Ballynoe Stone Circle — Attraction in Newry, Mourne and Down District Council

One of my absolute favourite spots in N.I. A fantastic neolithic stone circle in the middle of the county Down countryside, about three miles south of Downpatrick.

Access is a 5-10 min walk via a long Holloway and then into a field. There's about 50 stones and a cairn, and superb views of the Mournes.

Be aware parking at the site is very limited, along a narrow country road. Paths and field can get muddy, and there is sometimes livestock freely roaming.

Something else to note is a recent tradition of leaving offerings at the site. The path in has had a number of fairy doors added, alongside various offerings. At times this can build up and looks rather untidy, with an abundance of plastic toys.

A tree that has grown up over the last 20 years in the circle itself has been adopted as a clootie tree. If you must leave something here, please limit it to organic biodegradable fabrics like wool and linen.

The general rule when visiting a site like this is to leave no trace - enjoy the space but respect...

Hard to find due to all the misdirections from our GPS and other reviewers giving incorrect directions. The BEST way to find the entrance to the main walk-up access is to type “Ballynoe Stone Circle” into Google Maps and park alongside Ballynoe Rd. The entrance is just to the right of the house located at 125 Ballynoe Rd (you can also just type that address into your GPS to find the entrance gate). Someone else on here mentioned “130 Ballynoe Rd”, but that is NOT correct.

Anyway, once you park alongside the road, just head up the driveway to the large green livestock gate. From there, it’s a gorgeous walk through a tunnel of trees that line the path right to the field of the stone circle. So beautiful, even in the winter! Wasn’t really all that muddy and it’s not a long walk at all. Highly recommend to stop here if you’re anywhere...

What magical little gem this is! Found it when searching for stone circles and so glad we did. Park up at the side of the road and follow the sign to the tree tunnel that looks like it was taken straight out of lord of the rings. People (very wisely) have left little trinkets for the fairies along the tunnel and some have even made little houses. The storm circle itself is very impressive, some of the largest stones we have seen and very well preserved. There is a Hawthorne tree in the circle which people have tied strips of fabric to make wishes and some more little gifts have been left here too. A very quiet and peaceful place surrounded by sheep, fresh air and wonder. Definitely a must see if down that neck of the woods or make a day of it and head to st John's point...