Latest news with #MourneMountains
BBC News
31-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Mourne Mountains: Gondola project 'dead', says councillor
A council that has twice seen its plans to develop a cable car style ride in the Mourne Mountains fail will be given an opportunity to submit an alternative project to Mourne and Down Council had been hoping to receive £30m from the Belfast Region City Deal – with the balance of around £15m to come from the planned for Slieve Donard in Newcastle, the project was moved to Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor in May after the National Trust, which owns land on Slieve Donard, refused to grant a week the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said it would not be allowing the council to use land it controls (via Forest Service) at Kilbroney. According to local councillor Jarlath Tinnelly the council has "no plan C"."This project is clearly dead in the water,"he said."Council is now trying to come up with another scheme and I don't think that is a credible position. "I first heard about this in the press... councillors weren't event told through official channels in the council. What the plans are, what other alternatives there are I am not aware of because there has been no official engagement from council to councillors."In its statement on the matter the council said it remained, "committed to securing the £30m BRCD (The Belfast Region City Deal) investment for the district and is actively exploring options with partners." In Rostrevor on Thursday locals were discussing where they believe the money would be better of them is Gerry Sloan, he said he thinks the funding should be divided between towns and villages in south Down."The outdoor swimming pool in Warrenpoint, the marina they'd talked about, housing in Rostrevor, new playing fields in Rostrevor and around the coast to Newcastle, Attical, Kilkeel, Greencastle," he a statement from Belfast City Council which stands over the wider City Deal project suggested this approach wouldn't be viable."NMDDC (Newry, Mourne and Down Council) will be given an opportunity to submit an alternative project in line with the overall objectives of the Deal, for consideration by the Executive Board in liaison with UK Government and NI Government Departments," the statement read."Alternative project options would need to align to Belfast Region City Deal objectives of creating a step change in inclusive economic growth and creating more and better jobs for the Belfast region and would require an outline business case and a full business case, which demonstrate value for money and financial sustainability, approved by the accountable department." Last month it was confirmed that nearly £1.35m had been spent on the gondola project at the point it left Newcastle to come to Rostrevor. That cost will have risen in the Mourne and Down Council now faces the challenge of presenting an alternative, suitable project or it will lose out on £30m of this end the council has stated, "Further updates will be provided in the coming weeks."
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- The Guardian
In search of the UK's finest mountain view: walking in Northern Ireland's Mournes
Where is the finest mountain panorama in the UK? As a nine-year-old I was taken up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and told it was the best. Even in those days, it was a struggle to see much except the backs of other people. The following summer Scafell Pike got the same treatment and the next year we climbed Ben Nevis. I disagreed on all counts. For me, Thorpe Cloud in Dovedale was unbeatable, despite it being under a thousand feet tall. What convinced me was the diminutive Derbyshire peak's shape: a proper pointy summit with clear space all around, plus grassy slopes that you could roll down. The champion trio could not compare. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. This panorama question is in my mind as I begin hiking up Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland's highest peak (at 850 metres), but a mountain often forgotten by those listing their UK hiking achievements. And a proper peak it is too, with a great sweeping drop to the sea and loads of space all around, guaranteeing, I reckon, a view to beat its more famous rivals. Slieve Donard's relative obscurity outside of Northern Ireland is not difficult to understand. During the Troubles, visitor numbers plummeted and many locals gave up country walks. 'We never went to the mountains,' one tells me, from Belfast, which is only an hour away to the north. 'A road sign replaced with a sniper image is not very welcoming.' Since that tragic period, the Mourne Mountains have made a terrific comeback, appearing in several episodes as parts of Westeros (along with other locations in Northern Ireland) in the Game of Thrones TV series. I set off from the eastern side, at a spot called Bloody Bridge – named after a massacre in the 1641 rebellion – where there are crystal clear pools in the river before it tumbles into the sea. The path steadily racks up, passing through a quarry then reaching a saddle at over 500m, where a massive stone wall heads directly up the mountain. This is the Mourne Wall, a 22-mile miracle of human labour, crossing a total of 15 peaks in the range. It was constructed between 1904 and 1922 to keep sheep out of the central Mournes, where several important reservoirs supplying Belfast were located. Now it's the site of an annual race and a handy landmark on misty days. It's also a stiff climb. I deliberately avoid checking the view: it's going to be magnificent. The maximum distance you can see from any peak can be roughly calculated by multiplying the square root of the height in metres by 3.57. That, however, is not necessarily the final answer. Distant peaks beyond the horizon will poke their tops up and variability in light refraction around the Earth means the maximum distance can sometimes be extended significantly. The official record for a ground-to-ground distance view is 300 miles, between two Argentinian mountains in 2023. My own record was a glimpse of Monte Cinto in Corsica from the Alpes-Maritimes, around 155 miles away. I pause on the climb, puffing a bit, and bang the numbers into my phone's calculator. At 850m, Slieve Donard's potential view distance is around 65 miles, which should mean that most elements of the British Isles are visible on a blue-sky day like this one. I reach the summit and climb over the Mourne Wall to stand next to the bronze age cairn. I look east. Nothing. No