Hi folks - an information thread tying together all the things you might want to know before this weekend!
Date:
Friday 28 February - 3 March 2003
Hostel information:
Barholm Budget Self-catering Accommodation
http://www.barholmportaferry.co.uk/
11 The Strand, Portaferry, Co Down, N. Ireland, BT22 lPF
Telephone & +44 (0)28 427 29598 Fax +44 (0)28 427 29784
Email Reservations & Inquiries: info@barholmportaferry.co.uk£12.00 GBP per person per night
Self-catering with fully-equipped kitchen, or meals can also be booked with the caterers for an extra charge.
Room 2 - sleeps 3/4 (3 single beds, visitor bed if required)
Room 3 - sleeps 2 (double bed, visitor bed if required)
Room 4 - sleeps 1 (single bed)
Room 5 - sleeps 4/5 (two single beds, set of bunk beds, visitor bed if required)
Room 6 - sleeps 1 (single bed)
Room 7 - sleeps 2/3 (one double bed and one single bed if required)
Room 8 - sleeps 3 (one double bed and one single bed)
Room 9 - sleeps 3 (one double bed and one single bed)
Room 10 - sleeps 1 (one single bed)
Room 11 - sleeps 7/9 (three single beds, two sets of bunk beds and two visitor beds if required)
Room 12 - sleeps 5/7 (three single beds, one set of bunk beds and two visitor beds if required)
Room 13 - sleeps 4 (one double bed, two single beds, visitor bed if required)
Room 14 - sleeps 4 (two single beds, one set of bunk beds)
Information from the previous thread:
Map:
multimap
To: Ireland from: USA, Europe, rest of the world.
Fly to Dublin or Belfast via London - Belfast City airport 30 miles (48Km) Belfast International 50 miles (80Km) from Portaferry.
Both airports have regularly bus services into Belfast city centre.
To: Portaferry from: Belfast
Follow the A20 through Newtownards, Grayabbey, Kircubbin then Portaferry.
To: Portaferry from: Dublin
Follow signs for The North/Newry, then through Downpatrick to Strangford - a 5 minute ferry crossing then takes you to Portaferry.
Ferry Crossings from Strangford - a half-hourly service runs every day, except Christmas Day - only very extreme weather conditions affect crossings.
Times are as follows: - for departures from Portaferry ADD 15 minutes.
First Sailing - Mon-Fri 07:30 Sat 08:00 Sun 09:30
Last Sailing - Mon-Fri 22:30 Sat 23:00 Sun 22:30
Airlines:
Buzz
British Airways
Easyjet
aer arann
British European
Ryanair
BMI (Bristish Midlands)
BMI Baby
Go
Aer Lingus
Sceptre Tours - as Claymore mentioned
Ferries:
Irish Ferries
Stena
Ferrybooker - an online ferry booking company
The area:
Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough (more of a tourism twist)
Some Portaferry info
Accommodation:
Barholm hostel
The Narrows (upmarket guest house)
Fiddlers Green - my local drinking spot, and they do B&B
GoIreland's page
Buses
Translink, the main (or rather, the only) transport company in N.I. runs Ulsterbus, the N.I. bus company.
Ulsterbus timetables
Belfast has 2 main bus stations: Europa (Glengall Street) and Laganside (Donegall Quay). To the best of my knowledge, Laganside is still the one that serves Portaferry.
There aren't any trains. N.I. has about 2 train tracks. Neither go anywhere near the Ards Peninsula.
The best bus route is probably the Belfast - Netwownards - Portaferry bus route, the one which goes via Kircubbin (NOT the one via Portavogie as that takes you right over to the other side of the peninsula).
As I posted in the other thread:
There's a good bus service from Belfast International to Belfast itself. Belfast City airport is only 10 minutes from the city centre.
The bus service to Portaferry is less good. Much less good. But there are buses, and that's the main thing. It takes about an hour or more to go the 30 miles from Belfast by the direct route. I think it's probably 1hr15 mins, and more than likely 1hr30mins given the state of the roads once past Kircubbin (local village where tarmac seems to stop).
The indirect route (serves the other side of the peninsula) takes a good bit longer.
As far as I know, these buses leave Belfast from Laganside bus station on Donegall Quay (NOT Europa bus station on Glengall Street).
From Dublin, it's probably easier to get to Belfast first, and then go to Portaferry, although it's theoretically possible to go Dublin --> Newry --> Newcastle (where the Mountains of Mourne Sweep Down to the Sea) --> Downpatrick --> Strangford --> ferry boat (takes 10 mins) to Portaferry. The hardest part there is probably the very poor Downpatrick to Strangford bus service.
The big long thread I posted above with all the links in it has a link for Ulsterbus timetables.
Price is probably around 4 quid for a single ticket from Belfast - Portaferry.Additional bus posting
Belfast has two main bus stations: Europa (Glengall Street) and Laganside (Donegall Quay).
