The Green Gates, Mourne Park, Newry Road, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4JZ

The Green Gates form the main entrance to the Mourne Park demesne from the Newry Road, and are associated with the adjacent gate lodge. They are a set of neo-Classical gates and screen walling, constructed between 1840 and 1859, and are similar in design to the White Water gates further west along the road. The gates have been altered to provide a wider carriageway, so they no longer meet to close the opening. They are green painted wrought iron with cast iron detailing, incorporating dog bars with a decorative lozenge frieze. Alternate dog bars terminate in cast spear heads, while others rise to form the upper portion of the gate; the top rail of each gate sweeps up to meet the gate piers, and each bar is terminated with a cast spearhead. A spike finial, with a hanging cast iron foliated pendant, is positioned between each bar. The meeting rail of both gates is terminated in a decorative wrought scroll. The gate piers have a moulded ashlar plinth with six ashlar courses, surmounted by a full entablature, including a tall fluted frieze and overhanging moulded cornice. To each side are concave sweeps of strap-pointed squared granite random rubble with flush rounded coping. These walls are a modern rebuild, punctuated by piers that mirror those of the gates. Two original convex sweeps, terminating in ashlar granite piers with gableted and moulded overhanging caps, run parallel to the road. These sweeps connect to a wall that rises to approximately 2.5 metres on the main estate boundary. The gates, piers, and walling are included in this listing. Depicted on the 1859 Ordnance Survey map as the ‘Green Gate’, they were not present on the 1834 map, confirming their mid-19th century construction. The architectural interest lies in their style, proportions, and ornamentation, although alterations detract somewhat from the original design. They hold local historical interest and represent a degree of rarity.