Newry which means 'the yew tree' in Irish is the fourth largest city in Northern Ireland and ninth in the whole of Ireland. The city forms the border between County Armagh and County Down with the Clanrye River flowing through the city. Newry was founded in 1144 and is one of the oldest cities of Northern Ireland.

It is situated near to the point from where the Gap of the North commences, close to the border of Republic of Ireland. Newry grew as as a market town and became a port in 1742. It was granted city status alongside Lisburn in March 2002, as part of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee celebrations. Newry on account of its geographic location, situated between Belfast and Dublin has always been an important centre of trade in Ireland. It is about 60km from Belfast and 108km from Dublin and has a population of 27,433 people in the 2001 census.

Newry is known for several reasons as it is one of the preferred shopping destinations in Ireland and is also home to the oldest churches, St. Patrick's Church built in 1578 and Ireland's first Protestant church, in the country. Notable buildings in the city include Newry Catholic Cathedral of St. Patrick and St. Colman and Newry Town Hall. The city hall is built as part of the celebrations of the granting of city status to Newry. The city also has a museum and an arts centre.