Omeath is a good anchorage for shallow draft vessels. Like most locations in Carlingford Lough, it is exposed to southeasterly conditions where the opposite Warrenpoint would be a better option. The entire inlet is also subject to heavy squalls descending from the hills in northwest winds. The area may be accessed via Warrenpoint Port’s illuminated deep water shipping channel that runs the entire length of the lough. Careful navigation is generally required for this location owing to exceptional currents in the lower lough and at the entrance.
Keyfacts for Omeath
Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Protected sectors
Approaches
Shelter
Last modified
September 9th 2022 Summary* Restrictions apply
A good location with careful navigation required for access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
54° 5.450' N, 006° 15.010' WApproximately 500 metres west of the number 22 marker in the Warrenpoint Port channel, in a metre of water at LWS.
What is the initial fix?
The following Carlingford Lough Entrance Initial Fix will set up a final approach:
54° 0.100' N, 006° 2.052' W
500 metres due south of Hellyhunter, a south cardinal buoy Q(6) +FL1.15s. From here the line of the entrance’s leading light beacons may be picked up. What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in eastern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Strangford Lough to Dublin Bay and directions for the run up the lough are available in the Warrenpoint entry.
- From the entrance follow the well-buoyed and lit commercial channel up the length of the inlet.
- When Warrenpoint's entrance channel marker is drawing near break off for the pier and anchor out to the northeast of the pierhead.
Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Omeath for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Warrenpoint - 0.3 nautical miles NNW
- Greer’s Quay - 1.2 nautical miles SSE
- Rostrevor - 2.1 nautical miles ESE
- Killowen - 2.3 nautical miles ESE
- Carlingford Marina - 3.1 nautical miles SE
- Carlingford Harbour - 3.7 nautical miles SE
- Newry - 5.6 nautical miles NW
- Greencastle - 6.1 nautical miles ESE
- Giles Quay - 6.4 nautical miles S
- Dundalk - 6.9 nautical miles SW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Warrenpoint - 0.3 miles NNW
- Greer’s Quay - 1.2 miles SSE
- Rostrevor - 2.1 miles ESE
- Killowen - 2.3 miles ESE
- Carlingford Marina - 3.1 miles SE
- Carlingford Harbour - 3.7 miles SE
- Newry - 5.6 miles NW
- Greencastle - 6.1 miles ESE
- Giles Quay - 6.4 miles S
- Dundalk - 6.9 miles SW
Chart
What's the story here?
Omeath
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
Omeath is a small village with a slip located on the Cooley Peninsula near the head of the Carlingford Lough inlet and on its southwestern shore. Omeath had a population of about 600.
Omeath Slipway
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
The slip and surrounding area dry out completely at low water. Vessels either have to take to the ground close-in or anchor well out in limited water. 1 metre of water, in excellent mud holding, will be found about 300 metres east by northeast of the head of the slip.
How to get in?
Omeath with Warrenpoint opposite to the north
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
Seaward approaches are detailed in eastern Ireland’s coastal overview for Strangford Lough to Dublin Bay . Use the directions provided for Warrenpoint for approaches and the run up the No. 22 Port-hand marker, Fl.R.2s, in the Warrenpoint entrance channel and turn off to port for the town. The area immediately offshore of Omeath dries out well beyond the end of the slip at low water.
There is ample space along the foreshore to draw a tender up
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
Anchor according to draft or conditions. Land at the slip that has water on the top half of the tide. At high water, the slip has about 0.5 metres alongside. It is also possible to haul the tender up onto the foreshore.
Why visit here?
Omeath, in Irish: 'Ó Méith', name comes from the 'Ui Méith' tribe that settled here around the 4th century. The tribe separated and settled into two territories; one called alternatively 'Ui Méith Tire' or Ui Méith Macha from its inland and / or Armagh situation, the other 'Ui Méith' or Ui Méith Mara on account of it bordering the sea. This became anglicised to the name of 'Ó Méith' and finally Omeath. The inhabitants of the area in the ninth and tenth centuries were the Aighneachta. They called the area 'Cuailghne' a contraction of 'Cuan Sminih Aigneach' that meant the 'Bay of the swim of Aigneach'.The village of Omeath grew up around its railway station
Image: National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Image: National Library of Ireland on The Commons
When the Vikings first came to 'Karlingfjord', as they named it, they laid upon the shores for some time in harmony with their Irish neighbours. However, this changed when they become more aggressive and territorial. They plundered and destroyed the early Christian monastery of 'Cillansnimh', 'Church of the Swim', at Narrow Water in 841 A.D. and then the Viking leader, 'Horn', established a permanent naval base in Omeath around 851 A.D.
Daytrippers came for its beach and views out over the lough and mountains
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
This caused considerable friction and an uneasy relationship with the natives from that time onward. The Viking Omeath stronghold held out for more than 70 years and they ruled the lough area from this seat. In 928 A.D. Muirchertach mac Néill, called 'Muirchertach of the Leather Cloaks', in old Irish 'Muirchertach na Cochall Craicinn', drove them out of the area. Muirchertach's brother became High King Of Ireland and later his son Domnall ua Néill was crowned High King in 956.
The Cooley Mountains as seen from the opposite shore
Image: Tourism Ireland
Image: Tourism Ireland
The first inhabitation of Omeath may have been tied to the Viking invasion but the foundation of the present-day village was an evolution from a railway station. This was the 1873 Dundalk, Newry, Greenore Railway, (DNGR) that provided a link between the towns in its title runs close to the western shore of Carlingford Lough. These connected to the North Western Railway port at Greenore from where a ferry service operated to Holyhead. It was formally wound up in 1957 and in its time it made Omeath a favourite resort for Northern Ireland day-trippers. But unlike its opposite Warrenpoint, Omeath never developed into a major residential centre.
Unlike Warrenpoint opposite, Omeath remained a small village
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
During the time it was serviced by the railway Omeath became a noted Irish-speaking area and had its own college. The people of the Carlingford Mountains tended not to travel far into the anglicised parts, where the speaking of Gaelige had been banned. This caused the language and its rich tapestry of folklore to remain alive here in this remote hinterland. However, a decline was inevitable and in the 1950s and 60s the rich Gaelic tradition began to fade owing to economic migration to England and America. The college existed until the early twentieth century where the Park Hotel now stands. The last native speaker of Omeath Irish was Anne O'Hanlon, who died in 1960 aged 89. One of the most respected regional poets, Seamus MacCurtha, lived in Omeath.
Omeath retains a small sleepy village feeling
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
Today, nestled at the foot of the large ranges of the Carlingford Mountains, chief amongst them the 512 metres high Clermont Cairn and the 589 metres Carlingford Mountain, Omeath is a quiet sleepy village overlooking the beautiful Carlingford Lough. At low tide, the drying sandy shore, with stones and seaweed, makes the area popular with commercial winkle collectors. The small summertime ferry provides a close link to Warrenpoint across the border where small variances of local laws or currency exchange rates provide the occasional incentive to cross over.
The slip reaching out to County Down, Warrenpoint and Mourne Mountains
Image: Michael Harpur
Image: Michael Harpur
Sited on the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, steeped in Irish history and with an abundance of spectacular scenery, Omeath is another quiet stopover for a shallow draft vessel’s tour of Carlingford Lough. It is the ideal point to join The 7km-long Carlingford–Omeath Greenway coastal path, which now follows the old Dundalk, Newry and Greenore railway and is open to both walkers and cyclists. Less than a half mile from Warrenpoint it is also a good quieter alternative to the busy town.
What facilities are available?
Omeath is a very small village that has a restaurant, pub, basic provisions and a petrol station. It has good road access located on the R173 regional road approximately 6 km from Carlingford and about 8 km from Newry.A regular bus service runs through the village and links the village with Newry and Dundalk town. Bus Éireann Route 161 operates Monday to Friday, and Halpenny Travel operates a service on Sundays with journeys to Dundalk and Newry.
In the summer months, a regular foot passenger ferry service operates between Omeath and Warrenpoint County Down. Bikes and small motorcycles can also use this service during the summer months.
Any security concerns?
Never an issue known to have occurred in Omeath.With thanks to:
Brian McJury, Warrenpoint Harbour Master.An informative overview by the Northern Ireland tourist board
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