People have inhabited the Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark since just after the end of the last Ice Age, their lives have been shaped by the unique landscape and its underlying geology. In the same way, they have shaped the land with agriculture and industry. The stories of ancient traditions, lost religions and power struggles are written across the mountains, drumlins, plains and coasts.
The landscape displays the relics of giants, druids and early saints. The passage of time is marked with Neolithic megaliths and cairns, frontier hill forts and earthen ramparts, high crosses and holy wells, the graves of Ireland’s earliest saints and monastic ruins, and the compelling story of St Patrick.
Sculpted by Ice
The ice age sculpted the rocks and landscape of the Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark into the deep u-shaped valley forming Carlingford lough, numerous natural bays at Strangford lough and the flat plain along the Mourne coastline. This is the scene that met the first settlers as they arrived in skin boats around 7000 years ago, they were hunter-gathers of the Mesolithic period. Access to the coast shaped settlement patterns because it meant fresh fish and opportunities for trade and these communities began an enduring relationship with the sea. Maritime industry has thrived in Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark, it is central to trade even today with busy commercial ports in Warrenpoint and large fishing ports in Kilkeel and Ardglass. The Newry Canal was the earliest summit canal in Ireland or Britain, its route follows the same low land route as the receding ice.
Glacial activity also led to the formation of the ‘Gap of the North’, which was the gateway of Ulaidh or Ulster and it has remained a main road even today. This borderland beside the Ring of Gullion was known as Na Doirse, the gates. It was also the edge of the Pale, the border of Norman Ireland and even now it lies on the edge separating the North and South of Ireland. Travellers were constantly passing this way and there is a rich tradition of storytelling here, many famous characters from Irish folklore have had adventures here such as the warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill, leader of the Fianna warriors, and Cúchulainn who is said to have got his name from Slieve Gullion or Chulainn, the blacksmith’s mountain.
Glacial activity also led to the formation of the ‘Gap of the North’, which was the gateway of Ulaidh or Ulster and it has remained a main road even today. This borderland beside the Ring of Gullion was known as Na Doirse, the gates. It was also the edge of the Pale, the border of Norman Ireland and even now it lies on the edge separating the North and South of Ireland. Travellers were constantly passing this way and there is a rich tradition of storytelling here, many famous characters from Irish folklore have had adventures here such as the warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill, leader of the Fianna warriors, and Cúchulainn who is said to have got his name from Slieve Gullion or Chulainn, the blacksmith’s mountain.
The geological make up of Strangford Lough produced a sea inlet that allowed early Christians, Vikings and Normans to explore. It was difficult to defend so the Normans built the many castles, keeps and towers that dot the coast, each tells a story of power, rebellion and conquest. The Christian monasteries here were regularly plundered by Vikings who named the area Strangfjothr, meaning strong fjord. The wooden boat building skills have survived and are now celebrated in the annual Skiffie Festival.
Christianity came to Ireland with the arrival of St Patrick in 432AD. He founded his first church in a wooden barn at Saul, in the Lecale area, the stone replacement still remains. When St Patrick died he was buried on the Hill of Down now marked with a granite Celtic cross at Down Cathedral. The same hill holds the remains of St Brigid and St Columba. The St Patrick trail is a route for pilgrims linking key sites and giving insight into Early Christian life. St Patrick converted several followers and his legacy can be seen in the many monasteries and holy sites nearby - Struell Wells, Inch Abbey Ardtole, St John’s Point Church. There are a multitude of later Christian monasteries such as Killeavy old churches and Kilbroney.
Working with Geology
Most of Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark once lay at the bottom of the ancient Iapetus ocean. The seafloor sediments resulted in the sandstone, mudstone and siltstone bedrock that underlies much of the area. These have been sculpted by ice into the Lecale drumlins and the subsequent glacial material has been deposited to form the Mourne Plain. Good drainage and nutrient-rich soils have provided prime conditions for farming, which developed in the Neolithic period and continues today. Annalong Cornmill is a beautifully restored cornmill that operated from the early 1800s and now houses an interactive museum where you can experience Mourne life of the past. Visitors can learn about the local geology and the famous stonemen of Mourne.
The dramatic high Mournes were formed as magma was intruded into the softer sedimentary bedrock. This molten rock cooled and crystallised to form granite, a much harder impermeable rock that helped to create harsh conditions for plant life. Farmers adapted to this by driving cattle between the fertile lowlands to the few upland meadows in the summer. The practice was known as ‘booleying’, families would build a temporary shelter or ‘booley’ from sods and earth. They minded their cattle, cut turf, milked the cows and made butter. When summer was over the families returned home with their livestock and goods for the Booley Fair. Traces of booley huts can be seen at Spelga Dam. Many of the ancient droving routes that were used to bring cattle up to the hills still exist and are used by walkers - a good example is at Carrick Little.
