The picturesque village of Rostrevor lies at the foot of the Mournes and on the shores of Carlingford Lough.
It offers much for visitors to enjoy and explore, including walks through the acres of parkland and forest at Kilbroney Park or along the beautiful Fairy Glen river, while in the Old Kilbroney Graveyard the remains of St. Bronagh’s 6th Century Church can be found along with the grave of Giant Patrick Murphy, who in the 1850s was reputed to be the world’s tallest man at 8 feet 1 inch.
Sitting on the mountain ridge nearly 1000 feet above the village is a 30-ton granite boulder known as Cloughmore Stone. It is thought to have been deposited there during the last ice age, although local legend maintains that the giant Finn MacCool threw the great stone across Carlingford Lough from the Cooley Mountains.
The village is steeped in Irish music and culture, a fact celebrated by the unmissable Fiddler’s Green Festival which takes place annually at the end of July.
Just outside the village stands the Ross Monument, erected in 1826 in memory of General Robert Ross. Ross, who was born in Rostrevor, led his troops to victory over the American forces at Bladensburg and burnt down the White House during the War of 1812.
Other famous residents include former Irish President Mary McAleese, who lived in Rostrevor with her family prior to being elected to Áras an Uachtaráin in 1997, former Down GAA manager Peter McGrath who guided the county side to two All-Ireland titles in 1991 and 1994, and Ben Dunne, founder of Dunnes Stores, who was born in the village in 1908.