An Caisleán Nua, the New Castle, is a popular seaside resort with
a 3 mile
sandy beach. Its name comes from a castle that was built in
1433 where the River Shimna flows into the sea at Dundrum Bay.
There is a famous hotel here The Slieve Donard hotel, named after the
Mourne Mountains highest mountain which dominates the town.
Many famous people have stayed here including Charlie Chaplin.
On the seafront is a memorial to Percy french who wrote
The Mountains of Mourne, which brought much fame to the area.
Another memorial is on a boulder by the leisure centre. It is
to Harry
Ferguson who made an aeroplane flight along the beach in 1910. He later
became famous for tractors.
At the south end of the town next the swimming pool is a large ships anchor
which is from I.K.Brunel's SS.Great Britain, which was shipwrecked
for
the first time in Dundrum Bay in 1846. It was later towed away and
repaired and was later wrecked in the Falkland Islands before again
being towed home and repaired. The SS.Great Britain now
has a permenant home in Bristol, England.
There is plenty to do in the area, there are forest parks, Tollymore with
its
follys and walks in the woods and up to the mountains, its wildfowl lake
and picnic sites, there is also Castlewellan which has a large
lake and many pretty gardens, both are famous for their rhododendrons.
There is a championship golf course nearby. |