You get the airport bus from just outside Arrivals at the airport. It takes maybe 30 - 45 minutes to get to Belfast. It will probably go to Europa but you need to catch the bus to Portaferry from Laganside. (NOTE - Fionn says that the airport bus does go to Laganside bus station.) There may be a linking bus between the two bus stations, but it's not that far - it can be walked. When getting the Portaferry bus at Laganside, try to get the more direct one - the one that goes via Kircubbin, rather than the long, windy, tedious one that goes via Portavogie or Ballywalter. Also, ask if you need to change at Newtownards (or in "Ards", as the town is also known). I think there should be direct buses via Kircubbin, but Newtownards is the biggest town along the way, and there's a bus station there that the bus might stop in for a while.
In Portaferry, the bus will drive into the town and will come to The Square - identifiable from the shape and the big Market House and a bus shelter. From there, walk behind the Market House and take the road that goes off to the right, downhill towards the sea and the castle (it will be signposted either "Castle Street" or "The Shambles"). Follow it down to the seafront and turn right. Barholm is on the right just past the lifeboat boathouse.
Driving
For those thinking of hiring a car and driving to Portaferry, here's some directions from the AA.
(Note - where it says "Kircubbin. 7.2 miles at roundabout take first exit" that refers to the roundabout as you reach Portaferry - it's a one way system in the town, and it starts at a roundabout which is actually a white dot in the road, just as you enter Portaferry. There's no roundabout near Kircubbin - it's just a road straight through. You'll know you're going the right way if you follow signs for the ferry from Newtownards onwards. If you're staying at Barholm hostel, it's just opposite the ferry slip. )
Message from CatsPHiddle about instruments:
EVERYONE WHO IS FLYING!!!......I have just got off the phone to easyjet to enquire abou their policy on instruments been taken into the cabin and not put in the hold with the other luggage.....Some airlines have different policies. Good news...they have a new policy and instruments can be taken on board BUT the must fit into the over head luggage bins ...the measurements are......40cm x 127cm x 48cm. They prefer you to leave a 10cm gap all round. So measure up you cases guys!!! My large fiddle case will fit in easy with a lot of room to spare!!!
Food and drink
Okay, lunch on the Saturday - I'm going to cook soup or stew and bake a load of bread, and maybe some potatoes or salad, and bring them down to Barholm for us all to eat - I figure it'll be easier than everyone trying to squeeze into Chez Devlin's (my parent's place).Foodwise, for those self--catering - there are several grocery shops in Portaferry, one of which is on The Square, and another near The Square at the bottom of High Street.
There's a cafe (called "The Square") in (surprise!) The Square, but my sister informs me it's only open Wednesday to Saturday. There's also one called, I believe, Deli-licious. It does the typical lard-loaded Ulster Fry.
There are two chip shops - Joe's Hot Spot and The Ferry Grill, in the same locations as the two shops I just mentioned. There are also two Chinese restaurants, one of which is nearby on High Street. There are some "posher" restaurants - The Cornstore (on the way from Barholm up to The Square) and the designer-organic Narrows along the seafront.Pubwise, I imagine we'll spend most time in Fiddlers Green and Dumigans. Avoid The Quiet Man - if you're over 18 you're too old for it!
Off-licence - Russell Cellars on The Square.
Big list by JudeL
Who, Where, Arrive, Dept
Micca, Catsphiddle: Bfast Intnl 9.25 Fri, 8.55 Mon
Jude, Paul, Robert: Bfast Intnl 15.40 Fri, 17.40 Mon
My guru: Bfast Intnl 15.40 Fri, 17.40 Mon
Leadfingers: Bfast Intnl 15.40 Fri, 12.30 Mon
Cllr Bfast Intnl Fri, 17.40 Mon
Skipjack, Eric: Bfast Intnl 21.40 Fri, 19.55 Sun
Noreen: Bfast Intnl 21.40 Fri, 19.55 Sun
Giok: Bfast City 13.15 Fri, 13.45 Mon
Alanww: Bfast City 13.45 Fri, 10.55 Mon
Fibula Mattock: there before and after as well (more or less)
Philippa: on home ground
Clan Mcmoo (3): Dublin Fri pm, Monday
Tommy: ?
John Moulden: Saturday only
Possibles:
Ard Macha?
Bill Sables?
Diesel?
Brid Widder?
Momnopp & Dylan?
Ed?
Forty- Two on home ground, busy but might pop in if he has time
Events!
I'll probably be in Fiddlers from Friday lunchtime (drinking orange and soda water, lest you think I'm some kind of lush!).
I'll say that I'll definitely be there at a given time... say 3pm? I'll be wearing my Mudcat t-shirt. I might even stick a badge on (it'll be a poxy sticker rather than a finely crafted pin!).Friday
A meet for the early people in Fiddlers, perhaps? Then off to the hostel where it has been said we can play in the conservatory. Then we'll leave a message for the later arrivals as to where we're going that night.Saturday
Lunch in Barholm (cooked by me - hard luck!) at 2pm, provided I can bring the food down there (but since most people are staying there it shouldn't be a problem).
The rest of Saturday is open to anything that goes. Possibly culminating in a session in Dumigan's, all being well. (Thought - if it's sunny and warm, there's also outdoors!)Sunday
Whatever we want!
So there you go - the weekend is what we make it. And very laid back and open to all sorts of suggestions (the weekend, not me... Well, maybe if there was drink involved...). ;)
See you there!