County Down Information

County Down is situated on the North East coast of Ireland and is surrounded on three sides by water. The other boundaries are made up of County Antrim and County Armagh. County Down is also home to the Mourne Mountains.

Settlements in County Down were first made about 7000 years ago, and thus County Down features in many of the Old Gaelic Legends. Saint Comgall founded a monastery in County Down from which monks set sail in an attempt to spread Christianity across Europe. The monastery was revived by Saint Malachy during the 12th century, but by the 15th century the monastery again was in ruins. County Down is one of the six counties which constitute Northern Ireland.

Other Interesting Points

- During the 18th century, the coast of Down became famous for smuggling and smugglers trails.
- Parts of county Down were already in Scottish hands before the plantations in 1610

Estimated Population and Land Area

The estimated population of Down after the last census is 454,411 and the land area is 945 sq miles.

Major Towns

- Bangor
- Newtownards
- Ballynahinch
- Dromore
- Banbridge
- Downpatrick
- Castlewellan
- Newcastle
- Newry
- Kilkeel

For more information about County Down, please do not hesitate to contact e Car Rental in Ireland by email or see our Tourism Information page about Towns, Cities and Counties of Ireland.