Scafell Pike or Yr Wyddfa, not one bit of Scotland, or the Isle of Man either. Sea haze, the curse of the hiker who didn't get up early, is the problem, particularly frustrating on an otherwise clear day. Having said that, it is a fabulous summit, perched high above the rest of the Mournes, with superb views south and west over the whole of County Down and on into the Republic of Ireland. I come down via the Glen River, another sparkling stream that leads me right back into the town of Newcastle, where I go directly to the beach and dive in. The view might have failed, but where else can you start by the sea, climb the highest peak, and finish four or five hours later with a sea dip? A quick change and I head for the Percy French Restaurant in the Slieve Donard Hotel. The front door, I'm told, has a Game of Thrones connection, but it's really Percy French that intrigues me. An Irish songwriter and wit, French was one of those characters that light up their age. A contemporary of Oscar Wilde and WB Yeats, he regularly performed in Newcastle in the late 19th century and wrote the song The Mountains o' Mourne, but never achieved much fame outside Ireland. There's a bronze bust of the man on a side table, and I resolve to take one of his comic couplets as my motto in the quest for the finest panorama. 'I'm not as bold as lions but I'm braver than a hen/And he that fights and runs away will live to fight again.' Next day my goal is Slieve Binnian, at 747m the third highest peak in the range, and arguably the most beautiful. It's another blue sky, so I am hopeful for fine views. The track to the summit follows the Mourne Wall the entire distance (about two miles) and at the top I see why locals favour this peak: the summit and ridge are lined with stunning towers of granite, the Back Castles. I scramble up to the highest point. Sea haze. Loads of the stuff, a thick purple porridge all across the eastern horizon. Slieve Donard to the north-east is impressive and the panorama of the Mourne Mountains could not be bettered, but I've missed that 360 once again. I head down the coast to the town of Rostrevor, a place whose dramatic setting inspired the writer CS Lewis to dream up the world of Narnia. 'I have seen landscapes,' he wrote, 'notably in the Mourne Mountains and southwards which under a particular light made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge.' In the Kilbroney Park, next to the town, there's a good cafe, Synge and Byrne, and a Narnia trail. The town itself boasts a fine high street and some stalwart traditional pubs, one of which I choose for a post-panoramic failure pint. I ask the barman if the undertaker's business next door is part of the pub. 'It used to make the wakes easy to organise,' he laughs. 'But it's closed down now. Mind you, we kept plenty of ghosts. There's one who throws things, but is rarely seen.' Like England, Scotland and Wales, I reflect. Next day is my last chance. The neighbour to my cottage advises on trying Knockchree, a hill of Thorpe Cloud dimensions at 306m. 'It stands a bit separate and that makes for a lovely view.' Exactly what my nine-year-old self understood. But my calculator says capable of only a 37-mile range. Cuckoos and stonechats are calling as I make the climb through pine plantation then up heathland. At the summit I sit down. A magnificent panorama of fields and Mourne Mountains is spread all before me in vivid colour and the sea horizon is perfectly clear. I think I can make out the summit of Snaefell on the Isle of Man, a full 60 miles away, which is a triumph, but England, Scotland and Wales have certainly ceased to exist. There are, however, two ancient kingdoms within my grasp: Westeros and Narnia, and they will do. Accommodation was provided by Sykes Holiday Cottages, which has various properties in the Mournes area, including Carol Cottage, which sleeps up to eight, from £727 for three nights. Stena Line ferries sail to Belfast twice daily from Liverpool and six times daily from Cairnryan (near Stranraer). Return fare with car from £149
BBC News
04-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Narrow Water Bridge: Tourism hopes rise around Carlingford Lough
With an estimated cost of about €100m (£84.3m), the Narrow Water Bridge aims to kickstart a new era of cross-border tourism on Carlingford bridge is being fully funded by the Irish government's Shared Island Unit and will link south Down in Northern Ireland with north Louth in the aims to create a new tourist destination, incorporating the Mourne, Cooley and Ring of Gullion mountain ranges. But for this to happen, private investment must follow the Irish government's huge financial commitment. There is already an early litmus test for how the bridge scheme is changing the tourist outlook for the area – the planned sale of the former Park Hotel in Omeath. The hotel, which sits on an 85-acre site a stone's throw from the bridge on the Republic of Ireland side, has been closed for nearly 20 according to the man responsible for finding a buyer, the bridge development has already changed the outlook for sites like the Park Hotel."So far we're getting great interest so it's looking good," said Newry-based property agent Garry Best."We had discussions with the owner for the last three or four years but his preference was to wait until at least the bridge was started."And it's hard to miss that building the water, there are more than 20 huge metal columns piled into the river bed where the bridge will be access roads are being created and improvements made to the road network on both the north and south began 12 months ago and it is thought it will be completed by late 2027. How do people feel about the bridge in Warrenpoint? The sight of the work starting – and the promise of a completed bridge – is helping fuel investment in the area, the president of the Warrenpoint, Burren and Rostrevor Chamber of Commerce Dowdell, who also helps run her family's pub in Warrenpoint, the Victoria, said people are hopeful it will lead to a number of eyesore sites in the town being are some projects under way - an upgrade of the town's promenade and work on a building on Cole's Corner, which Ms Dowdall said has "probably been vacant since I was a child"."But to see investment in the likes of the old Osborne Hotel on the seafront would be huge," she added."There's also not one person in this region who doesn't want to see the old Baths on the seafront revitalised. That's what people hope will happen." Meanwhile there have been other public investments on both sides of the border, which, while not necessarily connected to the bridge, are certainly include public realm schemes on Warrenpoint and Omeath seafronts; the greenway linking Newry to Carlingford, which is nearing completion; and funding from the Irish government to develop a network of trails and water access points around Carlingford was also the recent news that the £44m Mourne Gondola project could be relocated to Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor – a move that would represent a significant tourism investment, albeit one that has received a mixed response in the those in favour, the project could help drive hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region each year but others hold environmental and economic concerns, as well as questions over whether Rostrevor's roads and car parking could handle an influx of visitors. 