The local authority is Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

It incorporates all of the Mourne Mountains and much of the Ring of Gullion, both designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The area has an extensive coastline stretching from Strangford Lough in the north to Carlingford Lough, in the south and borders counties Louth and Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland.

The first election for the new district council was originally due to take place in May 2009, but in April 2008, Shaun Woodward, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that the scheduled 2009 district council elections were to be postponed until 2011.

[3] The first elections took place on 22 May 2014 and the council acted as a shadow authority until 1 April 2015.