Newcastle’s famous rock pool is being prepared for another year of family fun. The workmen and diggers have moved in to dredge out the silt, sediment and sludge which has gathered in the sea-water pool since last summer.

The pool, which has been operating every summer since 1933, will be open again this July and August for swimming and life-saving lessons and should, by then, look a little more at its best.

Latest available price list:

Junior swim £1.50
Adult swim £2.00
Junior season ticket (unlimited use) £25.00
Adult season ticket (unlimited use) £38.00
Junior lessons £3.00
Bronze Medallion (16+ years) £8.00
Bronze Medallion (under 16 years) £5.00
Life saving lessons £4.00
Rookies £4.00
10 session ticket £15.00

One we made earlier…

Grab your bucket and spade for a brilliant day on the beach this Saturday, as Northern Ireland Water try to encourage people to take better care of Newcastle strand.

An expert sandcastle builder is set to create a fantastic sculpture and then children (and the young at heart) will have a chance to show off their own sandcastle skills. There are prizes!

Prior to the sandcastle competition there will be a beach clean-up at 10am, a great opportunity for Newcastle residents to show some love for the strand.

Beach Clean-up

Where: Meet at Promenade Car Park beside the Percy French at the entrance to Slieve Donard Hotel
When: 10am Saturday 26th May

Litter picking equipment will be available including pickers, jackets, gloves and bags.

Sandcastle Competition

Where: Newcastle beach to the right of the Newcastle Centre
When: 12.00, Saturday 26th May

The sandcastle competition will take place to the right of the Newcastle Centre on the beach.

It’s back again tomorrow, from 9am to 8pm, in front of the Newcastle Centre, to bring the tastes and colours of Europe to the foot of the Mournes.

This is what you can expect (click pic to enlarge):

Now they’re appealing for more people to come on board their crowd-sourced funding initiative, to ensure the flick is ready for its world premiere in Newcastle this Halloween.

This is the teaser trailer and, if you like what you see and want to give the local lads a rung up the ladder to Hollywood, then you can become one of the film’s funders here. Give enough and you’ll even get a credit as Executive Producer. But be quick – they only have 13 days left in which to raise the cash!
 

The current system, introduced several years ago, requires traffic to merge from two lanes into one for the first stretch of the road at the top of the town, in order to acccomodate six parking spaces at the side of the street.

Traffic, especially during the summer season and busy weekends and bank holidays, often gets backed up at this key entry point to the town. with long jams stretching back to the Dundrum and Castlewellan Roads.

Brian Sweeney, owner of Timepiece Tattoos in the town, is hoping to change all this with his online petition directed at the Minister for Regional Development Danny Kennedy.

The petition appeals to the Minister:

We ask that you consider the needs of the entire community, and restore the natural, two lane, traffic system through the whole of Main Street.

More information and the full petition is here.

The series of twelve races, organised by Newcastle Athletics Club in and around the Mournes, will continue every Thursday evening between now and June 29th in a variety of scenic and challenging locations.

231 senior runners and 59 juniors – in both primary and post-primary categories – took to the hills and tracks of Castlewellan Forest Park on Thursday evening, a record-breaking turnout on a gorgeous Spring evening.

Full results, race reports and photographs from the evening are now available on the Newcastle AC website. Congratulations to the organisers and all the runners.

The next race (adult runners only this time) will take place on Thursday 19th April, 7:3opm start, in Tollymore.

An exhibition of paintings, a notable cut above the usual fare, is currently on display in Newcastle Library.

The work, primarily in oils, comes from Newcastle-based artist Brenda Morgan, whose palette ranges across landscape, portraiture and still life.

All of the artwork is for sale, with prices ranging from £150 upwards. The artist is also available for commission - contact details available via the library.

On display until April 20.

Of the five lucky people chosen to carry the torch through the town on June 7th, two are from Belfast, one from Newtownards, one from Bangor and one from Banbridge.

Despite having received nominations from Newcastle, the London Olympic organisers and their commercial sponsors have not chosen a single local person to carry the iconic torch when it makes its journey through the town. Local athletics enthusiasts are disappointed that no-one from the numerous running and sports clubs in the area has been selected for the honour.

The Olympic torch will start its journey at the Slieve Donard Hotel before moving via Downs Road, Railway St, Main St, Bryansford Road, Shimna Road and Dundrum Road, before moving on to its Dundrum leg by convoy.

Please leave all your tips in the comment zone!

My boyfriend and I are coming to Newcastle County Down for the Easter long weekend; I was wondering, other than the Mourne Mountain, what else would you recommend to fill our time there?

 

I am from New Zealand and love the great outdoors. I understand the harbour is beautiful, are there fishing shops/boats for hire? Or locals which take tourists out fishing? 

 

Which restaurants/pubs would you recommend?

 

Thanks for your time I am very excited to visit, it will be my first time in Ireland!