County Down Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
county of Northern Ireland
About County Down
The Normans divided Ireland into shires or counties, but this had no effect on Ulster which remained ruled by Irish chieftains or petty kings right up to the 17th century. Then the Nine Years War deposed the last of the chieftains, who fled to the continent, their lands were seized, and the new southern overlords started making up for lost time. To prevent further rebellion Ulster was settled with loyal British subjects, mostly from Protestant Scotland. This was concentrated around Belfast and in the lowland areas of Counties Down, Antrim and Armagh, which developed industry - initially linen, later metal-bashing and other smokestack trades. The British monarch was Catholic until 1688, when Down was one of the first areas to rebel against the rule of James II - they were beaten at first, b
County Down Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 10 sections including: