County Down is ABUNDANT!!!....Overflowing with riches,…..in history (and prehistory!), culture, natural beauty. It provides seaside enjoyment, wonders of wildlife sanctuaries, ample walking territory, with a pub at the end of the road!. Give yourself the opportunity to get to know it, and discover yourself along the way. You'll not soon forget it!

It continues to be told across centuries and through layers of cultural expression as it becomes new chapters of an ongoing and wondrous tale.

It is said in Ireland, that it is best to speak from the ground of Truth. However, if that is not possible, then it is equally, if not more important that what you speak is a very good story.

You may create your own programme of visits to the numerous historic and natural sites with your host from among the following options.

The Hermitage is located in the Heart of County Down which is steeped in history
as well as, story.
It is said in Ireland, that it is best to speak from the ground of Truth. However, if that is not possible, then it is equally, if not more important that what you speak is a very good story.

Welcome to the story of this sacred place.
It continues to be told across centuries and through layers of cultural expression as it becomes
new chapters of an ongoing and wondrous tale.

To begin then, everywhere in the local area are links with a colourful past. On the hilltops are remains of the 'duns' and raths of the first settlers. St Patrick brought one of the early forms of Christianity to Ireland, traveling out from the present day town of Downpatrick. On the shores of Strangford Lough are the remains of great abbeys, burnt by Viking raiders. Norman towers and castles recall a once-turbulent Province and magnificent country houses attest the coming of more peaceful times.

8000 BC - First Settlers
More than 9000 years ago the first settlers arrived on the shores of Strangford Lough in Co. Down. The landscape was very different then, the low hills clad in dense, dark forest. These Mesolithic peoples at first huddled close by the lough shore, living well on the plentiful supplies of fish, shellfish, birds, seals and wildfowl.

Eventually, the newcomers pushed inland, burning the forests to form pasture and tillage, living in crude farmsteads and tiny settlements on the low hilltops. Their traces can still be seen today. Dotted all around the loughside are 'Raths' or 'Lis'- circular earthen banks with inner ditches which enclosed hilltop farms, providing defence against war band or cattle raid. Larger earth forts were known as 'Duns'. 'Cashel' refers to a stone bank defending a farmstead. Modern Irish place names often reflect the turbulent past - Dunmore, for instance, means 'large fort'.

Ballynoe Stone Circle
Ballynoe Stone Circle is a very large circle of over 50 stones up to 1.8 metres high (though many smaller) encloses a space about 35 metres across. It was built as a counterpart to the circle at Swinside in Cumbria. In the E half of the circle is a long low mound which contained large kists at the E and W ends. This mound obliterated two shortlived cairns built after the circle was constructed, in what Aubrey Burl describes as "prehistoric bigotry and vandalism [which] ruined this magnificent monument. "

Three pairs of stones stand outside the circle at varying distances, the nearest pair at the W side forming a kind of entrance 2.1 metres wide. Many of the stones in this circle were originally shoulder to shoulder, as at Lough Gur, at Swinside in Cumbria and La Menec in Brittany. A portalled entrance is aligned on the setting sun half-way between midwinter and midsummer (around March 21st), and the setting sun at winter solstice seems to slide down between the Mountains of Mourne which form a fine backdrop to the circle.

Giant's Ring
The Giant's Ring, a massive circle of megaliths covering ten acres with a dolmen at its centre is one of the most striking prehistoric monuments in Ireland. The huge Ring made out of piled up stone and now covered with earth and grass, is a Neolithic king's burial site shaped like a donut with a dolmen in the centre. Its sheer size is awesome when you consider that the people who built it had no cranes to help them drag the huge stones up the hill. Barnetts and Lady Dixon and Belvoir Parks are also accessible from the towpath.

Legananny Dolmen

This is the best dolmen in Northern Ireland. It's on the slopes of Slieve Croob near the village of Leitrim, nestled between the farmer's stone wall and a back road. It's from the megalithic period of about 5,000 years ago and is the portal grave of a chieftain. The heavy stones would have been dragged some distance before being set in place. The three supporting stones are unusally long and there are slight traces of a cairn which must have been far more extensive. Some urns were found underneath.

