CROSS-BORDER HERITAGE:A CROSS-BORDER heritage-tourism project has been launched to promote the historical sites of Ireland.
The recent changes in the eastern Border area have inspired the collaboration between the councils of Armagh, Banbridge and Newry & Mourne, in Northern Ireland, and the counties of Louth and Monaghan, in the Republic.
The Borderlands project aims to promote the wealth of landmarks, monuments and historical sites in the Border counties to tourists from Ireland and abroad.
As part of the project, a Borderlands guide has been published, with an introduction by Tony Robinson, presenter of Time Team, Channel 4's archaeological investigation show.
The guide details more than 50 historic and prehistoric sites to discover in the counties of Down, Armagh, Louth and Monaghan, spanning 6,000 years of the island's history.
For those interested in early Ireland and archaeology, there are details on Neolithic stone tombs, Bronze Age burial grounds and hill forts.
Families looking for a day out will find a choice between outdoor exploration and the many indoor attractions in museums, mills and castles. There is also plenty in the guide of interest for hikers and hillwalkers.
The project is part-financed and promoted by the European Union through the Ireland/ Northern Ireland Interreg IIIA programme, which aims to stimulate inter-regional cooperation in the EU. It is financed under the European Regional Development Fund.
The website is a fount of information on the historical sites. Among them are the Legananny Portal Dolmen and the Lisnagade/Lisnavaragh hill fort, both in Banbridge, in Co Down; Cúchulainn's Stone, Carlingford Castle and Monasterboice, in Co Louth; the Gap of the North, Bagenal's Castle and the Dorsey, all in the Newry & Mourne area; St Patrick's Church of Ireland cathedral, St Patrick's Catholic cathedral and the Argory, in Co Armagh; the Finnis Souterrain (or Binder's Cove), in Co Down; and the Monaghan Way, a disused railway line that is now a scenic walking route. For details on these and other sites, see www.borderlands-ireland.com.