About this stretch of coast
Ardglass takes its name from the Irish Ard Ghlais, meaning 'green height'. It sits on the Lecale peninsula on the County Down coast, about 6 miles southeast of Downpatrick, and its natural inlet has made it a fishing port for more than two thousand years. By the 15th century it was the busiest port in the north of Ireland, trading grain and goods with England, Scotland and the Norman Pale around Dublin.
That wealth and strategic position is why the village is so heavily fortified. It once had at least six castles; four medieval towerhouses still stand today, more than any other town in Ireland. The most imposing is Jordan's Castle near the harbour, a four-storey tower thought to date from around 1450, which famously withstood a long siege by the O'Neills until relief arrived in 1601.
Today the harbour is still a working fishing port, landing herring, prawns and whitefish, and one of the few harbours accessible at any state of the tide. Around it you'll find seals, seabirds and, on a clear day, long views over the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man, Coney Island and the Mourne Mountains.