An iconic piece of NI's heritage is to enjoy an upgrade with work about to begin on the amenity site to improve the visitor experience at Narrow Water Castle, Warrenpoint.

The historic location, on the shore of Carlingford Lough is between Newry and Warrenpoint and overlooks the Irish Republic a short distance away.

It has significant importance as a heritage site, having 'guarded' the waterway for centuries - while sadly, it also marks the spot where the Army suffered one of its worst tragedies when 18 members of the Parachute regiment were killed in a double IRA bomb attack in August 1979.

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Now, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the Loughs Agency will spend more than £100,000 carrying out environmental and infrastructural works to the area.

The enhancement comes amid projection that visitors to the Mournes area will increase by nearly 10% in the next three years.

The project will upgrade the amenity site through a programme that will see the removal of shrubs that obstruct views, widening of the footpath, resurfacing of the lay-by, new fencing, new interpretation signage, as well as new benches, picnic tables and bins.

In mid August, Newry and Mourne District Council accepted the planning application for the upgrade and all works will be completed by the end of November.

Narrow Water Castle is a three-storey tower house built in 1560 to protect the entrance to the Newry river estuary while across the road is the building known as new Narrow Water Castle, completed in 1840.

(BMcC/GK)