'High hopes' for the bridge in Rostrevor That, in essence, is the big challenge – how to develop tourism in the area while being respectful to residents and the surrounding landscape artist Lauren Taylor, who owns a gallery in the centre of Rostrevor, said many tourism-facing businesses like hers have high hopes for the bridge."The ability to go all around the lough and visit Carlingford, Warrenpoint and Rostrevor in one day is really beneficial for the area," she aid."It'll not only drive tourism but will attract small businesses like mine to settle into the area."It would be lovely to see more galleries, more boutiques, more small shops – all those things that tourists and locals want as well." Carlingford Lough and tourism: A short history For many around Carlingford Lough, the bridge represents a second chance for the region to establish decades past, trains and trams connected many of the towns around the lough - until 1965 trains ran to Warrenpoint, while Carlingford and Omeath were connected by rail until was also the Red Star Ferry, which ran regular services between Warrenpoint and it wasn't just the demise of railways that damaged the region's appeal for tourists – sitting flush on the border during the Troubles did little to entice visitors. In August 1979, Narrow Water was the scene of an IRA double bomb attack which led to the deaths of 18 British Soldier, while a civilian, William Hudson, was also killed by Army gunfire following the a result, the bridge project has long been met with a sense of unease for some in the unionist the growth in popularity of Carlingford village as a destination over the past 20 years saw the campaign for the bridge was not until the launch of the Irish government's Shared Island Unit in 2021, that things took a major step forward leading to an official turning of the sod in June 2024.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Rostrevor: Cable car plan may move to Kilbroney Forest Park
A new location for a proposed cable car route in County Down is being considered after a plan to build it on Northern Ireland's highest mountain was blocked. Newry, Mourne and Down Council had hoped to install a cable car at Slieve Donard until the National Trust refused to lease land it manages for the project. On Wednesday, the council confirmed it was now "exploring" the possibility of moving it to Kilbroney Forest Park in Rostrevor instead. The cable car concept, also referred to as a gondola, has divided opinion for several years, with environmentalists objecting and some businesses arguing it would attract visitors to the area. The council said the new cable car route was yet to be determined but confirmed it would not pass through the ancient oak woodland in Kilbroney. "Environmental sensitivity will continue to be a core principle of the proposal," the council added. It said the updated proposal had secured the support of Warrenpoint, Burren and Rostrevor Chamber of Commerce who described it as "a game-changer". The chamber said it would "create a compelling tourism offering in the district, while also encouraging visitors to continue their journeys into the heart of the Mournes and beyond". The cable car or gondola plan is officially known as the Mourne Mountains Gateway would receive central government funding through the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD). Politicians had expressed concerns that the blocking of the plan at Slieve Donard would put millions of pounds of BRCD money at risk. A new addition to the Finn McCool legend? Rumours that the focus of the Mourne gondola project could be moving from Newcastle to Rostrevor began circulating in south Down in the last couple of is understood a number of meetings have taken place with political and business leaders discussing the possibility of moving the scheme effectively from one side of the Mournes to the this end BBC NI asked the council to comment on the rumours earlier this Wednesday, they confirmed that the matter is indeed being the council press release does not state a proposed route for the ride, a number of sources have told BBC NI that they believe the preferred terminus to be in the vicinity of a landmark called Cloughmore (the Big Stone). The huge granite boulder was deposited on the slopes of Slieve Martin during the last ice age and forms part of the legend of Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool). There is already a mountain drive through Kilbroney to a large carpark just a couple of hundred yards below Cloughmore. A series of popular downhill mountain bike trails already operate in the for its part, is already gearing up for the opening of the nearby Narrow Water Bridge just a few miles away. There is a fresh focus on tourism on this side of the Mournes – whether this means the gondola will be welcomed or rejected is a question locals will now be considering. Why did the National Trust decide against the cable car at Slieve Donard? The National Trust is responsible for the land in the Eastern Mournes Special Area of Conservation including Slieve Donard and Thomas Quarry - the site previously earmarked for the proposed gondola station and a visitor proposed £44m project would have involved the development of a 1km cable car structure from Donard Park up to the disused in April there were almost 150 wildfires in the Mournes, which had a devastating effect on habitats in the mountain a statement on 1 May, the trust confirmed the proposed project would "risk placing additional pressures on already degraded upland habitats".It would therefore "not be considering a lease at Thomas Quarry".At the time, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council said the trust's decision was "particularly frustrating".
