Down

Down, a maritime county of Ireland, in the south-east of the province of Ulster, 50 miles long (NE. to SW.) and 35 broad (NW. and SE.). Area, 612,399 acres; pop. (1841) 368,143; (1881) 272,107; (1891) 266,893. It has a coast-line of 67 miles, or 139, counting inlets and islets. It has four spacious inlets: Belfast Lough, Strangford Lough, Dundrum and Carlingford Bays. The Mourne Mountains cover 90 sq. m. in the south, and rise in Slieve Donard to 2796 feet. The other parts of County Down are mostly undulating and hilly, with plains and fine meadows along the rivers. The chief rivers are the Upper Bann and the Lagan. The Newry Canal admits vessels of 50 tons, and with the Ulster Canal opens communication through almost all Ulster. Nearly one-half of the entire area is under crop, mostly oats, potatoes, turnips, wheat, flax, and barley. Many pigs, horses, and cattle are reared for export. The chief manufacture is linen, especially the finer fabrics, as muslin, woven in the houses of the small farmers, but hosiery, leather, salt, thread, and woollens are also made; and these, with corn, butter, pork, and hides, are the chief exports. Down is among the best cultivated of the Irish counties, and has more resident gentry (almost all Protestants, of English and Scotch descent) than any other Ulster county. Of its population, over 40 per cent. are Presbyterians, and nearly 30 per cent. Roman Catholics, while about 23 per cent. are Episcopalians. It contains 70 parishes, and since 1885 sends four members to parliament, besides one for the borough of Newry. The chief towns are Downpatrick, Newry, Newtownards, Banbridge, Lisburn, Holywood, and Donaghadee (with part of Belfast). County Down contains many ancient remains, as raths, round towers, castles, and abbeys. On the top of Slieve Croob (1755 feet) are twenty-three stone cairns, one being 54 feet high. See Alex. Knox, History of County Down (Dublin, 1875).