20 Attractions to Explore Near Donard Forest

Covering a relatively short distance from coast to open moorland, the Granite Trail offers the opportunity to see artifacts from the once thriving granite industry of Mourne. Differing natural habitats can be enjoyed as you walk through coniferous forest and mature woodland beside mountain streams and rivers.

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.

Newcastle is a small seaside resort town in County Down, Northern Ireland, which had a population of 7,672 at the 2011 Census. It lies by the Irish Sea at the foot of Slieve Donard, the highest of the Mourne Mountains. Newcastle is known for its sandy beach, forests and mountains. The town lies within the Newry, Mourne and Down District. The town aims to promote itself as the "activity resort" for Northern Ireland.

Joyland Amusement Centres Ltd Newcastle is an amusement park serving the local area. They offer arcade games. It was one of the iconic attraction in this area and also there are so many things to see and do here.

Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Northern Ireland, located in Newcastle, County Down. It opened on 23 March 1889 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland. It has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and the Annesley Links.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Murlough National Nature Reserve is a fragile 6000 year old sand dune system owned by the National Trust and managed as Ireland’s first Nature Reserve since 1967. It is an excellent area for walking and bird watching due to its spectacular location at the edge of Dundrum Bay and the Mourne Mountains. The sand dunes were extensively used by the US Army during the Second World War.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is one of the most outstanding tree and shrub collections in Europe, located in a dramatic setting of mountains and sea. The garden is a mixture of informal and formal design with terraces, fountains, ornamental gates and flower borders. It was opened to the public in 1967 after the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture purchased the land from the Annesley family. Features of the park include the National Arboretum, the Peace Maze and Castlewellan Castle.

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.

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.

This is a mountain located in the Mourne Mountains. It is a popular hiking destination and is 5.5 miles east of the village of Hilltown. It also offers beautiful views from here.

Europes largest permanent hedge maze was designed to commemorate the peace and reconciliation efforts of Northern Ireland in the past century. The paths of the maze are quite narrow, with large hedges growing on either side. The surface is flat, except for a shallow incline which winds round to the centre of the maze where the “Peace Bell” is located. A smooth ramp then connects from this upper level to a path to the East of the maze.

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.