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County Down, (An Dún in Irish) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, covering an area of 2,448 km² (945 square miles). The estimated population in 1992 was 416,600, a more recent figure puts it at 454,000.
The county borders County Antrim and County Armagh. The county town is Downpatrick. The county colours, as used on flags at inter-county sporting events, are red and black.
County Down is where, in the words of the famous song by Percy French, "the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea", and the granite Mourne mountains continue to be renowned for their beauty. Slieve Donard, at 848 m (2,796 feet), is the highest peak in the Mournes (and in Northern Ireland). Another important peak is Slieve Croob, at 1,775 ft, this is the source of the River Lagan.
Down is also home to the Northern Ireland Aquarium, located in Portaferry, on the shores of Strangford Lough, on the Ards Peninsula.
The Clanrye and Lagan rivers flow through the county.
An area of County Down is known as Brontë Country, after Patrick Brontë (originally Prunty) -- father of Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Brontë -- who was born in this region.
Towns in Down
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