Weaving the Christian Story into County Down
432 AD - St Patrick
St Patrick is said to have waded ashore at the mouth of the Slaney river, near Strangford Lough's entrance. Nearby he found twin hill forts (duns) protecting a small settlement. That village would grow and become Downpatrick. Patrick, dedicated missionary but also able politician, formed alliances with the local chieftain and soon converted him to Christianity, a process which he, among several early teachers of the New Story, the new faith, would repeat throughout Ireland.
It was from the area around Strangford Lough that Patrick's followers spread Christianity throughout Ireland and into many parts of Europe.

Other saints and scholars have left their mark on this regional Co. Down landscape. St Mochaoi founded Nendrum Monastry in the 4th century, St Finnian the vast Movilla Abbey, near the modern town of Newtownards, in the 6th century. Inch Abbey, though founded during this period, was, like many other places of sanctuary, was burned in a Viking raid. Remains today are of a later Norman construction.

800 - 1000 AD - Viking Raids
The 9th and 10th centuries were the era of Viking raids. Crossing the narrow Irish Sea from their strongholds in Scotland and the Western Isles in their fearsome longboats, the Norsemen sacked churches, abbeys and monasteries, looted farms and villages. Some, however, settled in the area and it was the Vikings who gave the lough its name. Strangford - literally 'violent fjord' - refers to the narrows between the villages of Strangford and Portaferry, at the southern entrance of the lough, where the tide sweeps through at a majestic 8 knots and the whirlpools dance and shimmer.

1177 AD - The Normans
In 1177, John de Courcey, a Norman knight invaded and conquered the counties of Down and Antrim. De Courcey was created Earl of Ulster and the long era of Norman influence in Ireland had begun, bringing with them continental monastic traditions -- Cistercians and Benedictines in particular

Down County Museum, Downpatrick, allows the visitor to experience something of County Down's turbulent past. Built in 1789 as the County Gaol, the restored building stands close by Down Cathedral, the burial place of St Patrick, on the hill whose ancient fort or 'dun' gave its name to the town and county of Down.

Nendrum
This fine example of an island monastery was traditionally founded in the 5th century by St Machaoi. There are documentary references from the 7th-century until 976AD when the Abbot was burned in his house, perhaps in a Viking raid. A small Benedictine cell was founded here in the late-12th century.

Inch Abbey
Quoile Marshes, near Downpatrick
Cistercian daughter-house of Furness Abbey, Lancashire, founded 1180. Very beautiful remains, reached by a causeway through the Marshes.

Greyabbey was a Cistercian abbey founded in 1193 by Affreca, daughter of the King of the Isle of Man and wife of John de Coucey, conqueror of Ulster. Substantial remains, especially of church and refectory, interesting old cemetry nearby.

Struel Wells
Outskirts of Downpatrick
Pilgrims flocked here from the 16th until the 19th century. Originally believed to have been a place of Pagan ritual, St Patrick is said to have dedicated the wells to Christianity. The waters are said to have mysterious healing powers. Remains of ancient stone bath houses remain intact.

Traditional Irish Blessing

May the blessing of light be on you,
Light without and light within.
May the blessed sunshine shine on you
And warm your heart till it glows like a great peat fire,
So that the stranger may come and be warmed at it,
And also a friend.

And may the light shine out of the teo eyes of you,
Like a candle set in the two windows of a house,
Bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.
And may the blessings of rain be on you,
The soft, sweet rain.
May it fall upon your spirits so that all th little flowers
May spring up and shed their sweetness on the air.
And may the blessings of the Great Rains be on you,
May they beat upon your spirit
And wash it fair and clean,
And leave there many a shining pool
Where the blue of heaven shines,
And sometimes a star.

And may the blessing of the Earth be on you,
The great round earth.
May you ever have a kindly greeting for those you pass
As you're going along the roads.
May the earth be soft under you when you rest upon it,
Tired at the end of a day,
And may it rest easy over you when at the last,
You lay out under it;
May it rest so lightly over you
That your soul may be off from under it quickly
And up and off, and on its way to God.
And now may the Spirit of Life bless you all and bless you kindly.

