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KILKEEL AND BALLYMARTIN |
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KILKEEL - "the church of the narrows" - is a much grander version of
Annalong, remarkable mainly for the even heftier stench of fish from the
canneries on the harbour; the town is home to nearly a hundred trawlers.
The biggest excitements here are the fish auctions that take place on
the quayside when the fishing boats come home, and the annual summer
harbour festival . Bang next to the harbour stands the Nautilus Centre
which contains a small exhibition on the fishing industry, a fish shop (if
you're subsequently tempted), a gift shop, café and conference centre.
The ruined "narrows" church, built in the fourteenth century, stands in
the centre of Kilkeel in a ring fort. Kilkeel is a prosperous,
predominantly Protestant place, but behind the village on the banks of
its river memories of less happy days remain - small grave markers
identify where the inmates of Kilkeel workhouse are buried. One of those
buried here is the infamous William Hare , who murdered sixteen people
in the space of a year in Edinburgh. Hare owned a lodging house and,
when an old lodger died owing rent, he and his accomplice William Burke
decided to sell the body to a medical school. The £7.10 they were paid
spurred them on to greater efforts; however, their enthusiasm eventually
raised the neighbours' suspicions and their profitable venture came to
an end. Hare turned king's evidence and got his freedom, while Burke was
hanged. Deciding to lie low, Hare came to Kilkeel and soon landed in the
workhouse; his identity was only revealed to the locals when a Dr Reid,
a former medical student from Edinburgh, recognized him.
There's a small tourist office in Kilkeel at 6 Newcastle St (Mon-Sat
9am-5.30pm; tel 028/4176 2525), which can help you to find places to
stay in town and in BALLYMARTIN , a hamlet north on the Annalong road
which has a good small beach. In Kilkeel the grandest hotel is the
Kilmorey Arms , 41 Greencastle St (tel 028/4176 2220; £70-90), whose
restaurant has an à la carte menu, but the most atmospheric place to
stay is Morne Abbey Guest House , 16 Greencastle Rd (tel 028/4176 2426;
www.visitcoastofdown.com/morneabbeyguesthouse ; £33-40), set a couple of
miles south of town on a mixed farm. Ballymartin has small B&Bs such as
Sharon Farm , 6 Ballykeel Rd (tel 028/4176 2521; £26-33), which has
disabled access, and the award-winning Wyncrest , 30 Main Rd (tel
028/4176 3012; £40-55), with delicious home cooking. If you're camping ,
take your pick of the seven campsites hereabouts - the best are along
Cranfield Point, a flat piece of grassy land jutting out at the entrance
to Carlingford Lough. Try Sandilands Caravan Park on Cranfield Rd (tel
028/4176 3634) or Chestnutt Caravan Park , next to the beach on Grange
Rd (tel 028/4176 2653). Restaurants in Kilkeel are thin on the ground,
but The Fisherman , 68 Greencastle St (tel 028/4176 2130) has an
extensive, though pricey, fish menu, while Jacob Hall's , 8 Greencastle
St, at the other end of the price scale, does tasty grills and fish and
chips.
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