The Portaferry–Strangford ferry service crosses

Strangford Lough Strangford Lough () is a large sea lough or inlet in County Down, in the east of Northern Ireland. It is the largest inlet in Ireland and the wider British Isles, covering . The lough is almost fully enclosed by the Ards Peninsula and is linke ...

in Northern Ireland at its narrowest point, close to where the lough joins the Irish Sea. The

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

links the two disconnected sections of the A2 road, Muff to Portaferry and Strangford to Newry. There has been a ferry service between

Portaferry 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 is home to the Exploris aquarium and is well known for the annual Gala Week Fl ...

and

Strangford Strangford (from Old Norse ''Strangr fjörðr'', meaning "strong sea-inlet") is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough, on the Lecale peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 at the 2001 census. On th ...

for four centuries without a break. The alternative road journey is , while the ferry crosses the in 8 minutes.

History

In 1611

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334� ...

granted land on either side of the Lough to Peirce Tumolton in order to maintain and crew a ferry boat. In 1835 a group of local people formed the "Portaferry and Strangford Steamboat Company" and commissioned the building of the ''Lady of the Lake'', which was the first steam ferry in Ireland. This venture was not commercially successful and the ferry was sold in 1839. In 1913 three passengers were lost when a ferry capsized. In 1946 two converted

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

landing craft Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. ...

were introduced, capable of accommodating about 36 passengers and two motor cars, but the following year one of these capsized with the loss of one life. Various vessels were in use until 1969 when the

Down District Council Down District Council was a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland. It merged with Newry and Mourne District Council in April 2015 under local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland to become Newry, Mourne and Down District Co ...

took over operation of a ferry capable of carrying vehicles and passengers. To operate the service, MV ''Strangford'' was built by the Verolme Shipyard in

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

. In 1975 the Welsh ferry ''Cleddau King'' was purchased and used as reserve ferry under the name MV ''Portaferry Ferry''. In 2001, a new vessel named was brought into service, relegating MV ''Strangford'' to a support role and releasing the MV ''Portaferry Ferry'' for disposal. A second new vessel, , was delivered in 2016 but her introduction was delayed until February of the following year when it was discovered that she was unable to discharge cars at high tide. In 2021 ferry workers reported feeling dizzy and sick while onboard the vessel. The vessel was then removed from service in March 2022 for a period of 15 months. It returned to service in May 2023.

Operation

Transport NI, an executive agency of the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure, operates the

service. Ferries depart each terminal every 30 minutes and convey about 500,000 passengers per annum. Vehicles and their drivers are carried for a fee with additional vehicle passengers or foot passengers also charged. Senior citizens resident in either Northern Ireland or the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

with the appropriate documentation are permitted free passage. The service is responsible for transporting more than 300 school students every day between schools in

Downpatrick Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Down Cathedral, Its cathedral is sai ...

and Ballynahinch, County Down subsidised public service operates at a loss of more than £1m per year but is viewed as an important transport link to the

Ards Peninsula The Ards Peninsula () is a peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the north-east coast of Ireland. It separates Strangford Lough from the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel of the Irish Sea. Towns and villages on t ...

. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

the Ferry service continued to operate for essential travellers, but was severely reduced, with fewer services and fewer operating hours. Normal service was resumed in August 2020.

Fleet

Gallery

File:Approaching Portaferry (geograph 3044832).jpg, The Portaferry Ferry Terminal seen from the ferry File:Leaving Strangford on the MV Portaferry II (geograph 5483444).jpg, The Strangford Ferry Terminal seen from the ferry File:The Portaferry ferry returning from Strangford.JPG, ''Portaferry II'' returning from Strangford File:Strangford Ferry Terminal (13), August 2009.JPG, Strangford Ferry terminal in August 2009 File:Strangford Ferry (12), August 2009.JPG, ''Strangford Ferry'' approaching Strangford slipway in August 2009

References

External links

Ferry timetableFerry faresFerry accessibility
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portaferry-Strangford ferry Ferry companies of Northern Ireland