Historic Gardens of immense beauty, preserved and maintained by The National Trust, and Natural Places of Beauty abound in County Down, just a short distance from The Hermitage Cottage.

National Trust Properties

Rowallane Garden
Beautiful informal garden of trees and shrubs, with plants from around the world. Much of the garden retains the natural landscape of the surrounding area, into which many exotic species have been introduced. There are spectacular displays of azaleas and rhododendrons and a notable rock garden with primulas, alpines and heathers. The walled garden has mixed borders which include the National Collection of Penstemons; there are also several areas managed as wildflower meadows.

Castle Ward
Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor and his wife Anne could not agree, especially when it came to the architectural style of their home. The house is stunningly situated, surrounded by woods, farmland, landscaped gardens and lakes, including the Temple Water which is overlooked by a pedimented temple.

Mount Stewart
Mount Stewart offers to the visitor one of the most complete gardens in the care of the National Trust. The garden, designed by Edith, Lady Londonderry, from 1921 includes almost every style of gardening and supports an incomparable plant collection.

Natural Beauty Abounds

Murlough Beach
A long stretch of golden sandy beach. It is good for swimming and bird watching. There are ancient sand dunes here, which are part of Murlough National Nature Reserve, Ireland's first nature reserve.

The Mourne Mountains are amongst Ireland's tallest. There are ten summits over 2,000 feet and the range covers some 80 square miles of unspoilt mountain and moorland grandeur. This special area was designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty in 1986. This designation brings a commitment to safeguard the natural beauty, wildlife and historic heritage whilst at the same time promoting its enjoyment by the public.
A web of old tracks provides a fascinating way to explore an area that's home to ravens, grouse and peregrine falcons with occasional ruined cottages attesting the rigours of a bygone age. Literally 'sweeping down to the sea', there are superb views over Carlingford Lough and the Irish Sea - on a clear day as far as Scotland and the Isle of Man. Far below, the Irish coastline lies dotted with villages, castles and keeps.
The Mourne Wall, which runs for 22 miles (35 kms), links the main peaks providing an excellent, safe trail for ambitious ramblers.

Tollymore Forest Park
There is a lot to see and explore here. There is a deep valley with a river, The Shimna, seen here at the bottom, with many bridges, stepping stones and follys built along it. The Hermitage is a fun folly built of stone with steps
climbing up to a position above a deep pool. Look in the water and spot the trout! Elsewhere there is a large lake with wild fowl, a rhodendron walk, an arboretum with specimen trees and forest areas which stretch up deep into the mountains. People walk, picnic and generally enjoy themselves in these pretty surroundings.

Castlewellan Forest Park,
The forest covers 460 hectares of natural beauty enhanced by diverse woodland and a variety of attractive man made features, all of which are accessible to the visitor on foot. The land was leased from the Annesley family in 1967 and became a Forest Park in 1969. The Peace Maze, original concept and maze design by Beverley Lear, Lear Associates, soon to be named the largest and longest hedge maze in the world was opened 12th September 2001.

Lagan Tow Path (Belfast)
The old tow path along the Lagan River, meandering down from Slieve Croob through the cities of Lisburn and Belfast into the Irish Sea provides beautiful seasonal vistas for both quiet shorter walks, and longer more ambitious workouts. The Tow Path can be accessed at several points between Belfast and Soldierstown, Co Antrim

Slieve Croob
Definitely one of the best 360deg views anywhere in the country. The broad span of the Mournes can be clearly seen from the picture with many of the high peaks identifiable (L-R: Donard, Commedagh, Binnian, Doan, Bearnagh, Meelbeg, Meelmore, Muck. The River Lagan rises on the northern slopes of Slieve Croob.
Slieve Croob is the 388th highest summit in Ireland. Slieve Croob is the most northerly summit in the Mourne Mountains area.

Further Afield...

