Celebrations have got underway to mark the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Mourne Wall.

Locals gathered at the Silent Valley reservoir in the Mournes for the 'Party in the Park', enjoying live music, entertainment, food and games, alongside celebrating the history of the wall.  

Work on the Mourne Wall began in 1904 and took 18 years to complete, providing a boundary for the 9,000-acre water catchment area that supplies the Silent Valley and Ben Crom reservoirs. There have been major repairs over the last two years, with a new phase of upgrades continuing this Autumn. This involves flying repair stones from local quarries by helicopter and rolling them into place using age-old methods.

NI Water's Education & Learning Officer, Anna Killen, said: "Sunday's Party in the Park was a great day to reflect on the importance of the Silent Valley and celebrate the history of the wall. The activities and live entertainment were popular with all visitors enjoying the celebrations. Silent Valley is not only as a beautiful visitor attraction, but also a working site, providing a source of drinking water to thousands of homes and businesses daily. 

"We are now using even more water than ever, and it is amazing to think that on an average day, each person uses around 170 litres. NI Water clean over 570 million litres of water a day, but with climate change and increasing usage, now is the time to really think about how we can respect and conserve the water we use every day and how we will leave our planet for those coming after us in the next 100-years.

"Simple things such a turning the tap off when brushing your teeth, having shorter showers, and using a waterbutt to water the garden can all help to protect our water supply and the environment for many years to come."

NI Water is inviting schools to its Silent Valley Education Centre to discover the fascinating history behind this unique site. All visits are free of charge and available on a first come first served basis.