Ireland:Ardglass

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General

54 15N 05 36 W

Ardglass has been a fishing port for over two thousand years - during a period when the Celts developed from nomadic hunting and fishing to a sound agricultural and trading economy. The sheltered deep-sea inlet of Ardglass grew into a fishing port to the point where, 150 years ago, some four or five hundred sail powered craft habitually crowded into the harbour (many from as far away as the east coast of Scotland) fishing during the summer months for herring - the 'silver darlings' of the Irish Sea - and in the winter for whiting and cod. Towards the end of the 19th century larger steam drifters replaced these tiny craft.

Today Ardglass is the home port of thirty diesel powered vessels, and is a major fish marketing and processing centre. Fish and prawns to the value of £4 or £5 million are landed in the port each year, most of it processed locally before shipping to the large cities of Europe.

Approaches, Routes and Navigation

Ardglass Harbour

• Lights: Breakwater Fl.R. 3 sec. Inner Lighthouse Iso. G.W.R. 4 sec.
• Harbour Radio: VHF Channels 16,14 and 9

Phennic Cove Marina

Waypoint: 54 15.7N 5 36.3W
Depth of channel 3.16m
Depth in boat park 1.66m to 3.16m

• Phennick Cove Marina VHF channel 37 or 80
• Standard Port: Belfast
• Tides +10 mins Belfast

Tidal information and currents

Charts

Imray Chart C62: Irish Sea

Plans: Entrance to Carlingford Lough, Portavogie, Skerries Bay, Kilkeel Harbour, Malahide Inlet, Ardglass, Entrance to Strangford Lough Scale 1:280 000.

Weather

Belfast Weather from MetOffice

Major ports

Marinas and Anchorages

Anchorages information goes here

Ardglass Harbour

Ardglass is located on the County Down coast south of Strangford Lough entrance

The natural deepwater anchorage at the foot of the green hill that gives Ardglass its name (ard=high, glas=green) was in use long before recorded history - probably for as long as 3,000 years.

There is every likelihood that the great St. Patrick himself walked through the little fishing hamlet that existed in the 5th Century (well, the first church Patrick built in Ireland is only seven miles away, at Saul), and certainly by 1177 invading Anglo-Norman forces headed by John De Courcey found a well established harbour.

The port offered excellent sea communications and the fertile area of Lecale was prosperous, so de Courcey incorporated the whole as part of the Pale and rewarded his followers with grants of land. Later, Henry V111 granted the revenue of the port, amounting to £5,000, to Gerald Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare. The association of the Kildare family with Ardglass continued for three centuries.

In the early 1800's the estates were sold to William Ogilvie, tutor to the Kildare family, for the sum of £26,000. Ogilvie took a great interest in the harbour. He constructed a pier and encouraged trade. His successor, Major Aubrey William Beauclerc took little interest in Ardglass and the harbour fell into disrepair. In 1876 an Act of Parliament was passed to enable the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland to repair the harbour on the condition that the Beauclercs relinquished all claims.

The Ministry of Commerce for Northern Ireland assumed the role of Harbour Authority in 1922.

• 680m of quay of which 400m dries at L.W.
• Depths: 3m at MLWS at main quay
• Tidal Levels: MHWS 4.5m, MLWS 0.5m
• Diesel available by road trailer
• Stores: Provisions, water and ice available.

Phennick Cove Marina

Quay Street
Ardglass, County Down BT30 7SA
Northern Ireland
Tel./Fax. +44 (0)28 44 842332 	

• No. of berths = 55 with space for small craft

Chandlers and Repair Facilities

• Ship Repairs: None in the Harbour. Service for radar, Decca and radio obtainable.

Victuals (Food and Drink!)

• Fish market: Large covered market on quay

Sailing Clubs

Places and things to see

Goog places to eat and drink

Additional Information

• CASH MACHINES:
  • outside Spar Store - The Harbour
  • outside Carlisle's' Petrol Station/Shop, Downpatrick Road - along Bath Street from Marina Ulster Bank, Bath Street. Open only on Tue, Thur & Fri 10.30 am - 12.00 Noon
• Cash postal orders and official cheques at Ardglass Post Office - in the Harbour Spar Store.
• Access your internet bank account or send a fax to your bank at ADA Resource Centre, High Street

Related Links