Sailing inyourfootsteps.com

11°C

Swell today

Direction N, height 0.0 metres, period 0.0 seconds, significant wave height of 0.2 metres.

Haven position?

54° 15.140' N, 005° 38.190' W

Where is that position?

This is set on the head of the west pier.

What is the initial fix?

This waypoint is approximately 1 mile out from the west pier. It is set on the 304°(T) line of bearing of the building at the root of the west pier in alignment with the ruins of a three-storey tower-house Castle Bright. Following the 304°(T) bearing, clearly marked on Admiralty Standard Chart 633 ‘Plans on the east coast of Ireland’, in along the bay’s northeaster side leads into the anchoring area.

What is the story here?

Killough Bay is located on Ireland’s northeastern coast, one and a half miles north of St John’s Point. The bay offers an uncertain anchorage, owing to rocky bottom. A little used drying fishing harbour, situated at the head of the bay, affords the best protection in the bay. Although offering an outside anchorage and deep water approaches on high tide, with depths in excess of three metres, berthing behind the pier is only suitable for vessels that can take to the hard.

Killough Bay offers good protection for those that can take to the hard except in developed southeast through east to northeast winds. Heavy weather conditions cause a heavy scend behind the pier. Access to the harbour requires careful navigation owing the bay being encumbered with dangers.

A vessel should not approach Killough Bay in any developed onshore conditions.

Why visit here?

Killough derives its name from Irish Cill Locha meaning ‘church of the loch’. It is a small village and harbour situated alongside an inner bay of tidal mud-flats and shingle banks.

From Norman times the Catholic Russell family held the manor of Killough and little happened in the area. Their land was taken after the rising of 1641 and at that time Ulster ports began to rise in prominence along this coast. William Pitt was appointed as Customer of the ports of Newcastle, Dundrum, Killough, Portaferry, Donaghadee, Bangor and Holywood driving development. The first village and port were created by Michael Ward in the 18th century. Born of the Wards of Castle Ward house, he constructed the harbour to avoid having to pay harbour dues in Strangford and a straight road still runs from Castle Ward to Killough today.

Michael Ward renamed the area Port Saint Anne, in honour of his wife, and the port was known as that for a short time. He established a salt works and made a number of improvements to the harbour and village. By the time of his death in 1743 Killough was one of the busiest trading ports in Ulster with an active windmill, lime kiln and brickworks in the immediate harbour area. Fifteen ships and twenty boats engaged in fishing operated out of Killough at that time underpinning a considerable coasting trade with the principal ports in the Irish Channel. The chief exports at the time were corn and live cattle, and the principal imports were coal and salt.

In 1793 after the outbreak of war between Great Britain and France the growing of cereals in Lecale increased substantially. The original harbour facilities were vastly inadequate for the heightened level of activity and Killough harbour had to be expanded. Between 1821 and 1824, Michael Ward’s son, the first Lord Bangor, built extensive new quays that can be seen today; the 182 metres pier on the Killough side and a shorter, 30 metre pier, on the Coney Island. Behind this bustling harbour the village prospered with wealthy grain merchants constructing imposing houses in Castle Street, and their stores on the narrow lanes leading down to the quays. But after the war ended, in the 1830s, the bubble burst.

A post-war depression caused grain prices to fall. The wealthy merchants, who had overstretched themselves soon found themselves in difficulty. Then one grain store after another closed. The bustling harbour slowly became idle and the population of the village collapsed over time. The trading and fishing port became derelict, and over the past century Ardglass, famous for its herrings, has come to be the principal fishing port. Today only a few local fishing craft use the harbour but little happens in Killough.

What remains today are the merchant houses set in a sycamore-lined main street that is, in many ways, one of the most attractive in County Down. There are three interesting little churches in the village; a Church of Ireland, a Methodist and a Roman Catholic plus Victorian cottages and alms houses. Outside the village the low, rocky shore gives way to rough grassland before cultivated fields stretch further inland. In the summer a wide variety of flowers cover the fields and hedgerows making it very beautiful.

The Lecale coast features many interesting coastal paths for hikers. Killough’s is of particular interest as the walk is out to the black and yellow banded Saint John’s Point Lighthouse. On the way a walker passes the lonely ruins of St John’s that is an excellent example of an early Christian church.

How to get in?

Killough Bay is entered between Ringfad Point and Ringsallagh, or Corbet Head just under a mile to the southwest.

The Killough Bay initial fix, sets up the recommended south by southeast approach of tracking in on a bearing of 304°(T) along the northeastern side of the bay keeping in line the building at the root of the west pier aligned with the ruins Castle Bright tower house. This leads in to the southwest of Ringfad Point and to the northeast of Water Rocks situated immediately outside the bay.

On first approach Water Rocks should be clearly visible. Marked by a red mast they dry to 3 metres and only cover on last quarter of the flood. Be careful not to drift to the northeast as foul ground extends 200 metres from Ringfad Point.

Progressing into the bay the transit takes a vessel approximately 400 metres to the northeast of the Little and Big Plates, both exposing to 0.3 metres at low water, plus also Carter reef that also dries on the port side. Towards high water, when there is no swell in the bay, these inner rocks are of less concern as they are well covered.

Anchor in the bay to the south of Coney Island, in a depth to your preference, in line with Bright Castle lead-in transit. Whilst preparing to anchor make special note not to drift off transit to the north as the rocks uncover to a distance of nearly 200 metres to the south-west of the Coney Island shoreline. Of particular note is a reef extending south from Crane Point with a separate patch residing 400 metres offshore.

Land at the west pier behind which the church and village of Killough can be seen on the western shore of the bay.

The west pier affords the best shelter in the bay if a vessel is set up to take to the hard. Vessels drawing up to 3.35 metres may go alongside the west pier at high water. To enter the harbour, run in on the transit, until immediately south of the opening to the inner bay - situated between the ruined pier on Coney Island and the end of the west pier. Then haul up towards the harbour, and run in alongside the west pier.

What are the tides here?

Today's local tide estimates are based on High Water Belfast +0013
Today's Belfast tides — High waters: 00:06, 12:25, Low waters: 06:03, 18:18
Today's Dover tides — High waters: 00:05, 12:22, Low waters: 07:13, 19:27 (From Tide Times)
High Water Dover +0015
MHWS 5.1m MHWN 4.1m MLWN 1.5m MLWS 0.5m

What facilities are available?

Killough Harbour has facilities for tie-up and waste disposal but little else. The small village, on the west side of the bay, has basic shopping to cater for a population between 500 and 1,000. Nearby Ardglass, a distance of three miles by road, offers better facilities and Downpatrick, five miles northwest, offers very good shopping that serves as a commercial and administrative centre for the locality. Ulsterbus 16A serves Killough and Ardglass.

What emergency contacts are there?

Belfast Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC). Operational Area: Northern Ireland/ Irish Republic Border, Lough Foyle to Northern/Irish Republic Border Carlingford Lough. Belfast Coastguard (MRSC) VHF Ch 16, liaises closely with IRCG. Emergencies are worked on 16, 67 and working channel.

Alternatively, or if ashore, phone 999 and 112 and ask for ‘Marine Rescue’. Police, Fire and Rescue are also available on this number. Belfast (MRSC) may be contacted directly on +44 2891 463 933. There is an auxiliary coastguard station at Newcastle featuring an all-weather lifeboat, a summer inshore lifeboat and coast rescue equipment.

Other useful contacts in this area:
Phennick Cove Marina VHF channel 37 or 80
Phone: +44 04 844 84 23 3
Ardglass Harbour Master radio watch VHF Channel 12
Phone: +44 28 4484 1291
Mobile: +44 79 9064 8274

Any security concerns?

Never an issue know to have occurred in Killough Harbour. However in an open harbour normal security provisions should be adhered to.

What navigational resources are available for this area?

British Admiralty 1411 ‘Irish Sea - Western Part’, Scale of 200,000:1, SC 44 ‘Nose of Howth to Ballyquintin Point’ scale of 1:100,000 and Standard Chart 633 ‘Plans on the east coast of Ireland’ for close detail. Imray chart C62 – ‘Irish Sea’ plus Discoverer Maps for Northern Ireland Sheet No 29 ‘The Mournes’ and Sheet No 21 ‘Strangford Lough’ scale of 1:50 000 also cover this area.

With thanks to:

Fred Curran, Custodian of Ardglass Marina

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How can I get this offshore?

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Alternatively print this page's text, illustrations and photos, but without the internet menu, layout, backdrops and Google maps, or economise upon printer consumables and print this page with text only, to get a hardcopy of this location.

What other useful information is available?

The latest monthly Dover and Dublin (North Wall) tides courtesy of the National Environmental Research Council. Printable monthly tides for Dublin, Dunmore, Cobh, Galway, Belfast are available from the ISA.

The national weather forecast, Met Éireann and BBC shipping forecasts, plus a very simplified Ulster tourist outlook. From an Atlantic perspective a 24 hour North Atlantic synoptic chart that you may ‘right click’ and save to your hard disk. Met Éireann’s Eastern Atlantic chart and the BBC’s surface area forecast plus visible satellite images for Ireland and Northeast Atlantic from Met Éireann. Wind observations, XC UK & Ireland, Windguru wind & wave reports, and Windfinder where you can determine a forecast time. Coastal radio stations (VHF Channel) Weather forecast at 0103 and thence every 3 hours updated every sixth. Dublin 83, Wicklow Head 87, Rosslare 23 and Mine Head 83. Radio broadcasts on RTE 1 (89.1FM) 0603, 1253, 1655 and 2355.

A free tidal range prediction application for windows, a simple tide monitor plus the rule of twelfths are available in inyourfootsteps.com shared ‘experience’.



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