Lecale Conservation is the leading environmental group in County Down. We are a charitable voluntary group (NI Registered No. 108658) founded by local people to safeguard the natural and built heritage of an area in South Down known as Lecale.

We have run dozens of successful environmental or conservation projects in the Lecale area for over 30 years. We also work in tandem with local village community groups and to tackle joint projects as well as other organisations such as Conservation Ireland, Butterfly Conservation UK, National Trust, Government Departments like Environment or Infrastructure and our local council Newry Mourne and Down District Council.

In recent years, the association’s youth group has been very active, appearing on the BBC and UTV prime-time spots to discuss the inaction on the climate within local councils across Ireland, and in all our local papers. See https://lecaleconservation.org/lecale-youth-energy-campaign/

Download Lecale Conservation Constitution

Where is Lecale?

Lecale is an area in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, full of built and natural heritage.

History of the Lecale area  https://www.discoverardglass.com/history

Lecale Conservation Treasurer Cadogan Enright was part of the Ardglass amateur history society that developed the history of the local area on the Ardglass Development Association’s website above.

Lecale comes from the Irish “Leath Cathail” and was the seat of the High King of Ireland from around 350 AD up to the battle of Moire in 637 AD. After this point either the Ulster or Meath O’Neills were generally High Kings of Ireland. The importance of the region is recognised by Saint Patrick making Downpatrick his home in 442.

Downpatrick remained the capital of the kingdom of Ulaid and parts of Western Scotland and the Isle of Man through to the early Christian period, the Viking raids from 700 AD-900 AD and until the Norman invasion in 1177 AD.

The Normans were expelled in 1433 AD with the re-capture of Ardglass when the whole of Ulster came under the sway of the O’Neills.

Thanks to Lord Fitzgerald, the area was largely not planted in the 1600’s. It maintains a distinct character within County Down with a strong association with the Southern end of the Ards Peninsula in sport and culture.