Portaferry

Portaferry
Portaferry from the pier towards the north
Portaferry is located in County Down
Portaferry
Location within County Down
Population2,514 (2011 Census)
Irish grid referenceJ594509
District
County
CountryNorthern Ireland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townNEWTOWNARDS
Postcode districtBT22
Dialling code028
PoliceNorthern Ireland
FireNorthern Ireland
AmbulanceNorthern Ireland
List of places
UK
Northern Ireland
Down
54°22′51″N 5°32′55″W / 54.3809°N 5.5486°W / 54.3809; -5.5486
Portaferry from the grounds of Castle Ward, on the opposite bank of Strangford Lough

Portaferry (from Irish Port an Pheire 'landing place of the ferry') 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 is home to the Exploris aquarium and is well known for the annual Gala Week Float Parade. It hosts its own small Marina, the Portaferry Marina. The Portaferry – Strangford Ferry service operates daily at 30-minute intervals (7.45 am to 10.45 pm) between the villages of Portaferry and Strangford, less than 1500 metres apart, conveying about 500,000 passengers per annum. It had a population of 2,514 people in the 2011 Census.[1] The town is located within the Barony of Ards Upper.[2]

Pot fishing, mainly for prawns and crabs and licensed shellfish farming takes place within Strangford Lough. Queen's University of Belfast[3] have a Marine Research Laboratory on the shorefront. The town is also home to a research centre for Swedish tidal-kite developer Minesto. The lough is one of the world's most important marine sites with over 2,000 marine species.

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. The Atlantic 75 is the fastest seagoing lifeboat in the RNLI's fleet and is capable of speeds up to 34 knots.[4][5]

  1. ^ "Portaferry". Census 2011 Results. NI Statistics and Research Agency. Archived from the original on 22 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  2. ^ Townlands.ie: Barony of Upper Ards. https://www.townlands.ie/down/upper-ards/
  3. ^ Marine Laboratory Archived 2 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Portaferry Lifeboat". Archived from the original on 1 April 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2004.
  5. ^ Culture Northern Ireland – Portaferry Lifeboat Station Archived 17 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine