Mourneside Walk:

Sion Mills plentiful water resource which once sustained the village’s flax industry now provides an idyllic riverside haven and excellent angling facilities. The Mourneside Walk, an excellent riverside amenity, features the popular ‘Bearney’ Footbridge known locally as the ‘Swinging Bridge’ as well as The Weir – an attractive fall in the which Salmon cross on the way upstream to the Strule, Derg, Owenkillew and Glenelly Rivers.

Conservation Area:

(N.B. Access restricted in many cases.Please seek permission from appropiate authority.)

Collectively the simple, single and two storey gothic cottages built to house the mill workers contribute greatly to the architectural and historical significance of the village. Their presence alongside that of the old flax spinning mill, founded in 1835, give a wonderful sense of the industrial heritage which once dominated the national landscape.The Mill is a large complex of buildings sited on the River Mourne, (architecturally the most important of which is the main 5-storey stone building with yellow brick extensions designed by Willian Lynn in 1853), with an impressive chimney and huge water-power system which, until after the First World War, produced the highest water horse power in the British Isles.Including the Mill complex as one,there are 41 listed buildings in Sion Mills.

The Church of the Good Shepherd:

One of several structures in Sion Mills identified as being of special architectural interest. Dedicated on 15th May 1909, the Church of the Good Shepherd was designed by Mr W.F. Unsworth (who also designed the first Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon) – a son-in-law of Mr James Herdman. He chose a church near Pistoia, near Florence as a model and the design is in elaborate Italian renaissance. This particular style of architecture, for a church, is unique in Ireland and it is believed there is only one other church in this style in Great Britain.

St Theresa’s Church:

By contrast the Roman Catholic Church in Sion Mills is contemporary in nature. Designed by Patrick Haughey this structure is the subject of widespread attention and has secured an international architectural award. Although modern (1968) St Theresa’s Church is an example of a building constructed in sympathy with its surroundings and integrating into the landscape. The front is dominated by a slate mural of the Last Supper by Oisin Kelly with designs and patterns reminiscent of The Romanesque Period.

Sion House:

Again under the supervision of W.F. Unsworth, Sion House originally built in 1845, was remodelled in 1884 into a half-timbered mock Tudor building with a red tiled roof and intricately patterned chimneys. A Gate Lodge and Stables with Clock Tower were built at the same time and in similar style.