Newtownstewart & Surrounding Area Heritage Sites

Newtownstewart was recorded at the start of the 17th century by Sir Josias Bodley as Baille Nua (Newtown).  The settlement owes its origins to the ford across the River Mourne controlled by the Castles which overlooked it.  The site of the Ford is now occupied by a six arch bridge built in 1727.  Four Castles in and around Newtownstewart are all thought to have been founded by members of the O’Neill clan.