5. Archaeological and historic sites

Our earliest evidence for people living in the Mourne region is in the Neolithic period, from about 3,500 BC. However, most of the evidence comes from burial rather than settlement sites. During that time large stone monuments were erected to mark graves and sites of ritual significance. Many of these can still be seen today, particularly standing stones and dolmens.

During Early Christian times the rising population in small groups in defended farmsteads. These are known as raths or ringforts where the surrounding bank was constructed from earth, or cashels where stones were used. The coming of Christianity can be seen from the establishment of churches and monasteries.

The coastal fringe of Mourne attracted early settlers, but it also provided good defensive sites. The Norman invasion led by John de Courcy in 1171 has left us the remains of motte and bailey sites as well as more complex castles. The coast was, until relatively recently, a major routeway, for both traders and invaders. It was only in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that a more accessible road network penetrated the hinterland, especially through upland areas.

Several important landowning families held estates in and around the Mournes. While some of their houses have survived, others are now derelict or even been demolished. For these, photographs are especially significant.

5.2 Slidderyford – Standing Stone Nov ’67

Usually referred to as the Ballyloughlin Stones, there are two surviving granite stones now incorporated in the roadside bank. They may be the remains of a court tomb. The photograph includes the back view of Cecil walking up the road. (N-040)

5.3 Slidderyford Dolmen May 1968

This dolmen, in Wateresk townland consists of a 2.4 metre high granite capstone rests on two uprights, one granite and one shale, with a further shale slab below. Although there is currently no evidence of a cairn, an early nineteenth-century illustration by Dubourdieu shows an additional upright and piles of stones at the site (Chart, 1940). (N-050)

5.4 Goward Dolmen Nov ’67

This portal dolmen has several local names – Cloughmore Cromlech, Pat Kearney’s Big Stone and even ‘Finn’s Fingerstones’. Legend has it that the giant Finn McCool cast the Goward stone from Spelga. Standing 4.3 metres tall, the huge (1.5 metres) capstone has slipped from its original position, and stones at the east end suggest a curving façade more typical of court cairns. A cremation urn and arrowhead were found within the chamber in the early nineteenth century. (N-152)

5.6 Kilkeel Dolmen, April ’67

A smaller dolmen, made from granite, this was also referred to as the Crawtree Stone. It stands over 2 metres high with a 2.5 metres long capstone resting on four supports. There is no end stone on this dolmen, which has since become part of the field bank along the side of a lane in Kilkeel. (N-247)

5.5 Kilfegan Dolmen (front) Apr ’68

Kilfeaghan is another portal dolmen with an even bigger granite capstone, 3.4 metres long, 2.4 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep. It is estimated to weigh between 35 and 40 tonnes. It was probably part of a long cairn. Bones, pottery and flint were found at the site in the early twentieth century. Cecil can be seen here, standing at the right. (N-322)

5.7 Drumena Cashel

Also known as Walsh’s Fort, the dry-stone wall of this cashel is 2.7 – 3.6 metres thick and was largely rebuilt in 1925-1926 during excavation work by Col R G Berry (Berry, 1928). The cashel is oval shaped and covers an area of 40 x 33 metres. A souterrain is present in the corner of the site, roofed with stone lintels up to a height of 2.1 metres. An area of stones may be the remains of house foundations. (N-143)

5.8 Maghera Old Church

The remains of a round tower mark the site of an Early Christian monastery, founded by St Domongart in the sixth century. This saint gave his name to Donard, the highest peak in the Mournes. Shown here, within the graveyard of the parish church are the ruins of a medieval, probably thirteenth-century, church. (Chart, 1940; Maxwell, 2010). (N-055)

5.9 Hilltown Motte June ’68

Typical of a Norman motte and bailey site, Hilltown motte occupies a strategic location in the foothills of the mountains. It was probably established by John de Courcy in the late twelfth century to defend the route from Newry to Downpatrick (Evans, 2005). The mound stands 7.5 metres above the surrounding ditch. The bailey would have been linked to the motte by a bridge and wooden buildings defended by a palisade. (N-109)

5.10 Newry – Crown Mound & Bridge

The Crown Mound, outside Newry, is another Norman motte and bailey castle. There must have been an earlier settlement near the motte: a Bronze Age razor in the British Museum’s collection was originally found here. It is now on display in Down County Museum. (N-873)

5.11 & 5.12 Dundrum Castle from Slidderyford, ?.3.66 and Dundrum Castle

Above: Dundrum Castle began as a motte and bailey built by John de Courcy in the late 1170s. Cecil photographed it from Slidderyford with the Twelve Arches Bridge in the foreground, to emphasise the defensive location on top of the hill above Dundrum Bay. Right: The castle was later built in stone, with a round keep added by Hugh de Lacy at the beginning of the thirteenth century (Maxwell, 2010). In 1652 the castle was dismantled by Cromwellian troops. In the right foreground are the remains of a once grand, 17th-century house. (N-060 and N-030)

5.13 & 5.14 Hanna’s Close Clachan 8.8.65

Hanna’s Close dates from the beginning of the seventeenth century when the Hanna family left Scotland and built their cottages on the site. The term close is interchangeable with clachan in this context and is thought to be of Scottish origin. This is one of very few clachans that remain intact. It consists of eight houses clustered together and as the photograph illustrates they were all designed to open onto the central area for defensive purposes. The cottages have now been listed and renovated for use as holiday accommodation. (N-266 and N-270)

5.15 Castlewellan Castle May ’68

The former home of the Annesley family, Castlewellan Castle was built in 1751 in Scottish baronial style using locally sourced granite. The castle is now used for conferences while the estate, Castlewellan Forest Park, and especially the lake, is a popular visitor attraction (Maxwell, 2010). (N-075)

5.16 Tollymore Park Folly C

The ornate structures found at Tollymore Forest Park are examples of eighteenth- century demesne architecture. This photograph shows one of ‘Lord Limerick’s Follies’, a series of posts on the edge of the estate. They date to about 1777. (N-144)

5.17 Mount Panther, May, 1968

Not long after this photograph was taken Mount Panther fell into disrepair. Once an elegant Georgian mansion, the building is now a roofless, fire-damaged shell and the estate which covers 170 acres has been put up for sale. Built in 1770, the main house was famed for its ballroom and plasterwork and was host to distinguished guests, from Mrs Delaney in the eighteenth century to Princess Margaret who called at the house briefly in 1963. (N-057)

6.1 Lough Islandrevy, Aug ’67

Lough Island Reavy was a natural lake, converted to a dam in the nineteenth century. This regulated the level of the River Bann for the supply of water to the linen industry. Now controlled by the Belfast Angling Association, it is a popular fly-fishing spot for brown trout, pike and perch. (N-063)