20 Attractions to Explore Near Slieve Meelbeg

Slieve Meelmore is a mountain located in the Mourne Mountains. It is a popular hiking destination and is just under 6 mile east of the village of Hilltown. The mountain stands at a height of 680 m and is the 7th highest mountain in Northern Ireland, it is located in the West Mournes with Slieve Meelbeg to the south and Slieve Bearnagh to the east. The Mourne Wall passes over its summit.

Slieve Bearnagh is one of the Mourne Mountains in County Down, Northern Ireland. It has a height of 739 metres. Its summit is crowned by two tors with a gap between them, giving it a distinctive shape. The Mourne Wall crosses the summit of Slieve Bearnagh east to west. Paths lead to the cols on either side of the mountain, namely Pollaphuca to the west and Hare's Gap to the east. From the latter, one can also descend southwards to the head of the Ben Crom reservoir.

Fofanny Dam Reservoir is located approximately 2 km north-east of Spelga Dam and is a much smaller site. It is located in a picturesque location and also there are so many things to see and do here.

The Hare’s Gap is the most dramatic mountain pass in the Mournes. Its sharply defined outline indicates that ice once passed this way; using the Gap’s convenient north-south alignment to advance and retreat over the entire Mournes range. In more recent times the Hare’s Gap marked the exit point for smuggled goods which had crossed the hills from the coast along the Brandy Pad.

Ben Crom Reservoir is a reservoir located in the Mourne Mountains near Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was constructed between 1953 and 1957, as the final part of the Mourne scheme to provide water to Belfast which started with the passing of the Belfast Water Act in 1893. From the top of the wall there are wonderful views to Silent Valley, Slievenaglogh Mountain and Ben Crom Mountain. You can then follow a path east to climb to a fine viewpoint over the water.

The Mourne Wall was constructed between 1904 and 1922 by the Belfast Water Commissioners to define and enclose the catchment area for the newly constructed Silent Valley Reservoir. The wall is 22 miles long, 1.5m high and 0.8m thick and is constructed entirely of granite from quarries around the Mourne Mountains using classic dry stone wall techniques. It encloses 9,000 acres of mountainous terrain and is designed to keep farm animals away from the reservoirs and rivers that flow into them.

Slieve Muck is one of the Mourne Mountains in County Down, Northern Ireland. It has a height of 670.4 metres. It has three summits which are composed of Silurian shale covering the underlying granite. The shale forms an escarpment near the eastern side of the summits. The western slope is grassy and has a number of small streams flowing into the Deer's Meadow below. A good trekking destination and also there are so many things to see and do.

Spelga Reservoir is a reservoir in the townland of Spelga in the Mourne Mountains of County Down, Northern Ireland. It was formed by the Spelga Dam and sits at over 1,200 ft above sea level. It has a volume of 2,700,000 cubic metres and a catchment area of 5.423 km². It occupies an area known as Deers Meadow, and impounds the River Bann, which rises on the nearby Slieve Muck.

The Blue Lough is situated on the south side of the Mournes and is easily accessed from the Greencastle Port. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and also there are so many things to see and do here.

Slieve Commedagh is a 767 m mountain in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the second-highest of the Mourne Mountains, after Slieve Donard. It lies to the northwest of Slieve Donard, and the two are linked by a col. The Mourne Wall passes east-west over the mountaintop, and there is a small one-room tower at the summit. There is also the remains of an ancient burial cairn on the summit. On its southern side is a group of granite tors known as 'the Castles.

It is the third highest mountain in Northern Ireland at 747 metres. The summit is broad and flat with rocky tors at the north and south ends, with the Back Castles, impressive towers of granite, in between. To the south-west is Wee Binnian. It lies to the east of the Silent Valley Reservoir and the west of the Annalong Valley. The Mourne Wall also crosses over Slieve Binnian. A good trekking destination and also it offers nice views too.

Silent Valley Reservoir in the heart of the Mourne Mountains is one of the most beautiful places in Northern Ireland. It located in the Mourne Mountains near Kilkeel, County Down in Northern Ireland. It supplies most of the water for County Down, surrounding counties and most of Belfast.

Slieve Donard is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland and the wider province of Ulster, with a height of 850 metres. The highest of the Mourne Mountains, it is near the town of Newcastle on the eastern coast of County Down, overlooking the Irish Sea. It is also the highest mountain in the northern half of Ireland, and 7th highest on the island.

Glen River is a short river in County Down, Northern Ireland. The two-mile course flows north-east from the foot of Slieve Commedagh and Slieve Donard in the Mourne Mountains into Dundrum Bay at Newcastle, descending 1,500 feet. It is quite a fast-flowing river with many small waterfalls and deep pools. There is an unusually prominent ice house beside the river, just before it enters the forest. It was built by the third earl of Annseley in the 1830s to serve his Donard lodge residence.

A small man-made lough in Kilcoo, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a fishing spot, which is controlled by the Belfast Anglers club. The lake contains pike and perch, as well as small numbers of wild brown trout and eels. An iconic location for a short picnic and also there are so many options for leisure here.

Lough Island Reavy is a small man-made lough in Kilcoo, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a fishing spot, which is controlled by the Belfast Anglers club. The lake contains pike and perch, as well as small numbers of wild brown trout and eels.

Drumena Cashel is a small stone built farmstead enclosure or cashel of the early Christian period. Measuring approximately 130 feet by 108 feet, this oval cashel has 10 foot thick walls that have been partially rebuilt. In the center if the cashel are the foundation remains of a dwelling. The most notable feature of the site, however, is the T-shaped souterrain that has two separate entrances.

Tollymore Forest Park was the first state forest park in Northern Ireland, established on 2 June 1955. It is located at Bryansford, near the town of Newcastle in the Mourne and Slieve Croob Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It covers an area of 630 hectares at the foot of the Mourne Mountains and has views of the surrounding mountains and the sea at nearby Newcastle.

This is the most beautiful bridge in Tollymore Park. It has graced the Shimna River since 1787. It was named after a young niece of the 2nd Countess Clanbrassil, called Harriot Foley. The Castle at Newcastle housed the Coastguard Revenue Officers when this bridge was built, and Donard Lodge wasn't started until c.40 years later.

Donard Forest lies at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. It has some spectacular views of County Down, including Newcastle, Dundrum Bay, St John's Point and Slieve Croob. The north east section of the forest contains a Heritage Stand of Scots and Corsican pine planted in 1927. A south east section, beside the Glen River, was the former site of Donard Lodge.