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NEWRY |
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Although NEWRY , astride the border of Down and Armagh, is this
area's most important commercial centre, bustling with urban vibrancy,
it has little to sustain more than a short visit. Traditionally, it was
the place for people from the Republic to come and shop and, despite the
strength of sterling against the punt, the town still thrives
economically, its already traffic-clogged streets suffering gridlock on
market day (Thurs). Newry's bus station (tel 028/3026 3051) is on Edward
Street which runs west from the canal and Town Hall; services to and
from other parts of County Down, County Armagh, Belfast and Dublin
arrive and depart from here. Newry is the first stop in the North for
trains from the Republic and its train station (tel 028/3026 9271) is a
mile west of town on Millvale Road and connected to the centre by local
bus #341c (daily except Sun).
Newry was founded by Cistercian monks in 1144, but for most of its
history has been a garrison , guarding the borders of Ulster at the
narrow point between the mountains known as the Gap of the North.
There's no trace at all of the bitterly contested early fortresses;
rather what you see dates mostly from the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries, when a canal to Lough Neagh (cut in 1742, the first in the
British Isles) brought the produce of the inland towns to the markets of
Newry. This business has long gone, however, and Newry is probably
better known from the news: the town and its immediate surroundings were
repeatedly bombed by the IRA in the 1970s, and the area is still
sometimes a hive of helicopter and police activity. Given its key
position you're highly likely to pass through Newry, and it does make a
possible base for exploring Slieve Gullion and the south Armagh
district, but you're unlikely to be tempted to stay.
Perhaps the most interesting building in town is the Catholic Cathedral
on Hill Street, in the pedestrian precinct. Despite an unpromising
granite exterior, the rich mosaic pattern along its interior walls gives
a Byzantine feel, and there's also a striking vaulted ceiling of
decorative sweeping plaster arcs and vivid stained-glass windows.
Nearby, there's a strange bronze totem pole by sculptor Paddy McElroy
which depicts, in tortured relief, scenes from Newry's past. Not far
away, the Town Hall is remarkable mainly because it's built on a bridge
over the Clanrye river - it's half in Down, half in Armagh. Inside, the
Newry Museum (Mon-Fri 10.30am-4.30pm; free) displays a variety of
exhibits, including Nelson's table from HMS Victory , and local
historical information. The Newry and Mourne Arts Centre , next door at
1a Bank Parade, hosts exhibitions of local artists' work, plays and all
types of music in the auditorium.
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