Want to know more about the Mournes?

Further reading

My own book, The Mountains of Mourne, includes an extensive list of published work, past and current, for anyone wanting to explore further the Mountains of Mourne, their natural history, their botany, geology, archaeology and history as well as a century of personal and descriptive writings.

Here are a few books that will get you started in getting to know the Mournes - and find your way around them. Contact me if you want some more.

The Mountains of Mourne by David Kirk; Published by Appletree Press, Belfast ISBN 0-86281-872-9. Web - www.appltree.ie

Bernard Davey's Mourne - two volumes of excellently illustrated walk guides, with route cards. Cottage Publications. ISBN 1-900935-13-9 and 1-900935-21-X. From the same publishing house is The Mournes with text by Niki Hil and paintings by Colin Turner;ISBN 1 900935 04 X.

For sometimes more demanding walks, there is Paddy Dillon's The Mournes Walks published by O'Brien Press; ISBN 0-86278-652-5.

There is a wide range of leaflets on the main attractions of the area and walking guide cards available from the Mourne Heritage Trust (see opposite) and the Tourist Information Centres in Newcastle, Kilkeel, Newry and Warrenpoint. The Ordnance Survey 1:25000 map is the one to have.

Useful contacts

Pending the establishment of a statutory Mournes National Park Authority, the Mourne Heritage Trust remains the body responsible for the environmental management of the Mourne AONB. Its office at 87 Central Promenade, Newcastle, Co Down, BT33 0HH is a one-stop shop for information and guidance on all relevant matters and it also organises programmes of guided summer and winter walks. Its web address is www.mournelive.com and Email: mht@mourne.co.uk.

A superbly informative guide to the main attractions of the area as well as accommodation, activities to be enjoyed etc can be found on www.mournemountains.com

For those who want to 'get active' in Mourne, try www.mourneactivitybreaks.co.uk.

The Countryside Recreation Directory for the really active has a lot of useful information on www.landwaterair.co.uk.

And for all who love, and want to share experiences of, not just the Mountains of Mourne (which figure strongly, as they should) , but all of Ireland's diversity of exciting mountain landscapes, there is the must-see www.mountainviews.ie website. Well worth visiting regularly - and contributing to!

For anyone who fancies taking on the challenge of 'doing' the 22 miles and 10,000 feet of the Mourne Wall (SMALL groups only please!) I can recommend taking the guided tour of the route recently put on the web - www.mournewall.freeserve.co.uk

For those who might like to try 'capturing' the mountains on canvas the site of artist and writer on Mourne matters Eamonn McCrory will be worth a visit. Eamonn offers painting lessons and 'best location' guidance to aspiring artists. He is at www.mccroryart.com

The diversity of the life they are home to, the patterns of plant and rock and water, of forest, field and fenceline, are the legacy of the generations of his stewardship. He took from the mountains in his need and the imperative of livelihood left a changed landscape, the one in which his descendants now seek and find different riches.

Today the granite builds men and women, not the walls and footpaths of their cities. Coming to touch mountains they free their spirit, refresh their minds, test their resolve, learn of themselves.

Learn too why the mountain world, with all its beauties, challenges and magic moments, is to be cherished and protected, that such gifts will not be lost for themselves or for those who will follow. Learn that in damaging the

mountain worlds they diminish the birthright of their
children.

More come now than ever came for stone or peat but the walker who cares leaves no sign of his passing. The tramping boot, if thought guides it, need not bruise or wound where it steps. Rock was made to bear the touch of foot and hand, the plant perishes under ‘the tourist’s desecrating tread’.

The litter of the few who have not been taught to care remains an affront only as long as it is left to lie there by those who later pass by.

The Mournes have many scars to show for providing men with livelihood and sport. There need be no more. But the enduring mountains can be forgiving of mistakes; man is passing through and it is the quality of his own world he damages most by them. To the mountains the wounds are superficial, there will be time enough to heal them, and infinite time beyond.