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'''Portaferry''' ({{etymology|ga|Port a' Pheire|landing place of the ferry}}) is a small town in [[County Down]], [[Northern Ireland]], at the southern end of the [[Ards Peninsula]], near the Narrows at the entrance to [[Strangford Lough]]. It is home to the Exploris [[aquarium]] and is well known for the annual Gala Week Float Parade. It hosts its own small Marina, the [[Portaferry Marina]]. The [[Portaferry - Strangford Ferry]] service operates daily at 15-minute intervals (8am to 11pm) between the villages of Portaferry and [[Strangford]], less than a mile apart, conveying about 500,000 passengers per annum. It had a population of 2,514 people in the 2011 Census.<ref name=Cen>{{cite web|title=Portaferry|url=http://www.nisra.gov.uk/census/2011/results/settlements.html|website=Census 2011 Results|publisher=NI Statistics and Research Agency|accessdate=22 April 2015}}</ref> .
Pot fishing, mainly for prawns and crabs and licensed shellfish farming takes place within Strangford Lough. [[Queen's University of Belfast]].<ref>[http://www.qub.ac.uk/bb/mbs/ Marine Laboratory] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060202011806/http://www.qub.ac.uk/bb/mbs/ |date=2 February 2006 }}</ref> have a Marine Research Laboratory on the shorefront and currently the town is also home to a tidal energy research project the Minesto Sea Kite. The Lough is one of the world's most important marine sites with over 2,000 marine species.
There are fine Georgian buildings in the town square, including a Market House, now used as a community centre.
Portaferry Lifeboat is an essential lifeline for local fishermen and yachtsmen. In 1987 a lifeboat house was built aided by money raised through the Belfast Newsletter's Lord Louis Mountbatten Appeal Fund. In 1994 a new Atlantic 75 inshore lifeboat, also named 'Blue Peter V', replaced the Atlantic 21. (The Atlantic 75 is the fastest seagoing lifeboat in the RNLI's fleet and is capable of speeds up to 34 Knots.)<ref>[http://www.portaferrylifeboat.com/ Portaferry Lifeboat]</ref><ref>[http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?co=7&ca=25&to=&sca=&articleID=1690 Culture Northern Ireland – Portaferry Lifeboat Station] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070317062419/http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?co=7&ca=25&to=&sca=&articleID=1690 |date=17 March 2007 }}</ref>
==History==
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[[File:Portaferry ferry.jpg|right|thumb|The Portaferry to Strangford Ferry from Strangford]]
*Portaferry is the home of the Northern Ireland Aquarium – Exploris.<ref>[http://www.exploris.org.uk/ Exploris]</ref> It was opened by [[Ards (borough)|Ards Borough Council]] in 1987 and extended and re-opened by [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]] in 1994 as Exploris. It is now under private management . It is Northern Ireland's premier seal sanctuary and aquarium, featuring a huge walk-through tank and outdoor seal pools.
*[[Transport NI]] an executive agency of the [[Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland)]] operates a car 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 {{convert|0.6|nmi|km|1}} with a typical crossing time of about 8 minutes.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.roadsni.gov.uk/index/strangfordferry/strangfordferry-about.htm| title=About the Ferry| publisher=Northern Ireland Roads Department| accessdate=13 September 2009| deadurl=yes| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207232416/http://www.roadsni.gov.uk/index/strangfordferry/strangfordferry-about.htm| archivedate=7 December 2009| df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Portaferry Castle]] is a small 16th-century [[tower house]] built by William Le Savage.<ref>[http://cloghmore.bravepages.com/down/portaferry.html Portaferry Castle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050504185049/http://cloghmore.bravepages.com/down/portaferry.html |date=4 May 2005 }}</ref> It is a square building with a small projecting turret at the south corner. It is three storeys high plus attic. There is no vault. Most of the eastern corner is ruinous.
==People==
*Bishop [[Robert Echlin (bishop)|Robert Echlin]], [[Bishop of Down and Connor]] (1612–1635) is buried in the ancient ruins of Templecraney, Portaferry off Church St.
*Actor and playwright [[Joseph Tomelty]], born in Portaferry in 1911.<ref>[http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?co=7&ca=29&to=&sca=&articleID=354 Culture Northern ireland – Joseph Tomelty] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070321142531/http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?co=7&ca=29&to=&sca=&articleID=354 |date=21 March 2007 }}</ref>
*Priest, philosopher and poet Father [[Vincent McNabb]] was born in Portaferry.
*Actor [[Oliver Reed]] visited Portaferry regularly up until his death, usually arriving by boat from his holiday home in Cork and staying several days at a time.
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* Exploris [http://www.exploris.org.uk]
*[http://www.portaferrygala.co.uk/ Portaferry Gala Week]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181026/http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/town_Home.aspx?co=7&to=167&ca=0&sca=0&navID=1 Culture Northern Ireland]
*[http://www.portaferrysailingclub.com/ Portaferry Sailing Club]
*[http://www.portaferrygac.com/ Naomh Padraig Port an Pheire, Down Senior Hurling Champions 2006]
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