Strangford


Strangford is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland. It has a population of 475 according to the 2001 Census.
On the other side of the lough is Portaferry. Transport NI, an executive agency of the Department for Infrastructure, operates the Portaferry - Strangford Ferry service across Strangford Lough between the villages of Strangford and Portaferry. To travel the distance between Strangford and Portaferry by road is approximately 75 kilometres and takes about an hour and a half by car. By contrast, the ferry route is approximately with a typical crossing time of about 8 minutes. The village has a small harbour, which is overlooked by rows of 19th-century cottages and a fine Georgian terrace.

History

In 1549 the name of the townland is recorded as vill’ de Ballenpery als Strangford. Ballinpery is. The Irish name of Strangford Lough is Loch Cuan - ‘sea-inlet of bays/havens’ and the name is documented as early as the year c.830. The village of Strangford is known in Irish as Baile Loch Cuan - ‘town on Strangford Lough’.
In 1637 the Surveyor General of Customs issued a report compiled from accounts of customs due from each port and their "subsidiary creeks". Of the Ulster ports on the list, Carrickfergus was first, followed by Bangor, Donaghadee and Strangford.
Strangford was the designated home of King Magnus Olafson. Upon his attempted siege of Uladh he set up his fort in the of Strangford. This was an ideal place for him to base himself and his army as he had good fortified grounds and quick access to an inland lough that leads directly out to the east onto the Irish Sea.
Despite having the same name, the village is not in the Strangford parliamentary constituency or Assembly constituency, instead being in the South Down parliamentary constituency and Assembly constituency.

Sports

Strangford has two men's football teams who compete in the Newcastle & District Football League.

Places of interest