The Mourne Mountains were formed 65 million years ago. They are made of granite which is an igneous rock. Granite is a hard wearing rock which is found at the base or bottom of the earth's crust. It cools, solidifies and then becomes granite.

There are 12 peaks over 2000 feet high, including Northern Ireland's highest mountain, Slieve Donard. The Mournes are unusual in that their summits are grouped together in a compact area only 7 miles in breadth.

The Mourne Mountains - Famous the world over through Percy French's song "Where the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea".

Silent Valley
The Silent Valley is a Mountain Park situated in the high Mournes and features a dam ringed by dramatic Mountain panoramas and the famous Mourne wall located in the U-shaped valley of the Kilkeel river.

The 200 acre site below the reservoir is a combination of mountain, moorland and woodlands making it an ideal setting for flora and fauna.

The Silent Valley is an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Park is surrounded with breathtaking countryside, to the east Craggy Binnian, to the west the Cliffs of Slievenag Lough, and to the north Doon and Ben Crom.

The information centre and restaurant are housed in two old colonial style bungalows, the last remnants of the construction period. The information centre tells the story of the Silent Valley via the exhibition. The restaurant has impressive views over the mountain-park and is opened at 11.00am to 6.30pm each day each day in June, July and August and at weekends and bank holidays in April, May and September.

Origin of the name of Mourne
300AD Ross The Red was King of Ulster. The story tells that Red gave the grazing rights of Mourne to Boirche, and the mountains were then known as Beanna Boirche, the peaks of Boirche. Ben Crom one of the Mourne Peaks recalls the name. 1000yrs later the Mughdoma clan from the barony of Cremourne came to the area, bringing their name with them and from this the Mournes derive their name.
From 1170 until the beginning of 17th Century, this area was ruled by the clan Magennis. The many ruined castles in the area bear witness to the power and influence of this family who kept the Anglo-Norman invaders at bay. It is also recorded that the Magennis's made regular forays to harass and pillage settlements along the coast and local stories tell that locals would pray in church that god should protect them from all evil and from the terror of the Magennises.

There are 12 peaks over 2000 feet high and are unusual in that their summits are grouped together in a compact area only 7 miles in breadth. The highest peak in the range is Slieve Donard rising to a height of 2,796 feet Nearly all the names for Mourne summits are derived from Irish. Slieve means mountain. Here are some mountain names explained-

Slieve Donard (850m)
Named after Domangard, a holy man who built a prayer cell on the mountain's summit.

Slieve Commedagh (767m)
Mountain of watching...lookout mountain.

Slieve Binnian (&47m)
Mountain of the little horns. Binnian has a long summit ridge with rocky outcrops that look like horns.

Slieve Bernagh (739m)
Gapped or broken mountain, probably refering to the gap between Bernagh's twin summits.

Slievelamagan (704m)
A mountain crawled up using hands and feet..the mountain has a long steep ascent.

Slieve Meelbeg (704m)
and Slieve Meelmore (681m)
Mountains of the small (beg) and large (more) animals.

Ben Crom (524m)
The stooped peak. Ben Crom's summit has a stooped profile from some angles.

Slievenaglogh
Two mountains have this name (445m) at the Silent valley and (586m) east of Hare's Gap

The lower slopes are covered with mixed woodland and it is here you will find Tollymore Forest Park with its wide range of walks and beautiful views