The original village of Cloughey (or Cloghy as it is shown on old maps )was at the South end of the beach. Here there was a row of Coastguard cottages and a lifeboat station. A mile to the North was Kirtistown Castle, one of the stone castles along the County Down coast built by the Normans in the 12th century. In the 1920's & 30's Cloughey became a popular holiday location and many of the houses along the Main Road and Quarter Road (close to the golf course and the beach ) were built as holiday homes in this period. The golf course was a draw for the weekend and holiday visitors.

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In the Second World War 1935-45, several airfields were developed on the Ards Peninsula used mainly by the American Air Force for training. One of these airfields was at Kirkistown and after the war it was converted to use as a motor racing track.

Modern day Cloughey is well known for the water quality on it's beautiful beach. The 2km-long beach is cleared of litter, flotsam and jetsam,  by residents on a regular basis during the summer Warren is a site of special scientific interest and has a great display of wild flowers and orchids in the early summer.

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There are two golf courses - an 18 hole championship links course in the village (Kirkistown Castle GC) and a 9-hole course at Ardminnan beside the Silver Bay Caravan Park.  Also new floodlit all-weather tennis courts and a bowling green with pavilion where indoor bowls can be played in the winter months. There is also a full-size grass football pitch used by the local Cloughey Football Club, just off Main Road. Wind surfing and kite-surfing are popular at the beach, which is also used by all-year-round swimmers . 

 

The historic Kirkistown Castle maintained by Historic Monuments,is open to the public on selected weekends during the Summer, and Kearney Village, owned by National Trust is just 4 miles to the south.  We are within easy driving distance of two major National Trust properties, Castle Ward and Mount Stewart, not forgetting the magnificent Strangford Lough. All in all there is plenty to do around Cloughey making it a popular holiday destination with several bed&breakfast facilities and 3 caravan parks for both touring and static vans.

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In 2002 the Cloughey and District Community Association (CDCA) was formed and has been working to improve the quality of life for everyone in the village.  CDCA has been active planting trees and flowers, running events for the children which involves a lot of dedication from those involved. Their work has greatly improved the area and is ongoing. For those interested in the history of the area there are a few links below.

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Maritime aspects of local history

Cloughey Lifeboat Station - for a detailed account of the history of Cloughey Lifeboat click here - Lifeboat story

Cloughey Coastguard Station ( Manse Road Cloughey ). For the story of Irish Coastguard Stations go to  www.coastguardsofyesteryear.org   where among other things there are photos of most of the surving stations including Cloughey ( or Cloghy as it is spelt there ). To see the photos of the Cloughey coastguard station and cottages click  here...

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Marine disasters on North and South Rocks click on link below - Extract from "Shipwrecks on the Ulster Coast"

Marine disasters on North and South Rocks off Cloughey -

Loss of the Wild Deer - in 1883, this ship with 300 emigrants bound foe New Zealand foundered on North Rock off Cloughey. To read the story of how the passengers and crew were rescued clink on the above link.( Lifeboat Story )

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Development of Kirkistown Castle Golf Course - This links course is mainly flat with few trees but contains 2 large mounds mounds -one is the remains of a Norman motte & bailey fort and the other is topped by a stone windmill stump. In the low lying terrain of the surrounding countryside, the windmill stump and the Castle are prominent landmarks. More information and photographs can be found on the Kirkistown Castle Golf Club website......

Kirkistown Castle Golf Club website .

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