Portaferry
Encyclopedia
Portaferry is a small town
in County Down
, Northern Ireland
, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula
, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough
. It had a population of 2,467 people in the 2001 Census
. It has an aquarium
and is well-known for the annual Galway Hooker
s Regatta. It hosts its own small Marina, the Portaferry Marina
. A passenger/car ferry service operates daily at 15 minute intervals (8am to 11pm) between the villages of Portaferry and Strangford
, less than a mile apart, conveying about 500,000 passengers per annum.
Commercial fishing for clams and king prawns and the farming of oysters and mussels takes place within the confines of Strangford Lough. This is supplemented by the presence in Portaferry of the Marine Laboratory of the Queen's University of Belfast
. There are fine Georgian buildings in the town square, including a Market House, now used as a community centre.
Portaferry Lifeboat is an essential lifeline for local fishermen and yachtsmen. In 1987 a lifeboat house was built aided by monies raised through the Belfast Newsletter’s Lord Louis Mountbatten Appeal Fund. In 1994 a new Atlantic 75 inshore lifeboat, also named ’Blue Peter V’, replaced the Atlantic 21. (The Atlantic 75 is the fastest sea going lifeboat in the RNLI’s fleet and is capable of speeds up to 34 Knots.)
ports began to rise in prominence. In 1625 William Pitt was appointed as Customer of the ports of Newcastle
, Dundrum
, Killough
, Portaferry, Donaghadee
, Bangor
and Holywood
.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
is the largest sea inlet in the British Isles.
It is Northern Ireland's first Marine Nature Reserve and is renowned as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Special Scientific Interest, with six National Nature Reserves within its reaches. Over 2000 species of marine animals have been found in the Lough and internationally important flocks of wildfowl and wading birds converge there in winter. The Lough is also the most important site in Ireland for breeding common seals.
Diving is an increasingly popular pastime and approximately 70 Sub-aqua clubs currently use the area throughout the year.
, a Tidal Stream Turbine; for electricity generation.
In 2008 a twin rotor 1.2MW SeaGen was installed, it generates 10MWh of energy. Tidal energy, unlike wind or wave, is a renewaqble energy resource which can be predicted .[www.marineturbines.com]
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
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...
, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula
Ards Peninsula
The Ards Peninsula is a peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland which separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel of the Irish Sea, on Ireland's northeast coast. A number of towns and villages are located on the peninsula, such as the seaside town of Donaghadee, with the surrounding area...
, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough, sometimes Strangford Loch, is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The name Strangford is derived ; describing the fast-flowing narrows at its mouth...
. It had a population of 2,467 people 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 has an aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
and is well-known for the annual Galway Hooker
Galway Hooker
The Galway hooker is a traditional fishing boat used in Galway Bay off the west coast of Ireland. The hooker was developed for the strong seas there. It is identified by the distinctive sail formation. It consisted of a single mast with a main sail and two foresails...
s Regatta. It hosts its own small Marina, the Portaferry Marina
Portaferry Marina
Portaferry Marina is situated in Portaferry, on the east shore of The Narrows , the gateway to Strangford Lough, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is owned and managed by Portaferry Regeneration, is sited 100 meters south of the ferry slipway in Portaferry and can accommodate up to 50 boats...
. A passenger/car ferry service operates daily at 15 minute intervals (8am to 11pm) between the villages of Portaferry and Strangford
Strangford
Strangford is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 people at the 2001 Census.On the other side of the lough is Portaferry and there is a ferry service between the two villages...
, less than a mile apart, conveying about 500,000 passengers per annum.
Commercial fishing for clams and king prawns and the farming of oysters and mussels takes place within the confines of Strangford Lough. This is supplemented by the presence in Portaferry of the Marine Laboratory of the Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
. There are fine Georgian buildings in the town square, including a Market House, now used as a community centre.
