View source for Ards Peninsula

{{Short description|Geographical area on the island of Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox peninsulas
|name = Ards Peninsula
|local_name ={{native name|ga|Aird Uladh}}
|image_name = Strangford Lough by Sentinel-2.jpg
|image_caption = Satellite image of the Ards Peninsula
|image_size = 255px
|image_alt = 
|map_image= 
|location = [[County Down]], [[Northern Ireland]] 
|coordinates = {{Coord|54|31|N|5|31|W|scale:10000000|display=inline,title}}
|area_km2 = 380<ref>{{cite web |title=Townlands of County Down (Civil Parishes within Upper and Lower Ards (all), and civil parishes of Bangor, Dundonald, Holywood and Newtownards in Castlereagh Lower)|url=https://www.townlands.ie/down/ |website=townlands.ie |publisher=Irish Townlands | access-date=26 October 2023 |archive-url= |archive-date= }}</ref>
|highest_mount = Cairngaver
|elevation_m = 217
|country = [[Northern Ireland]]
|demonym = 
|population =
|ethnic_groups = 
}}

The '''Ards Peninsula''' ({{Irish derived place name|[[Ards (territory)|Aird Uladh]]|peninsula of the Ulstermen}})<ref name="Placenames"/> is a [[peninsula]] in [[County Down]], [[Northern Ireland]], on the north-east coast of [[Ireland]]. It separates [[Strangford Lough]] from the [[North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland)|North Channel]] of the [[Irish Sea]]. Towns and villages on the peninsula include [[Donaghadee]], [[Millisle]], [[Portavogie]] and [[Portaferry]]. The large towns of [[Newtownards]] and [[Bangor, County Down|Bangor]] are at the mainland edge of the peninsula. [[Burr Point]] is the [[Extreme points of Ireland|easternmost point]] on the island of Ireland.

==History==
{{further|Ards (territory)}}
In the Middle Ages, the Ards peninsula was inhabited by the Uí Echach Arda, a [[Gaelic Ireland|Gaelic Irish]] clan, and was part of the kingdom of [[Ulaid]]. In the late 12th century it was invaded and conquered by the [[Anglo-Normans]] under [[John de Courcy]], becoming a county of the [[Earldom of Ulster]]. The Earldom collapsed in the 14th century, but the [[Normans in Ireland|Hiberno]]-Norman [[Savage family (Ireland)|Savage]] family controlled the southern portion of the peninsula (the 'Upper Ards' or 'Little Ards') over the following three centuries, while the northern portion (the 'Lower Ards' or 'Great Ards') became part of the Gaelic territory of [[Clannaboy]]. There was a failed attempt by the English to [[Plantations_of_Ireland#East_Ulster|colonize the Ards]] in the 1570s. In the early 17th century, the Lower Ards was acquired by [[James Hamilton, 1st Viscount Claneboye|James Hamilton]] and [[Hugh Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery|Hugh Montgomery]], who settled Scottish Protestants there as part of the [[Plantation of Ulster]].

==Places of interest==
*[[Scrabo Tower]] overlooks [[Newtownards]] and the northern end of the Ards Peninsula.
*[[Mount Stewart]], an 18th-century house and garden owned by the [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]] near [[Greyabbey]]. It was the home of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, [[Marquess of Londonderry|Marquesses of Londonderry]].
*[[Grey Abbey, Down|Grey Abbey]], a ruined [[Cistercian]] abbey.
*[[Kirkistown Circuit]], Northern Ireland's only [[Motor Sports Association|MSA]]-licensed permanent [[motorsport]] circuit.
*[[Portaferry]] located at the very tip of the Ards Peninsula, a coastal town with a number of scenic routes.

==Settlements==
[[File:ArdsOld.png|thumb|Map highlighting the former barony of Ards]]
Towns and villages of the Ards Peninsula include:
*[[Newtownards]]
*[[Portaferry]]
*[[Ballyhalbert]]
*[[Ballywalter]]
*[[Carrowdore]]
*[[Cloghy]]
*[[Greyabbey]]
*[[Kircubbin, County Down|Kircubbin]]
*[[Portavogie]]

==Archaeological sites==
*[[Ballyfounder Rath]]
*[[Derry Churches]]
*[[Grey Abbey, Down|Grey Abbey]]
*[[Kirkistown Castle]]
*[[Portaferry Castle]]
*[[White House, County Down|White House, Ballyspurge]]

==Climate==
{{Weather box
|location = Lough Cowey (10m elevation) 1991–2020
|collapsed = 
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan high C = 8.5
|Feb high C = 8.8
|Mar high C = 10.1
|Apr high C = 12.1
|May high C = 14.8
|Jun high C = 17.1
|Jul high C = 18.9
|Aug high C = 18.6
|Sep high C = 16.9
|Oct high C = 13.9
|Nov high C = 10.9
|Dec high C = 9.1
|year high C = 13.3
|Jan low C = 3.1
|Feb low C = 3.1
|Mar low C = 3.9
|Apr low C = 5.1
|May low C = 7.4
|Jun low C = 9.8
|Jul low C = 11.7
|Aug low C = 11.7
|Sep low C = 10.5
|Oct low C = 8.1
|Nov low C = 5.4
|Dec low C = 3.7
|year low C = 7.0
|Jan rain mm = 78.5
|Feb rain mm = 60.1
|Mar rain mm = 56.1
|Apr rain mm = 53.8
|May rain mm = 55.4
|Jun rain mm = 62.9
|Jul rain mm = 66.9
|Aug rain mm = 79.2
|Sep rain mm = 65.5
|Oct rain mm = 87.1
|Nov rain mm = 93.5
|Dec rain mm = 81.2
|year rain mm = 
|unit rain days= 1.0 mm
|Jan rain days = 13.1
|Feb rain days = 11.2
|Mar rain days = 10.5
|Apr rain days = 10.7
|May rain days = 11.4
|Jun rain days = 10.8
|Jul rain days = 11.9
|Aug rain days = 13.1
|Sep rain days = 10.7
|Oct rain days = 12.2
|Nov rain days = 14.1
|Dec rain days = 13.5
|year rain days = 
| Jan sun  = 54.7
| Feb sun  = 79.1
| Mar sun  = 117.9
| Apr sun  = 168.7
| May sun  = 204.6
| Jun sun  = 169.7
| Jul sun  = 170.3
| Aug sun  = 164.0
| Sep sun  = 135.7
| Oct sun  = 101.4
| Nov sun  = 67.0
| Dec sun  = 49.4
| year sun = 
|source 1 = metoffice.gov.uk<ref>{{cite web
  | url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcsj9cz35
  | title=Climate Normals 1981–2010
  | publisher=Met Office
  | access-date=25 February 2021}}</ref>
  | date=25 February 2021
}}

==References==
{{Reflist|
<ref name="Placenames">{{Cite web |url=http://www.placenamesni.org/resultdetails.php?entry=17118 |access-date=16 July 2016 |title=Ards Peninsula, County Down |author=Place Names NI |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128052451/http://www.placenamesni.org/resultdetails.php?entry=17118 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}

{{Commons category|Ards Peninsula}}
{{Peninsulas of Ireland}}
{{County Down}}

[[Category:Landforms of County Down]]
[[Category:Peninsulas of Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Portaferry]]
[[Category:Newtownards]]