places of interest are the world"
s oldest licensed distillery at Bushmills, a picturesque
headland ruin: Dunluce Castle and the celebrated Royal Portrush
Golf Club.
Come and sightsee in Belfast
The city of Belfast sits in a saucer
of green hills astride the mouth of the River Lagan. Look
along any of its streets and on three sides green hills
or heathered mountains dominate. On the fourth you look
seaward towards Belfast Lough past 'Samson' and 'Goliath'
the great cranes of the Harland and Wolff shipyard, where
the ill, fated Titanic was built. There is currently much
speculation regarding Harland and Wolff' s bid to build
"Titanic 2", and exact replica of the notorious
mighty 'floating palace'. The idea has been conceived by
a Japanese consortium wanting to build an unusual holiday
complex. Macabre it may seem, however fascination with the
Titianic is still immense. She is reputed to have been the
greatest liner the world has ever seen. Harland and Wolff
built the first liner for less than £2 million. The
Japanese are willing to spend £ 100 million on the
replica.
Historic Interest
Knockbreda Parish Church (1737) is the city's oldest, but
the first Presbyterian Church in Rosemary Street (1783)
is not much younger. St. Malachy's in Alfred Street has
a superb vaulted ceiling. St Ann's Anglican Cathedral on
the edge of the City's "Fleet Street" area is
20th Century.
Belfast City Hall
The centre piece of Belfast City, the City Hall was completed
in 1906 and has since been the scene of many of the proviences
most signifigant moments in history.
Crown
Liquor Saloon Great Victoria Street, Belfast
A magnificent high Victorian public house built at the end
of the nineteenth century, providing a warm and welcoming
blend of mahogany snugs, old mirrors and original gas lighting.
The Crown is both ageless and priceless, a gem of Victoriana,
and without doubt one of the great bars of the world. The
Crown Liquor Saloon was perhaps the greatest of Victorian
gin palaces which once flourished in the industrial cities
of Britain. Today wonderfully preserved by the National
Trust, the Crown is cherished and still well used by the
people of Belfast.
Robinson's
Next door to the Crown, rebuilt in 1993, Robinson's offers
a complex of restaurants and bars. Robinson's Saloon bar
itself is a revival of the 1857 railway hotel's original.
Fibber Magee's a fine spirit grocer with its traditional
bar food. The Spot is a live band venue, whilst right down
in the basement stands Rock Bottom, a bikers' and juke box
bar.
Perhaps less well known, are the more
traditionally Irish pubs situated adjacent to Belfast docks.
The Rotterdam is gaining a good reputation for Irish music,
session style, by the city's younger generation of folk
musicians. Pat's bar however is still a well kept secret.
Not a 'plushy bar' Pat's has little coal burning fires,
an undulating foot worn stone floor, wooden benches and
nooks and cranies. Whoever you are, the welcome is genuine
and so is the stout. If you speak a little Irish, brush
up on it. You'll find this is the 'native tongue' in this
rare little bar which is one of a kind.
The
Grand Opera House
When architect Robert McKinstry went into Belfast's Grand
Opera House in 1975, an unturned chair floated in the orchestra
pit, in the bar three years dust topped the liquid in the
half finished glasses, the house manager's black jacket
hung on the back of his office door and in the projection
room lay a pamphlet 'How to Emigrate'. In 1980 the refurbished
Opera House reopened with a pantomime; Cinderella. Cinders
from the Ashes symbolising the rebirth of the City's night
life.
The Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens
The province's best known, best loved and complete museum,
in the grounds of the Botanic Gardens. (Complimented by
the Armagh Museum and Down Museum) .
Located in the university quarter, the
Ulster Museum is one of the finest in Europe boast many
award winning exhibits. Artefacts range from Egyptian mummys
to dinosaurs to modern art.
Botanic Gardens also provides access
to the many departments of "The Queens University
of Belfast". The University's facade and the famous
old "Arts Library".
Downpatrick
Race Course has the deserved reputation of being the friendliest
in Ireland. Horse racing has taken place on this course
for over 300 years. In March 2000 a new covered grandstand
and associated facilities were opened, catering for over
2500 people. The course has Tote and betting facilities,
bar, food, seating, tables. There are magnificent views
of the Mourne Mountains and surrounding Drumlin (rounded
hill) countryside from the new grandstand. The course is
the first in Ireland to have all its races sponsored. Downpatrick
is home of the Powers Ulster National.
There are eight meetings held throughout
the year. Please contact the Club for times of meetings.
DOWNPATRICK RACE COURSE,71 Ballydugan Road, Downpatrick,
Co Down
Tel: +44 (0)28 4461 2054