Portaferry Lifeboat is an essential lifeline for local fishermen and yachtsmen. In 1987 a lifeboat house was built aided by monies raised through the Belfast Newsletter’s Lord Louis Mountbatten Appeal Fund. In 1994 a new Atlantic 75 inshore lifeboat, also named ’Blue Peter V’, replaced the Atlantic 21. (The Atlantic 75 is the fastest sea going lifeboat in the RNLI’s fleet and is capable of speeds up to 34 Knots.)
History
In the 17th century UlsterUlster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
ports began to rise in prominence. In 1625 William Pitt was appointed as Customer of the ports of Newcastle
Newcastle, County Down
Newcastle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the 2001 Census. The seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains, and is known for its sandy beach and the Royal County Down Golf Club...
, Dundrum
Dundrum, County Down
Dundrum is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is beside Dundrum Bay, about 4 miles outside Newcastle on the A2 road. The town is best known for its ruined Norman castle. It had a population of 1,065 people in the 2001 Census....
, Killough
Killough
Killough is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the Irish Sea shore near Ardglass, five miles southeast of Downpatrick. It is notable for its sycamore-lined main street. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 845 people....
, Portaferry, Donaghadee
Donaghadee
Donaghadee is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northeast coast of the Ards Peninsula, about east of Belfast and about six miles south east of Bangor. It had a population of 6,470 people in the 2001 Census...
, Bangor
Bangor, County Down
Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...
and Holywood
Holywood
Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby. The town hosts an annual jazz and blues festival.-Name:...
.
Demographics
Portaferry is classified as an intermediate settlement by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 2,250 and 4,500 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 2,467 people living in Portaferry. Of these:- 25.1% were aged under 16 years and 18.2% were aged 60 and over
- 50.4% of the population were male and 49.6% were female
- 89.1% were from a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
background and 9.7% were from a ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
background - 4.6% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Places of interest
- Portaferry is the home of the Northern Ireland Aquarium - Exploris. It was opened by Ards Borough Council in 1987 and extended and re-opened by Prince CharlesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
in 1994 as Exploris. It is Northern Ireland’s premier marine life centre and aquarium, featuring walk-through tanks which house examples of Strangford Lough’s marine inhabitants. - Roads Service (Department for Regional Development) operates a car ferry service across Strangford LoughStrangford LoughStrangford Lough, sometimes Strangford Loch, is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The name Strangford is derived ; describing the fast-flowing narrows at its mouth...
between the villages of StrangfordStrangfordStrangford is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 people at the 2001 Census.On the other side of the lough is Portaferry and there is a ferry service between the two villages...
and Portaferry. To travel the distance between Strangford and Portaferry by road is approximately 75 kilometres and takes about an hour and a half by car. By contrast, the ferry route is approximately 0.6 nautical miles (1.1 km) with a typical crossing time of about 8 minutes. - Portaferry CastlePortaferry CastlePortaferry Castle is a small tower house in Portaferry, County Down, Northern Ireland, overlooking the harbour. It was built in the 16th century by William Le Savage...
is a small 16th century Tower houseTower houseA tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
built by William Le Savage. It is a square building with a small projecting turret at the south corner. It is three storeys high plus attic. There is no vault. Most of the eastern corner is ruinous.
People
- Portaferry’s famous sons include two brothers, the tenor Peter Tomelty and the actor and playwright Joseph TomeltyJoseph TomeltyJoseph Tomelty was a Northern Irish character actor and playwright. He worked in film, television, radio and on the stage, starring in Sam Thompson's 1960 play Over the Bridge.-Early life:...
, born in Portaferry in 1911. Priest, philosopher and poet Father Vincent McNabbVincent McNabbVincent McNabb, O.P. was an Irish scholar and priest, based in London, active in evangelisation and apologetics.-Early life:...
was also born in Portaferry. - Actor Oliver ReedOliver ReedOliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
visited Portaferry regularly up until his death, usually arriving by boat from his holiday home in Cork and staying several days at a time. - Actor Errol FlynnErrol FlynnErrol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
was an occasional visitor to the town at one time. His Father Theodore Thomson FlynnTheodore Thomson FlynnTheodore Thomson Flynn was an Australian biologist and a professor in both Tasmania and Ireland.He was born in Coraki, New South Wales, Australia and died in Liss, Hampshire, England...
was a Professor at Queen's University Belfast, and who for many years rented a holiday house on the shores of Strangford Lough, at Kilclief.
