Warrenpoint
May 22, 2023
Warrenpoint. A chilling place full of warm hearts.
Not many yachties visit Warrenpoint marina, but as friendly port official Declan took our lines, he immediately said he would donate £30 to the Seafarers' Charity, to match the fee he was charging me. He was true to his word. Thank you Declan!
To a soldier, Warrenpoint means just one thing, the place of the deadliest attack on the British army in the whole of The Troubles. In 1979, 18 soldiers were killed, from across the border, in a double bombing at Narrow Waters, just upstream of the port. Today dozens of poppy wreaths are laid at this spot. Thank goodness this beautiful country, full of super-friendly people, is now largely peaceful.
Talking of super friendly people, Harbour Master Michael Young popped down to see me and Good Dog's crew for "just five minutes". An hour later he was still telling us stories of his life as a fisherman, a mariner and a harbour master who uniquely works in two countries.
Michael's ships' pilots guide cargo vessels into both Warrenpoint and into Greenore, a small commercial harbour in The Republic of Ireland - or just "The South". He explained keeping tidal Carlingford Lough safe is a serious job, and that boats can be swirled around "360 degrees" at buoy number 9! Luckily for us all we saw was a bottlenose dolphin.
Originally a "lightering port" with goods trans-shipped further upstream to Newry, ships started sailing from here to America in 1767. By 1846 it was possible to get to London by steamer and train in just 16 hours. By 1971 growth in container traffic lead to the port booming and today it is NI's second busiest port by tonnage.
Michael and Declan, thank you for giving us such a warm welcome to the Emerald Isle!
@whatsthepointwarrenpoint
Not many yachties visit Warrenpoint marina, but as friendly port official Declan took our lines, he immediately said he would donate £30 to the Seafarers' Charity, to match the fee he was charging me. He was true to his word. Thank you Declan!
To a soldier, Warrenpoint means just one thing, the place of the deadliest attack on the British army in the whole of The Troubles. In 1979, 18 soldiers were killed, from across the border, in a double bombing at Narrow Waters, just upstream of the port. Today dozens of poppy wreaths are laid at this spot. Thank goodness this beautiful country, full of super-friendly people, is now largely peaceful.
Talking of super friendly people, Harbour Master Michael Young popped down to see me and Good Dog's crew for "just five minutes". An hour later he was still telling us stories of his life as a fisherman, a mariner and a harbour master who uniquely works in two countries.
Michael's ships' pilots guide cargo vessels into both Warrenpoint and into Greenore, a small commercial harbour in The Republic of Ireland - or just "The South". He explained keeping tidal Carlingford Lough safe is a serious job, and that boats can be swirled around "360 degrees" at buoy number 9! Luckily for us all we saw was a bottlenose dolphin.
Originally a "lightering port" with goods trans-shipped further upstream to Newry, ships started sailing from here to America in 1767. By 1846 it was possible to get to London by steamer and train in just 16 hours. By 1971 growth in container traffic lead to the port booming and today it is NI's second busiest port by tonnage.
Michael and Declan, thank you for giving us such a warm welcome to the Emerald Isle!
@whatsthepointwarrenpoint