Newry City

About

The City of Newry (An tIúr 'the yew tree' )  is divided by the Clanrye River located in the south east of Northern Ireland on the border of Counties Down and Armagh. It has a long and distinguished history.  Early history states that St Patrick planted a yew tree at the head of the strand of Carlingford Lough, which pointed its dark green fronds towards the heavens for 700 years.  The city's name originates from this story, with the old name being Iuir Cinn Tra (The Head of the Strand), which eventually was revised and shortened to the word Newry. The monastery founded by St Patrick was burnt in 1162 along with the yew tree.

Newry was once a bustling trading port. Newry Canal, which opened in 1742, is the oldest canal in Ireland.  Newry became an important centre in the area under the rule of DeCourcy, the Anglo Norman subjugators of Ulaidh. He built a castle which was later burnt by Edward Bruce in 1315 and after being rebuilt it was again destroyed by the O'Neills. A Cistercian Abbey was founded in 1157 by Maurice McLoughlin, King of Ireland and its charter was confirmed by Hugh deLacy, the successor of DeCourcy.

Today Newry is one of the country's foremost shopping destinations with an array of traditional independent traders and multi-national retailers, which combine to provide great shopping opportunities. Hill Street in the heart of Newry is the focal point for shopping and holds a market every Thursday and Saturday. This, the town's main shopping street, provides a fine range of family owned businesses. Modern, extensive shopping and entertainment complexes include The Quays and Buttercrane Centres. The town that was built on its trading traditions still provides some of the best shopping in Ireland. Newry has a vibrant nightlife with excellent restaurants and bars. It offers value for money cuisine, great entertainment and a relaxing atmosphere in its range of traditional bars, modern themed pubs and restaurants. A wide variety of accommodation exists in the town. The Newry Heritage Trail takes you through the city's many attractions and is a useful way of absorbing Newry's interesting and varied architecture.

In 2002, Newry officially became a city. Nestling between the Mourne Mountains and Ring of Gullion, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it's close proximity to the Republic of Ireland border makes it the gateway to the North of Ireland.  Newry is a relatively small city with a mix of period and modern allure.  It can easily be explored on foot and it has excellent transport links with both a bus and train station in the city.