Newry

Get around

Newry is relatively small and can be explored on foot, but you need wheels for outlying attractions.

Bus Éireann 160 plies between Newry, Killeen and Dundalk every couple of hours, taking 35 min.

Taxi firms in town include Clanrye (+44 28 3026 2222) and Taxiline (+44 28 3026 0888). Uber is also available.

National Cycleway 9 runs from Belfast to Lisburn, Craigavon, Portadown, Scarva and Newry. Route 91 branches west to Armagh, Monaghan and Enniskillen.

Alas, the narrow-gauge horse-drawn tram between Warrenpoint and Rostrevor was washed away in a storm in 1915 and never re-instated.

See

thumb | upright | 300px | Statue of John Mitchel continues to adorn St Colman's Park. Mitchel (1815-1875) was an Irish nationalist whose early life was around Newry. He acted as lawyer for Catholics set upon by Orangemen, and was further radicalised by the Famine. His writings were considered seditious; he was convicted of treason in 1848 and transported to penal labour in Bermuda, but escaped to the US. In New York he continued to campaign for Irish liberation but threw most of his energy into advocating slavery. No apologist he: he proclaimed slavery as a great benefit, for the slaves as well as their owners and the public wellbeing, and it would be even better if the Atlantic slave trade could be re-established so more of Africa could benefit. His logic was uncannily similar to that of English overlords declaring what should be done for the betterment of the Irish peasantry. He lost support after the US Civil War and returned to Newry in 1875, getting elected as MP but disbarred by his criminal record, and dying shortly thereafter. In 2025 the town held a mock trial, and the citizen jurors deemed that the statue should stay, it was penance enough for Mitchel to endure the rain and seagulls in the park for eternity. St Mary's is the other C of I church, a Gothic structure of 1810 facing John Mitchel's statue. The RC St Mary's is south side of town.

Do

alt=Topographic Elevation Map. | thumb | 300px | The Ring of Gullion is west of the fjord and river valley, with the Mourne Mountains east Live music: Newry has several small independent bands. Ask around for who's worth catching and where. Sean Hollywood Arts Centre puts on various shows. It's within Town Hall, box office +44 330 137 4032 Newry Arts Festival is nowadays held in June. Newry Musical Feis is a series of events between Feb and May, often as competitions for young performers. It includes ballet & theatre dance, Irish dance, Irish trad music, other music, and speech & drama. Newry Canal: Hike or bike along it, and you can even sail along its lowest stretch. It was built 1731-41 to bring coal from Tyrone via Lough Neagh to Newry and the sea at Carlingford Lough, though it mostly carried grain and general goods. It was managed as badly as it was built, and fell into disrepair even before the railways took away its business in the 1850s. The inland section from Newry to Portadown and Lough Neagh is long abandoned, but has a good firm towpath for hiking or cycling with multiple access points. Enough water trickles down its reedy bed for angling and for wildfowl. It lies parallel to Newry River, forming an island strip which in town broadens into Sugar Island. The lower broader section (known as the "ship canal") runs 5 miles south from Newry to Victoria Lock where it joins the tidal river. This stretch has been restored for navigation, craft maximum is 61-m length …

Buy

New Variety Market is on Thursday and Saturday 9AM-5PM, east bank of the river off St Mary's Street.

Newry's modern retail strip is along the west bank of the canal. Downstream of William St / Bridge St, where the canal broadens into Albert Basin, is The Quays. The strip upstream to the next bridge at Mill St is The Buttercrane. All the big "High Street" names are here, ie the ones you seldom nowadays see on High Street.

Dalmolly retail park is a mile north of town at the junction of A27 and A28.

Newry draws many cross-border shoppers. Sometimes this is driven by VAT differences on goods, and sometimes by swings in currency, whenever the Republic's euro buys more against the UK pound.

Eat

Friar Tuck's is a burger cafe on Sugar Island north of town hall, open daily 10AM-11PM.

Drink

thumb | 300px | McSwiggan's: Friday is karaoke Rostrevor south along the coast has lively pubs. Try any or all of Kilbroney Bar & Grill, Cloughmore Inn, Fearsons, Rostrevor Inn and Killowen Bar, all central. Distillery: Killowen makes whiskey, gin, poitín, rum and liqueurs. It's along the coast road between Rostrevor and Kilkeel.

Sleep

Lough and Quay on Marine Parade Warrenpoint is a small mid-range hotel overlooking the harbour. Kilbroney Caravan Park is in Rostrevor, open Apr-Oct.

Connect

To call a number in Northern Ireland from the Republic, use area code 048 with no country code. The +44 28 versions given above also work but incur international rates.

Newry and its approach roads have 4G from the British EE and Vodafone, and 5G from O2 and Three.

They also have 4G from the Republic's Three and Vodafone; Eir Mobile peters out at the south edge of town. Check which nation's network your mobile has latched onto, in case of roaming charges.