Mountains of Mourne

The walk to Ben Crom Reservoir is along a tarmac road which follows Silent Valley Reservoir and then rises up hill to the Ben Crom dam. The distance to the dam is about 5km.

The reservoir was constructed between 1953 and 1957, as the final part of the Mourne scheme to provide water to Belfast

The parkland with a small lake, picnic tables, sitting areas and tea rooms is at the foot of the Silent Valley Dam.

The Silent Valley reservoir supplies water for much of the east of Northern Ireland and the city of Belfast.

It was built during the ten year period from 1923 to 1933. Though after 1933 the dam's capacity was increased by the boring of a tunnel and aqua duct under Slieve Binnian, connecting the Annalong Valley water catchment to the Silent Valley Dam.

The Splega Dam in the Mourne Mountains was built in the 1950s. Like Silent Valley it supplies water to Belfast City and connecting areas.

The Portadown and Banbridge areas are supplied from the dam.

There are good mountain hikes in the immediate area of the dam.

The Slieve Donard Mountain walk follows the Bloody River from the car park in Newcastle up through the valley below Slieve Donard.

The river gets its name from a massacre that happened along the river during the 1641 rebellion.

The river turned red with the blood of those killed in the battle.

This walk way along the river follows the old smuggling route, where goods were smuggled in from England to Newcastle cove and taken over the mountains for distribution.

After walking along the Bloody River under tree cover and passing small waterfalls and rock out crops in the river which create mini rapids, the vista opens out close to the old ice house and the edge of the Bog of Donard.

The walking trail continues to follow the river some distance across the bog.

The land is much and ascent is much flatter as you traverse the bog which lies under Slieve Donard and Slieve Commedagh.

As you follow the steps, conveniently built into the side of the mountain at the point where the Glen/Bloody River form mini waterfalls, you will reach the saddle between Slieve Donard on the left and Slieve Commedagh on the right.

On reaching the top of the saddle the views open out ( on clear days ) reaching out to encompass all of the Mournes straight ahead and left and right.

Slieve Binian with its almost conical peak - best seen as you walk up Slieve Commedagh as its blocaked by the side of Slieve Donard.

On the right - Slieve Bearnagh with its jagged peaks. Newcastle and the coast line back the way you have come.

The wall was built in the early part of the 20th century, prior to the building of the Silent Valley Dam, in order to protect the quality of the water system.

The wall is a massive structure about 35km long, traversing over 15 mountain peaks. It is built with cut granite blocks without recourse to cement ( dry stone wall building technique )

For the walker there are stiles at various points, including at the top of the saddle.

The walls main function was to keep cattle and sheep away from the water supplies.

Slieve Donard is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland. It rises to about 85 metres.

The peak is quite flat and has a large cairn.

The Mourne wall turns right angles from an easterly direction to the south. At the bend, a small shelter is built into the wall.

Slieve Donard is a very exposed mountain and dangerous in bad weather as a memorial at the top to the death of a young man by lightning strike serves as a grim reminded.

Warrenpoint is a small town lying at the foot of the Mourne Mountains, over looking the Cooley Mountains across Carlingford Lough in southern Ireland.

The town lies on the narrow neck of water that flows into Carlingford Lough and separates the town from the southern side near a place known as Narrow Water.

The town has some fine restaurants and some accommodation.

Rostrevor lies on the north western shores of Carlingford Lough, under the shadow of the Mourne Mountains and Slieve Martin.

The small town was named by Edward Trevor who came to the area around 1710. According to some sources including Wikipedia the Ros part of the name maybe derived from his wife's name Rose or the Gaelic Rois for small wood.

Either way the town is called Rostrevor today and is a quaint kind of place on the shores of the lough

Newcastle is a seaside town lying at the foot of Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland.

The town with its long sandy beach and paved promenade is popular with family visitors in summer.

The well known golf course Royal Down is just outside the town.