County Down (named after its county town, Downpatrick) is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the northeast of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the southeast shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,448 km² (945 sq mi) and has a population of about 531,665. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland and is within the province of Ulster.
The county was archaically called Downshire. It borders County Antrim to the north, the Irish Sea to the east and south, County Armagh to the west, and County Louth across Carlingford Lough to the southwest. In the east of the county is Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula. The largest town is Bangor, on the northeast coast. Three other large towns and cities are on its border: Newry lies on the western border with County Armagh, while Lisburn and Belfast lie on the northern border with County Antrim. Down contains both the southernmost point of Northern Ireland (Cranfield Point) and the easternmost point of Ireland (Burr Point).
Coordinates: 54°33′25″N 6°18′40″W / 54.557°N 6.311°W / 54.557; -6.311
Down was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.
In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by King James II, Down was represented with two members.
At the 1797 general election Francis Savage and Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh were elected unopposed.
At the by-election in 1793 following Hill's succession as second Marquess of Downshire, Francis Savage was returned unopposed.
At the 1776 general election Arthur Hill, Viscount Kilwarlin and Robert Stewart were elected unopposed.
At the by-election in 1771 following Ward's creation as Baron Bangor
At the 1768 general election Roger Hall and Bernard Ward were elected unopposed.
"In the co. of Down, May-day was the county court day for the election, which the sheriff held at Newry, at which day the sheriff proceeding to the election, moved the freeholders to choose Sir Richard Wingfield and Sir James Hamilton, being recommended to him by the Lord Deputy; but the natives named Sir Arthur Magenisse and Rowland Savage; whereupon all the British freeholders, being 131, cried “Hamilton and Montgomery”, omitting Wingfield; and the Irish, to the number of 101, cried “Magenisse and Savage”. Exception being presently taken to divers of the British for want of freehold, 14 were examined on oath by the sheriff and deposed they were freeholders, and thereupon the sheriff returned Hamilton and Montgomery; to which some of the Irish made objections, which were found partly untrue, and partly frivolous."
Down was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland. It was a two-member constituency and existed in two periods, 1801-1885 and 1922-1950.
1801-1885: The whole of County Down, excluding the Boroughs of Downpatrick and Newry.
1922-1950: The Administrative county of Down, that is the whole of County Down excluding the part in the City of Belfast.
At the 1922 and 1923 general elections, David Reid and John Morrow Simms were elected unopposed.
At the 1865 and 1868 general elections, Lord Arthur Edwin Hill, later known as Lord Arthur Edwin Hill-Trevor, and William Brownlow Forde were returned unopposed.
At the 1859 general election, Lord Arthur Edwin Hill, later known as Lord Arthur Edwin Hill-Trevor, and William Brownlow Forde were returned unopposed.
The Poll Books for part of County Down, showing how each elector voted in the 1857 general election are available in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland under reference D/671/O/2/7-8.
The Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Northern Ireland, located in Newcastle, County Down. It opened 127 years ago 23 March 1889 and is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland. It has two 18-hole links courses, the Championship Course and the Annesley Links.
The Championship Course at Royal County Down measures over 7,200 yards (6,580 m) from the back tees, and the fourth and ninth holes are featured in the book The 500 World's Greatest Golf Holes. In 2005 the Championship Course was ranked as the fourth best course in the world outside the United States by Golf Digest, and in 2007 it was ranked first. In 2016 it was voted the best Golf Course in the world by US magazine Golf Digest.
Royal County Down has made outstanding contributions to Irish golf from the Club's beginnings, hosting many important tournaments, starting soon after it opened, and continuing to the present day. Notably, the Club in 2007 became just the second Irish venue, after Portmarnock, to host the Walker Cup. The Irish Open on the European Tour is scheduled for late May in 2015, returning to Royal County Down after 76 years. It previously hosted the event three times, all prior to World War II.
County Meath (/ˈmiːð/ MEEDH; Irish: Contae na Mí or simply an Mhí) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Mid-East Region. It is named after the historic Kingdom of Meath (from Midhe meaning "middle"). Meath County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 184,135 according to the 2011 census.
The county is drained by the River Boyne.
Meath is the 14th largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 9th largest in terms of population. It is the second largest of Leinster’s 12 counties in size and third largest in terms of population. The county town is Navan, where the county hall and government are located, although Trim, the former county town, has historical significance and remains a sitting place of the circuit court. County Meath also has the only two Gaeltacht areas in the province of Leinster, at Ráth Cairn and Baile Ghib.
There are eighteen historic baronies in the county. They include the baronies of Morgallion and Ratoath. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. Their official status is illustrated by Placenames Orders made since 2003, where official Irish names of baronies are listed under "Administrative units".