- Portaferry was the location for a new BBC comedy/drama series The InvisiblesThe Invisibles (TV series)The Invisibles is a British 2008 comedy drama series created and written by William Ivory for the BBC. It was produced by Company Pictures, shot in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.-Premise:...
which was broadcast in 6 hour long episodes starting 1 May 2008. It starred Anthony HeadAnthony HeadAnthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
better known as the Prime Minister in Little BritainLittle BritainLittle Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
and Rupert Giles, Librarian and Watcher in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series also starred Jenny AgutterJenny AgutterJennifer Ann "Jenny" Agutter is an English film and television actress. She began her career as a child actress in the mid 1960s, starring in the BBC television series The Railway Children and the film adaptation of the same book, before moving on to adult roles and relocating to Hollywood.She...
star of The Railway ChildrenThe Railway ChildrenThe Railway Children is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in The London Magazine during 1905 and first published in book form in 1906...
and An American Werewolf in LondonAn American Werewolf in LondonAn American Werewolf in London is a 1981 British-American horror film, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne....
. The series was filmed in Portaferry but local shops and hotels were disguised to appear as locations in Devon, England. - Portaferry was also a location for the BBC drama series Small Island. This time, the town doubled for a Yorkshire town during World War II. The Square was used extensively and the old Stewart & James' shop was disguised as a cinema and the Market House as a Tearoom in a crucial scene. The stars were Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) as Bernard, Naomie Harris (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End) as Hortense, Ruth Wilson (LutherLuther (TV series)Luther is a British psychological crime drama television series starring Idris Elba as the title character Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. A first series of six episodes was broadcast on BBC One from 4 May to 8 June 2010. The second series of four episodes was shown on BBC One in summer 2011...
as Queenie and David Oyelowo (Blood and Oil) as Gilbert.
- Football legend and Manchester United star George BestGeorge BestGeorge Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
lived briefly in the neighbouring village of PortavogiePortavogiePortavogie is a village, townland and fishing port in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,594 people in the 2001 Census. It lies within the Borough of Ards and is the easternmost settlement in Ireland....
and visited Portaferry regularly during this time. - Jazz and Blues star Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
has stayed locally and once took his friend Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
on a tour of the area.
Environment
The Portaferry area is popular with local and foreign tourists for its beauty, history, wildlife and other visitor attractions. Other pursuits enjoyed in the area are angling, wildfowling and birdwatching. Strangford LoughStrangford Lough
Strangford Lough, sometimes Strangford Loch, is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The name Strangford is derived ; describing the fast-flowing narrows at its mouth...
is the largest sea inlet in the British Isles.
It is Northern Ireland's first Marine Nature Reserve and is renowned as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Special Scientific Interest, with six National Nature Reserves within its reaches. Over 2000 species of marine animals have been found in the Lough and internationally important flocks of wildfowl and wading birds converge there in winter. The Lough is also the most important site in Ireland for breeding common seals.
Sport
Naomh Padraig CLG are one of Ulster's top hurling clubs.Diving is an increasingly popular pastime and approximately 70 Sub-aqua clubs currently use the area throughout the year.
Industry
Portaferry's access to Strangford Narrows is being used for testing a scale model of EvopodEvopod
Evopod is a unique tidal energy device being developed by a UK-based company Ocean Flow Energy Ltd for generating electricity from tidal streams and ocean currents...
, a Tidal Stream Turbine; for electricity generation.
In 2008 a twin rotor 1.2MW SeaGen was installed, it generates 10MWh of energy. Tidal energy, unlike wind or wave, is a renewaqble energy resource which can be predicted .[www.marineturbines.com]
See also
- List of villages in Northern Ireland
- List of towns in Northern Ireland
- List of RNLI stations
- Market Houses in Northern IrelandMarket Houses in Northern IrelandMarket houses are a notable feature of many Northern Ireland towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper...