
The bay provides good protection from the southeast through the south to the northwest. Although open to northerly quadrant winds, a great measure of protection is provided against these conditions inside the harbour by its enclosing island and its surrounding rocky shoal, particularly so at low water. Access is tidal restricted and half tide or more is required for entry with attentive navigation to pass the shoal. Although supported by lit transits, daylight entry is advised for any first-time visitor.
Keyfacts for Groomsport
Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Protected sectors
Approaches
Shelter
Last modified
November 21st 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
This is the seaward end of the pier situated at the eastern side of the enclosed bay.
What is the initial fix?
The following Groomsport Harbour Initial Fix will set up a final approach:

What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in the northeast Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Malin Head to Strangford Lough
and the Donaghadee Sound
for local tidal optimisations.
- From the north pass Black Head and the Cloghan Jetty to starboard.
- From the east pass north of Mew, Lighthouse and Copeland Island keeping them well clear to port.
- From the south, with a favourable tide, pass between the south side of Copeland Island and the mainland coast through the well-marked Donaghadee Sound shipping fairway.
- Belfast Lough's navigable area is free of dangers and Bangor Bay has no obstructions.
- Track in on the harbour’s beacons in line 207.5° T, front a slim red metal post, rear a white plain wood pole 20 metres behind, at night both markers flash green. Pass between the head of the pier and the islets eastern edge marked by two starboard beacons.
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 Groomsport for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Ballyholme Bay - 1.3 nautical miles WSW
- Bangor Harbour & Marina - 2 nautical miles WSW
- Port Dandy - 2.5 nautical miles E
- Chapel Bay - 2.7 nautical miles E
- Donaghadee Harbour - 3.6 nautical miles ESE
- Copelands Marina - 3.8 nautical miles SE
- Helen’s Bay - 4.1 nautical miles W
- Whitehead - 5.4 nautical miles NW
- Cultra - 7 nautical miles W
- Carrickfergus Harbour & Marina - 7 nautical miles WNW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Ballyholme Bay - 1.3 miles WSW
- Bangor Harbour & Marina - 2 miles WSW
- Port Dandy - 2.5 miles E
- Chapel Bay - 2.7 miles E
- Donaghadee Harbour - 3.6 miles ESE
- Copelands Marina - 3.8 miles SE
- Helen’s Bay - 4.1 miles W
- Whitehead - 5.4 miles NW
- Cultra - 7 miles W
- Carrickfergus Harbour & Marina - 7 miles WNW
Chart
What's the story here?

Image: Michael Harpur
Groomsport Bay is a mile wide and situated to the east of Ballymacormick Point and to the west of the South Brigs Rocks. It hosts a small harbour of Groomsport set within a cove set into its southwestern end. The small harbour has a pier and the recess is fronted and protected from the Lough by a drying shoal containing two small rocky islets Cockle Islands that is extensive at low water but tiny at high water. In its lee are a couple of dozen local boat moorings.

Image: Michael Harpur
Vessels of any size can anchor off outside the harbour in offshore conditions. Smaller, shoal draught vessels may enter the harbour but it is shallow and at least a half tide is required to support a vessel with a draft of up to 1 metre in the harbour area.

Image: Michael Harpur
A single visitor mooring is made available by the Cockle Island Boat Club or a vacant one may be found. This can only accommodate vessels up to 7.5 metres (25 feet) LOA and with a draught of 1 metre or less. Vessels that can take to the bottom may lay alongside the pier if space is available.

Image: Michael Harpur
All berthing arrangments are made by contacting the Harbour Master
How to get in?

Image: Jimmy McNulty (ireman) via CC BY 2.0

Image: Michael Harpur

Image: Michael Harpur
The rear marker is a red pole about 20 metres behind and on the pier, seen close left of the flagstaff when in transit. These are supported at night by Groomsport Harbour's vertical leading lights both flashing green.

