This is a lovely 14 kilometres walk along part of what will eventually be a splendid continuous cross border greenway path running from Newry through Omeath to Carlingford.  This walk is circular and easy but maybe made moderate by a steady climb up Fathom Mountain.  For a map and statistics go to https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/newry-canal-greenway-and-fathom-mountain-circuit-33476172

Start the walk in the centre of Newry at the Dublin Road Bridge.  There is a convenient nearby carpark.  The greenway is well signposted, it is a little industrial at the start by soon opens unto a wonderful vista between Carlingford Lough and Newry Canal.

When you reach Victoria Dock, cross the busy road with care and follow the signs for Fathom View.  This is the start of the long steady climb up Fathom Mountain but it is a pleasant contrast to the canal.  Pass a substantial white house and continue to zigzag up the mountain.  Where the path levels out take a sharp right back towards Newry along a pleasant grassy track.

This track will bring you to a minor tarmac road, the Flagstaff Road.  Turn right towards Newry and follow this road until you see a road closed sign on the right.

This is Hillhead Road.  It was closed about ten years ago due to subsidence as a result of over-enthusiastic quarry activity.  However, the local people assure me that they regularly walk around the barriers and there is a well-used track to prove it.  Follow the Hillhead Road down to the Drumalane Road.  Go left here and cut through the housing estate to reach Albert Basin, the canal and the carpark once again.

This is an easy 14 kilometres walk going out over open heathland on a rough grassy track and returning on a quiet tarmac road in order to make it a circular route.  It is very well marked with white-topped posts and many reminders of Ireland’s ancient past including chambered graves, inscribed stones, flint mines and standing stones.  This one of the first areas to be inhabited after the last ice age, some 9000 years ago.  Knock Dhu itself is a bronze age (2000 B.C.) promontory fort recently excavated by the BBC television’s Time Team ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lmW3BUWpIM ), a fascinating watch revealing that a whole community lived here back in the day.  For a map and statistics go to https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/knock-dhu-circuit-33234212#list-wp-card

Park in the small carpark above Cairncastle, Ballygalley, Larne,  in the shadow of Knock Dhu, grid reference 333072  on Ordinance Survey Discoverer Series, Sheet 9.  Directly across the road from the entrance to the carpark is a stile which gives access to the grassy track of the Ulster Way.

Follow the white-topped posts not only to avoid the boggy bits but also to find a series of stiles which cross the difficult but magnificent dry stone walls. It is not recommended to attempt the walk unless you can clearly see the markers. Follow the route to Ballycoos, Scawt Hill, Ballygilbert and the trig point at Black Hill.  In this last section look out for a very knobbly standing stone,  great views of Slemish of Saint Patrick fame and the Scottish coastline.

You will see from the map that, on our walk, we made a sharp left at this point, descending to the minor road.  This was due to a sudden and hellish downpour, not uncommon in this exposed area.  However, weather permitting continue to follow the posts to meet a minor tarmac road.  A right will take you to Glenarm and left is the return route to the carpark through Feystown.  This is a beautiful little road with very little traffic.  It is worth bringing a copy of the ordinance survey map just to identify the chambered graves and inscribed stone to be found in the fields on the left.  Keep left at the crossroads and drop back down to the carpark.