A Living Landscape
Mourne is a living landscape shaped by nature, history, and people.
Estyn Evans, a renowned geographer, saw its unique blend of habitat, heritage, and identity. Stories are woven into its land, from ancient monuments to traditional farming. The region’s rich industrial past is seen in granite exports, fishing, and the iconic Mourne Wall, stretching 22 miles over rugged peaks. Engineering marvels like the Silent Valley and Ben Crom reservoirs continue to serve Belfast today.
Mourne’s ever-changing landscape holds deep cultural roots, where history and nature exist side by side.
Working with Stone
Skilled and dedicated local stonemasons have shaped the Mournes’ rich heritage of stone working. They built the iconic Mourne Wall, a 22-mile dry stone marvel that winds over the highest peaks, showcasing their craftsmanship. Generations of stonemasons have passed down traditional techniques, which are evident in the dry stone walls that define the landscape. Engineers used Mourne granite to construct vital infrastructure, including the Silent Valley and Ben Crom dams, as well as the remarkable Binnian Tunnel. Mourne’s stone men also mastered the plug and feather technique to split granite efficiently, leaving a lasting mark on the region’s heritage.
“Down Memory Lane in the Mournes” is a nostalgic film showcasing the history and beauty of the Mourne Mountains. It highlights local traditions through the memories and stories of its people.
Wrack Beds
Mill Bay near Greencastle holds one of Ireland’s largest stone wrack beds. The picture below shows long parallel stone banks placed on the shore to promote seaweed growth. Consequently, farmers harvested the seaweed for fertiliser. The origins of this practice are unclear, but wrack rights appeared in Co. Down land grants as early as 1506. Similar sites exist in Strangford Lough, Clare Island, Achill Island, and Clew Bay.
Booleying
In Ireland’s past, summer migration to the hills was essential for rural life. Until the mid-1800s, and into the early 1900s in some western areas, many farmers moved upland for the season. Families with dairy cattle sought the rich grass that thrived from May onward. Grazing cattle there freed up lowland farms for crops and hay. This practice, called “booleying,” comes from the Irish word buaile, meaning a livestock enclosure or summer milking place.
Lazy Beds
A Lazy bed is a traditional method of arable cultivation. Although it is largely extinct, the characteristic ridges can be seen in certain areas of the Mournes eg Slieve Croob and Bloody Bridge area. The method used was to lift up sods of peat and apply desalinated seaweed fertiliser to improve the ground. The ridges and trenches vary in width according to the depth of the soil and aligned with the slope to facilitate drainage. Potatoes were often grown in this way in these regions, until the potato blight caused the potato famine.
