Ballaghbeg House

Newcastle, Northern Ireland

by diamond_skies

It can be a bit confusing having several Newcastles around the world but this is for the popular town of Newcastle, County Down in the southern part of Northern Ireland.

If the sun is shining, Newcastle will be buzzing. It has been a popular spot since Victorian times when a train went from Belfast into Newcastle, taking the well-to-do to the beautiful Slieve Donard Hotel. The train station is now a Lidl but the Slieve Donard is still there in all its glory.

Any weekend in the summer will find busy traffic all the way from Belfast and crowds along the beach and in the cafes. The beach is very wide and long - one of the most popular in Northern Ireland. The shops are the usual array of tat with some nicer ones starting to appear. Cafes have gone from serving teas to coffees but there are still a lot of places selling ice cream. And you can always spot people sitting in their cars with their flasks of tea and homemade sandwiches - even when the sun is splitting the stones!