Ballywalter Park Co Down, Northern Ireland

Grand country house accommodation in 12 bedrooms
Pheasant & duck shooting for up to 9 guns.

Ballywalter Park has provided the perfect environment for a traditional driven shoot since the early years of the 20th Century, when the 2nd Lord Dunleath planted woods and established cover to create a shoot which attracted such famous sportsmen as the Duke of York, (later King George VI) in 1924 and the Duke of Gloucester in 1935.

The shoot fell into abeyance after the Second World War but was resurrected in the 1990’s with each shoot now being managed personally by Lord Dunleath or his son William Mulholland.

Since 1997, the shoot has been run as a traditional pheasant shoot, with two spectacular duck drives added in 2004. A number of diverse days of 200 – 450 birds are available from mid October to the end of the season.

Accommodation

Ballywalter Park has been the home of the family for over 150 years, and is still very much a private home whose fabric and contents continue to evolve, as they have, over time according to the tastes and whims of the incumbent members of the Mulholland family. The present Lord Dunleath has been committed to an extensive renovation and modernisation programme which was largely completed in 2004, with the final works – the total restoration of the magnificent domed conservatory – being scheduled for completion May, 2009.

Parties of guns shooting at Ballywalter Park are invited to stay in the listed Mansion House, which offers 12 luxurious en-suite twin or double bedrooms.

Non shooting partners are also most welcome, and advice can be given as to alternative attractions and places of interest to visit. All of the catering is undertaken by Ballywalter Park’s in-house dedicated team under the personal supervision of Lady Dunleath, who is a professional food historian and the dishes are complemented by vintage wines from the house cellars’ stocks of in excess of 3,500 bottles.

Shooting

A number of days of diverse shooting possibilities are now available, depending on the time of year, for discerning parties of guns

• Driven Duck, Partridge & Pheasant
• Driven Duck & Pheasant
• Walked-up days at the end of the season

Two full-time professional game keepers are employed.

Getting There

Ballywalter is very convenient to Belfast City or Belfast International Airports and visitors can be collected and transferred directly to the Estate.