Killowen is a small village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 in County Down

County Down

-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It is near Rostrevor

Rostrevor

Rostrevor is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the Newry and Mourne District Council area. It lies at the foot of Slieve Martin on the coast of Carlingford Lough. The Kilbroney River flows through the village....

 and on the shore of Carlingford Lough

Carlingford Lough

Carlingford Lough is a glacial fjord or sea inlet that forms part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down and on its southern shore is County Louth...

. In the 2001 Census

United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....

 it had a population of 159 people. It lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council

Newry and Mourne District Council

Newry and Mourne District Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. It includes much of the south of County Armagh and the south of County Down and has a population of approximately 93,400. Council headquarters are in Newry, the largest settlement and only city in the area; it has a...

 area.

History

Near Killowen, on the shore of the loch, is Ballinran Court Tomb

Ballinran Court Tomb

Ballinran Court Tomb is situated close to Killowen, County Down, Northern Ireland, on the shore of Carlingford Lough....

. It was excavated in 1976 in advance of a road widening scheme.

Killowen was formerly occupied by smallholders and fishermen and was described in The Picturesque Handbook to Carlingford Bay (1846) as "The nursery of the seamen who man the commercial Navy of Newry".

People

• Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen
  Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen
  Charles Arthur Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen, GCMG, PC, was an Irish statesman of the 19th century, and Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.-Early life:...
  
  , a 19th century statesman and Lord Chief Justice, when raised to the peerage for life, took his title Baron Russell of Killowen from his native townland
  Townland
  A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
  
   of Killowen. He was born in Newry
  Newry
  Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
  
   in 1832 and soon after, the family moved to 'Seafield' in Killowen. He entered the legal profession and served for a time as a solicitor in Newry. He later moved to England and in 1886 became Attorney General. In 1894 he became Lord Chief Justice and died in 1900.
• The Irish Giant, Patrick Murphy
  Patrick Murphy (giant)
  Patrick Murphy was an Irish giant, born in County Down of parents James Murphy and mother Peggy , who exhibited himself as a means of income. He originally worked on the docks in Liverpool, England and later became a waiter at a hotel. Because he was a man of extraordinary height, Murphy attracted...
  
  , was a native of Killowen. He left for England when about seventeen or eighteen and obtained work at Liverpool
  Liverpool
  Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
  
   docks as a labourer. Before he had completed his twentieth year he stood eight feet and one inch high and weighed twenty stone. He travelled throughout Europe and returned to his native village a 'highly accomplished gentleman'. He purchased a little property at Killowen, which he left a short time after for another tour through Europe. While staying at Marseilles he was seized with small-pox and died in his 26th year, being about twenty-four stone weight, and within a few inches of nine feet high.