Image: Michael Harpur
The alignment leads into the preferred eastern entrance on the east side of the two Cockle Islets and the surrounding rocky shoal that encloses the small harbour. A port hand buoy may be found offshore tracking in and two further starboard perches will be seen marking the extremity of the reef opposite the pierhead.

Image: Michael Harpur
It is essential that these are not confused with the single port and starboard perches on the western entrance.

Image: Michael Harpur
This is also navigable but makes a less clear-cut approach than that on the eastern side adjacent to the pier.

Image: Michael Harpur

Image: Michael Harpur
Those intending on drying out alongside should round the pierhead to berth at the wall if there is sufficient draught to come in, and space available.
Why visit here?
Groomsport derives its name from the Irish 'Port an Ghiolla Ghruama', meaning 'port of the gloomy servant'. The original Irish name was partially anglicised to 'Gillgroomsport' which over the years contracted, to its present form.
Image: Michael Harpur
The harbour was originally thought to host a small Viking settlement in the 9th or 10th century. Nestled in behind the two small rocky outcrops, known as Cockle Island, the natural harbour makes for an ideal base. Cockle Island provides the bay with excellent shelter. Though it appears tiny at high tide an extensive surrounding reef that uncovers at low water and the enclosed area south of the island is always separated from the shore and has, at least, nearly half a metre of water. This made it ideal for the light draught Viking longboats.

Image: William Halsall (1882) painting via Public Domain
In later years fishermen took advantage of the naturally sheltered bay, and a row of fishermen's cottages grew to fringe the harbour. During the 17th century, Groomsport Harbour activity was significant enough, with both legal and illegal trade, to warrant the construction of a customs house with a customs officer to oversee the port's trade and commerce. As a mark of its importance, it was from this small harbour that the very first emigrant ship from Ulster sailed out to America the 'Eagle Wing'. This would turn out to be a dismal but somehow glorious failure that has made it one of the most celebrated events of the formative Ulster-Scots community.

Image: Public Domain
On November 3rd, 1636, after enduring eight weeks of bad weather at sea, the company returned to Carrickfergus Bay and finally dropped anchor in defeat. Remarkably only two people died during the journey and their number was increased by the birth of a child that, as legend has it, was given the name 'Seaborn'. Though they failed to complete the journey, it marked the beginning of thousands that followed in the wake of this small ship. In all over 250,000 Ulster Scots would subsequently depart these shores and transformed what was to become America.
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Image: Massachusetts Office Of Travel & Tourism via CC BY 4.0
But Groomsport’s most notable place in history was to be firmly established fifty years later on the 13th of August 1689. Then Marshal Schomberg, originally von Schönberg, commander-in-chief of the Williamite War in Ireland, landed ten thousand raw and undisciplined men here to defend the Williamite cause against the Jacobite supporters of James II. After capturing Carrickfergus he marched unopposed through a country desolated before him to Dundalk. Knowing his enemy was superior in numbers and battle experience he entrenched himself within Dundalk and declined to be drawn beyond its circle of defences. This turned out to be a bad decision as within the walls disease took more of his number during the winter than they would have sustained by a military defeat.

Image: Public Domain
After the seismic events of the 1600s passed into being a quiet fishing port that by the mid-19th-century has a relatively large fishing fleet of 20 vessels and 80 fishermen. Between 1858 and 1920 a lifeboat station operated from here to provide the fleet with protection. In 1865 the coming of the railway from Holywood to Bangor made the village much more accessible and it became a popular destination for visitors. Fishing, agriculture and loom weaving continued to be the mainstay throughout the Victorian and Edwardian periods until the 1920s.

corner
Image: Public Domain
Today, Groomsport is a picturesque and sleepy fishing village that has developed to become a water and shore-based recreation centre. Although a holiday spot with several caravan parks situated around the village, it still retains its small harbour village identity and character. The layout has a clear focus on the anchorage and pier with the main street extending off it, together with its historic street pattern.

Image: Michael Harpur
One of Groomsport’s main visitor attractions is a vestige of its fishing heritage, the Cockle Row Cottages. These are two 17th-century fishermen's cottages situated at the water's edge, close to the foot of the pier and made obvious by the innermost cottage’s traditional thatch. The 350-year-old dwelling houses indicate their age by being built at right angles to the sea which provided shelter from fierce coastal storms. The cottages were inhabited until the 1950s and were saved from demolition and restored to illustrate the home of a fishing family at the turn of the last century. Furnished with great care to depict the target year of 1910 they offer the visitor an opportunity to step into a little piece of history. Within the building, there is a Tourist Information Centre, a heritage centre, a shop, craft demonstrations plus frequent art exhibitions. Admission is free and they are open daily from June through August. Paintings propped up along the external walls are typically for sale.

Image: Michael Harpur
Throughout the summer months from June through August, the Cockle Row Cottages host a variety of entertainment every weekend afternoon including live music. Activities range from 'teddy bear's picnics' to wildlife road shows and craft activities where you can try your hand at craft making. Groomsport community hall is situated in the historic boathouse that dates back to 1884 and it is here that the 35 years old 'Cockle Island Boat Club' has its home. The heroic attempt of the 'Eagle Wing' is commemorated in the village's annual 'Eagle Wing Festival' in July, a lively three-day celebration of the considerable contribution made by Ulster folk to the American way of life.

Image: Michael Harpur
Hikers may wish to take on the full length of the 'The North Down Coastal Path' that commences here and continues westward along the southern shore of Belfast Lough to finish 21km (13 miles) away at Holywood near Cultra

Image: Michael Harpur
In rough sea conditions, some sections of the route are awash at high tide, so if a big swell is running it may not be possible to complete the walk. Refreshments are available along the walk in the villages and towns of Helen’s Bay, Bangor, and the Woodlands Café offers a wide range of lunches and snacks in Crawfordsburn Country Park.

Image: Michael Harpur
Excellent public transport links are available along the route so the walk may be completed in its entirety or broken into shorter sections. Likewise, the walk is just as easily accessible from any of the locations we have listed on the south side of Belfast Lough. It is recommended that walkers take a shortened section around Ballymacormick Point, described in the Ballyholme Bay

Image: Michael Harpur
From a boating point of view, this is very much worth a day stop or even long draught and weather depending. Few coastal villages can compare with Groomsport for scenic charm, tranquil beauty and historical heritage. It also makes an ideal tidal wait for southbound vessels wishing to optimise the tides in Donaghadee Sound. For those vessels that meet the size restrictions of Groomsport harbour, it is a real pleasure that should not be missed. Although there is only a single visitor mooring there are ninety local moorings alongside, making it a hive of sailing activity.
What facilities are available?
Groomsport harbour is owned and maintained by North Down Borough Council and has two slipway launching points with low tide tie-up posts for boat cleaning and maintenance. Slipway hard-standing areas are available for winter storage, dinghy and trailer storage. Each autumn and spring boat club members organise crane hire for launching and lift-out days - any queries regarding these facilities please contact the Harbour Master.Groomsport's main street has public toilets, a small supermarket that includes a post office, a pub, a coffee shop, and a renowned fish and chip shop, which cater for a domestic population of less than a thousand, but one that can triple during the summer. The park area overlooking the harbour has a recently refurbished children's play area. A bus service is available to Bangor, which is only a few miles away.
Bangor is a prosperous town that is 22 km (13.6 miles) east from the heart of Belfast City Centre on the A2. It has excellent transport connections via trains, and a bus service connection to Belfast city and from there on to any location in Ireland. Flights to domestic and international destinations operate from Belfast City and Belfast International Airports. There are frequent ferry crossings from Belfast and Larne.
For everything else maritime, Bangor Marina is just three miles to the west. This is Northern Ireland's biggest and most prestigious marina offering all facilities 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
Any security concerns?
Never an incident known to have happened to a vessel moored in Groomsport Harbour.With thanks to:
Michael Fitzsimons, Groomsport Harbour Master.


Aerial views of the harbour
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