Tourist attractions Newtownards

Set in the grounds of Cultra Manor , this is one of the largest and most interesting museums in the whole of Ireland – and fun, too! The busy coastal road (A2) crosses the estate. To the south is the remarkable open-air folk museum dedicated to vill..

This Norman castle standing on a basalt promontory commanding the entrance to Belfast Lough and the port is the best preserved in Ireland. The heart of the building is its interior courtyard (1180-1200), surrounded by a high curtain. The seigneur's a..

This museum’s varied collections provide a remarkable perspective on the history of Ulster and its capital. Its Art Gallery includes works by Turner, Gainsborough, Bacon and Henry Moore. In addition to its decorative arts exhibits, there are some f..

The Victorian interior is richly decorated with tinted glass and tiles in lively colours which are reflected in the arcaded mirrors behind the long curved marble bar. Inspired by his journeys to Spain and Italy Patrick Flanagan built this cafe like..

Opened in 1934, Belfast Zoo has built an enviable reputation since its first enclosures, surrounded by ditches, were established on a green site called Hazelwood. Big cats, deer and kangaroos roam in expansive verdant spaces. Penguins, sealions and p..

The centre is part of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and occupies a pleasant site on the western bank of Strangford Lough. The freshwater lakes that formed in the old clay and chalk pits (for bricks, tiles and pottery) make this an ideal area for hi..

The ruins of a Cistercian foundation which began in 1193. Its church, one of Ireland’s earliest to use the primitive Gothic style, has a magnificent west doorway (1220-1230) with worked mouldings and dentilled friezes. Damaged in the Elizabethan peri..

Services in this Church (1857) are only for the maritime community in Belfast as shown by the location of this building near the docks and in the originality of its interior decor. Everything here recalls the sea and ships. The bell from HMS Hood is ..

The town hall (1898-1906) was built to celebrate the granting by Queen Victoria in 1888 of a new statute to the town of Belfast. The building in Portland stone stands on the site of the old White Linen house (1784) and was designed around a courtya..

The building of this impressive Anglican cathedral stretched over more than a hundred years (1899 to 1981) which explains the variety of architectural styles. The sober interior has a military chapel devoted to the memory of Irish soldiers killed i..

At the heart of Belfast, this square’s gardens are dotted with statues ; note Queen Victoria, surrounded by allegorical representations of the textile industry and shipbuilding (see the memorial to the Titanic, built here in Belfast). To the south i..

Here there is a bowls green, lawns which follow a majestic curve of huge shrubs, flowerbeds and a Rose Garden with a pergola descending gently towards the River Lagan . The gardens (11 ha) were originally designed by the plant devoted society Horti..

A University since 1908, Queen's College (1845) with its Tudor-style architecture is reminiscent of Magdalen College Oxford. Charles Lanyon also designed the Union Theological College of the Irish Presbyterian Church (1852-1855) where the first Nor..

Rowallane Gardens are famous for massed plantings of azaleas and rhododendrons. They are the work of a horticulturist who inherited the estate in 1903 and spent the next half-century transforming it. Features include a rock garden, patches of wild fl..

The two highlights in this park are Mount Scrabo , formed by a layer of volcanic lava that covers and protects the underlying sandstone, and Scrabo Tower . Erected in 1857 in memory of the third marquis of Londonderry (1778-1854), it contains an ex..

This heritage centre devoted to the Battle of the Somme will take the visitor to the beginnings of World War One and one of its bloodiest battles, the 1916 offensive on the Somme, where nine Irish regiments fought for a common cause. Photos and..

The heritage centre is located in a service wing of Bangor castle. The history of Bangor abbey , the arrival of the Scots and the golden age of Bangor as a seaside resort are described in the centre. The Prehistory section on the first floor cover..

This local park owes its name to the Scottish Crawford family, who were the tenant farmers of Sir James Hamilton in the early 17C. They acquired the estate in 1674, and planted many rare species here. The history of its flora and fauna is presented..

In 1620, Sir James Hamilton received permission to develop Bangor's inlets into a harbour. In 1637, with financial assistance from the Crown, he had a customs house built (now the Tourist Office) in imposing Scots Baronial style with watchtowers, cro..

Stormont, the Northern Ireland Parliament, is a sober and imposing white Classical building with a central portico. It stands on a hill approached by a broad avenue that cuts through rolling parkland. Parliament met here between 1932 and 1972. Storm..