.. to the north

Co. Antrim Coastline

the Giant's Causeway

…to the west

Co. Fermanagh - Devenish Island ……. Boa Island …..

…to the south

Newgrange….. Monasterboice…….

Hill of Tara Mellifont Abbey....

Visitors Comments:

Retreat ~ March 2009

The invitation to undertake a retreat at Sally’s felt like a blessing and a gift at a time when I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed. All I knew was that I needed to be still and close to nature, and the images on Sally’s website of her garden, coupled with her carefully chosen words and quotations, drew me there. Instead of escaping to some winter sun (I realised I lacked the wherewithal to make it to the airport given the combination, over a three week period, of persistent headache and exhaustion), I drove the 10 miles to Sally’s place in Saintfield Co Down....

My large comfortable room, overlooking the garden on two sides, still bore the traces of Sally’s eldest son, now at college abroad, and was at the very end of Sally’s house, affording all the quiet and solitude I needed, as well as ample space for yoga and bodywork. Sally’s home is light-filled, its focal point the garden, and is suffused with a sense of ease and relaxation. It is the perfect place to just be. It offered me the chance to slow down completely, to stop and ‘smell the roses.’ Sally’s gentle presence was a blessing; she has that rare gift: a wholly unobtrusive availability to her guest(s).

Central to my experience was time spent outdoors, from the gardens to Sally’s woodland and the winding road by the lake. The dogs were the perfect companions on my daily rounds, and I was blessed with perfect spring weather. In addition, I attended Sally’s regular meditation classes. I also took a private yoga class in the yurt, and had Reiki treatment and massage, all arranged by Sally and provided by visiting therapists. I found the labyrinth a powerful and inspirational tool.

I love that Sally’s retreat space is local; it somehow reduces the gap between the retreat and the ‘real’ life; I hope that this will make the integration of some of the retreat’s lessons and practices easier for me. I left feeling rejuvenated and with a clearer sense of how I might slowly effect small changes in my life.

paula, belfast, march 2009

My experience in the Hermitage surpassed all expectation. I went there to work on a book and did not anticipate how the place itself would work on me. A place of intense energies, a place of awakening, it kept me on my edge, gave me focus and inspiration. The wild winds created a drama of shifting cloud and rain and light. They cut to the essence, stirred the pot of creativity, huffed a message of the constancy of change.
The garden was a rolling sea of green exploding with life force. Shrubs and flowers, hazel trees and smooth- skinned beech growing in fierce profusion, yet contained in a beautiful and harmonious design. In the same way, the cottage became a nest in which to nurture and give form to what those raw winds whipped up in me. A safe haven, the stone walls solid and unshakable. A place of stillness and peace, a womb in which to grow a project, a practice, a self.
Juliet Calabi September 2004

" I found Hermitage Cottage an extraordinary and wonderful
place to work and enjoy quiet time. Working with the Abbey
Theatre on a production of Hamlet, I found myself on stage at the
Lyric Theatre for a month. I needed a quiet and reflective space
to enjoy my time off, and also to work on other writing projects for
the new year. I found the cottage warm and comfortable and set
on high ground with wonderful air and hard wood trees, and a
gorgeous garden outside the window full of finches and other
birds, and a few cats who sat under the bushes all day.

It was a splendid place; but especially for the soul; it was a
retreat that resonated with strong peace and grace.”
November 2005
Michael Harding is well known in Ireland as an author, playwright
and theatre performer.

July 2006
The Hermitage was a treat: the weather was gorgeous, the sights we got to explore were tremendous ~ but a very wonderful experience was made possible by Sally’s genuine caring and friendliness. We have enjoyed not only our stay, but also the great conversation and friendship. Thank You.

Wayne and Julie Gleeson, Australia

October 2006

You have a very special place carved out. We loved Saintfield and the friendly people we met. The weather was almost perfect – for October. How would it be so beautiful and green here without rain? Thanks for all your help in pointing out local sources for our geneology research and other area information. The wireless connection was a plus!

Bob & Lynda Soady, Chattanooga, Tennassee, USA

Contact Sally Taylor, The Hermitage, Saintfield