BBC News
13-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Mournes wildfires: Plea for new approach to stop devastating blazes
A group picking up the pieces after wildfires devastated thousands of acres in and around the Mourne mountains is calling for clarity on what can be done to prevent blazes and tackle Heritage Trust estimates a fire in Silent Valley in April spread over 1,500-1,700 group says Stormont should consider banning fires at certain times of year and has questioned whether a helicopter could have been used to fight the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said it would consider banning fires, while the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said a helicopter would not have been appropriate due to a number of operational factors. Andrew Baird from Mourne Heritage Trust said there was "virtually nothing left" on land he assessed close to Ben Crom dam."You've got no habitat for reptiles, insects and small birds. Everything is gone," he fire burned for four days and had to be tackled by physically beating it."There was water all around here and we were just using shovels," he said."We were pushing for a helicopter but apparently it wasn't available."A spokesperson for NIFRS said the service did not have immediate access to firefighting aircraft and had to request them."In this circumstance, the use of a helicopter as a water resource was not requested due to a number of factors including; wind direction and speed, nature and size of the fire front and the impact on operational activity on the ground," the spokesperson said."This was an operational risk based decision and was not based on budget."They said NIFRS worked with a number of other agencies to ensure they used the best approach to fighting the fire. Mr Baird said fires should be banned in mountainous areas when there is an amber or red wildfire warning said it would be open to this but it would require a new law to be passed by Stormont and there was a tight timetable because the assembly did not sit for almost two years from 2022 to 2024."This is however something that could be assessed as part of any future package of wider legislative review," a spokesperson said. What sort of damage was caused to the Mournes? Most of the land where "the deeper, slower burn damage" happened is in the harder to access areas higher Allen from NI Water, which manages Silent Valley reservoir, said it had not been able to access the site to do an ecological survey yet."The habitat up there is a bit of a mosaic. There's areas of deep peat - which is peat that is deeper than 50cm," she said."There's shallow peat, there's Montane heath , just a very rare high altitude habitat. There's heathers, sphagnum mosses - a mixture of all very different species and different habitats."The concern is that the top layer of vegetation has been destroyed which leaves the ground exposed."That's what we don't want to be eroding down into our water here," she it wouldn't pose any risk to drinking water "there's potentially a higher expense in treatment chemicals and electricity" to get it to the same standard. On the Sandbank Road between Hilltown and Rostrevor the fire damaged land is easier to access but not so easy to environmentalist JohnRoss McMahon was here the night a major incident was declared and homes had to be has been back to take a closer look at the damage. "The one word I would say - it's permanent," he said."There's much deeper damage where the fire has got under the peat and has burned under the ground. "You can see the pits where the peat has burned away and the soil has essentially collapsed."He said it was not just a matter of leaving it alone but that something had to be done to bring it back to its natural said funding for peatland restoration projects was planned at various sites across Northern Ireland."A Peatland Strategy is also due to be published soon once Stormont executive approval is obtained to drive a wider and collaborative approach to achieve enhanced and sustained peatland restoration," a spokesperson said. At Silent Valley new approaches are being tried to encourage the land to recover Baird said the heritage trust was piloting a scheme of "hydro seeding"."Basically we're spreading a seed mixture over the surface of the ground which will increase the amount of vegetation cover that will be here over the winter," he that is only to be trialled in one small area - most of it could take up to 10 years to return to "like for like".
