Sweeping down to the sea as Percy French’s song says they do, the gentle Mountains of Mourne swing in a foetal curve from Rostrevor on the shores of Carlingford Lough in the south to the Victorian end-of-the-railway line resort of Newcastle. Slievemartin, Eagle Mountain, Pigeon Rock Mountain, Hen Mountain, Cock Mountain, Slieve Muck, Butter Mountain, Slieve Bernagh, Shan Lieve, Luke’s Mountain, then greatest of all, Slieve Donard, run the names, some old names, some misread, some mistranslated, named after old, long forgotten incidents, long forgotten heroes. East of the Mourne Mountains is Kilkeel, above it Silent Valley and its interesting visitor centre and walks. Hilltown, in the midst of the Mournes takes its name not as you might reasonably suppose from its hilly main street but from the Hill family of Hillsborough. The terrain is a tracery of stone walls, bounding a patchwork of tiny fields, white washed cottages in clumps of sycamore, a string of ponies trekking, little villages with many pubs, and above all the purple and brown of mountain peaks. North of Castlewellan lies another mountain, Slievnaslat, then Slieve Croob and the market town of Ballynahinch, and Downpatrick, where St. Patrick’s body rests. West and south lies Newry, astride the Clanrye River, and the road from Dublin.

Royal County Down Golf Club, rated in the world’s top dozen links, is the jewel in Newcastle’s crown. Beside is the great redstone presence of the Slieve Donard Hotel, at the north end of the great sweep of the beach where ponies trek and horses gallop, the links looks south to the small harbour, across bandstand, boating lake, bowling green, a children’s water playground (Tropicana), ice cream parlours, and cake shops to Donard Park and Tollymore Forest Park on the slopes of Slieve Donard. This is an attractive wooded park on the mountain foothills with a well defined choice of walks past rivers, waterfalls and pleasant glades.

On the road south to Dundrum is the unique Seaford Tropical Butterfly House set in the Seaforde estate beside an interesting garden centre. Exotic selection of butterflys fly free in the steamy heat of the aviary. Dundrum, has its own bay, one of the best Anglo-Norman Castles in Ireland and regattas, oyster and mussel beds and the relaxing Murlough Nature Reserve. Closeby is the equally relaxing hostelry of the Buck's Head, warm and intimate in winter, conservatory dining and beer garden in summer. Maghera, inland, has pony trekking, Castlewellan has its Forest Park, complete with Sculptural Trail, trout lake and wooded walks.