The Mourne Mountains and Ring of Gullion area has lots of picturesque and fun filled destinations for you to have a BBQ. Every year we enjoy the outdoors by celebrating National BBQ Week which runs from 3 - 9 June 2024. We encourage everybody to pick their favourite destination for a day outdoors and enjoy a meal with their loved ones.
Here we have some suggestions of places for you to get out and fire up those grills!
Feast at our Forest Parks
Pack up your BBQ food and enjoy an afternoon out at Kilbroney Park with lots available to keep the kids entertained like the playpark and magical Narnia sculpture trail. Barbecues are permitted at the designated picnic benches, or you can hire out the bespoke BBQ area for comfortable seating and simply fire up your grill, grab your burgers and invite your family and friends round to join your BBQ party.
Work up an appetite for your BBQ food at Castlewellan Forest Park, spend an afternoon paddle boarding on the lake, canoeing or e-biking through the forest trails. Once you've built up an appetite for some yummy food, set up on the designated picnic benches and indulge on ribs to sausages and salad.
Barbecues are a fantastic way to get friends and family together to enjoy the fresh air, sunshine and delicious food. Delamont Country Park is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a BBQ, there are designated picnic areas perfect for enjoying the sunshine that are close to the playpark and miniature railway for the children.
BBQ on the Beach
Barbecue season is well and truly upon us and the enticing smell of yummy food hangs in the sea breeze. What better backdrop for your burgers than a sandy beach and crystal-clear water? The Mourne Mountains and Ring of Gullion area is rich in beautiful coastal areas with sandy beaches. It is essential to follow rules to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone when barbecuing on a beach, always make sure to check and follow the guidelines of the beach you decide to barbecue on.
Just to keep you and everyone else safe remember:-
Always avoid grilling near dunes, vegetation and other flammable materials to prevent accidental fires. We’d recommend investing in a non-disposable BBQ with a lid as it’s safer for the environment and to use the designated picnic benches if they are available. Lastly leave no trace, clean up after yourselves and dispose of your coals responsibly.
Kilbroney Park features riverside walks and an arboretum. There is a two-mile forest drive which showcases panoramic views over Carlingford Lough. There is also a Play Park with children's play area and tennis courts, an Information area and a café all on site.
Located on Forest Park View, Castlewellan, County Down, in a dramatic setting of mountains and sea, Castlewellan Forest Park has one of the most outstanding tree and shrub collections in Europe. The beauty, vigour and perfect shape of the trees in the National Arboretum attract tree enthusiasts from around the world.
Situated on the shores of Strangford Lough in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Delamont Country Park, Killyleagh offers peace, beauty and tranquillity. The stunning views across Strangford Lough and the relaxing atmosphere make Delamont Country Park a place to enjoy that 'away from it all feeling'. It is home of the Strangford Stone - the tallest megalith in Ireland. This beautiful 200-acre Country Park offers a great day out for visitors of all ages. Whether you are a keen walker, a nature lover or simply looking for a great day out for all the family you will find plenty to entertain you in Delamont Country Park.
Tyrella beach and conservation area is a small, enclosed dune complex within Dundrum Bay. It is a wide, flat, sandy beach two kilometres long and backed by 25 hectares of mature dunes in a conservation area.
Cranfield West offers a gently sloping, mainly sandy beach located at the entrance to Carlingford Lough, an area designated as being of Special Scientific Interest.
Newcastle Beach is a popular seaside resort and tourist destination located on the South Down coast of Northern Ireland. Newcastle Beach comprises of sand, pebbles and larger stones and is approximately 2.5 km in length. The major part of Newcastle Beach is backed by a promenade and the seaside town of Newcastle, which has lots of shops, cafes, restaurants, amusements and other attractions. The beach has a very gentle slope with the Mountains of Mourne in the background. The beach is popular for swimming and sunbathing and there is life saving equipment available with signage on the Promenade. The beach can be accessed via steps or the slipway.
