Newry is a city near the Mourne Mountains in southeastern Northern Ireland. It lies northwest of Carlingford Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea. Newry’s traditional industries include bacon curing, meat processing and packing, and textile production. Newry was once an important port town. From the mid-1700’s to the mid-1900’s, canals connected Newry with Lough Neagh (Lake Neagh), to the north, and the Irish Sea. Quarries in the Newry area produce granite, and potatoes are an important crop. Distilleries in the area produce Irish whiskeys. Greencastle, southeast of Newry, is the site of a castle built in 1261.
Newry lies along the border of the historic counties of Armagh and Down. The counties ceased to be used as administrative entities in 1973. From 1973 to 2015, Newry and Mourne was the name of a district council area—a kind of local government area—that included the city of Newry. In 2015, Newry and Mourne joined with the Down district and a small section of the Banbridge district to form the Newry, Mourne, and Down local government district.
