Southern Ireland - Arrival Ports?

robmcg

robmcg

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This season we are hoping to head to Ireland and on up to Scotland. We are leaving from Plymouth and are hoping to stop off in Falmouth, the Scillies and then on to Ireland. Having not sailed to Ireland before, what is the collective wisdom regarding the best place to arrive? Preference would be a mooring buoy or alongside pontoon with a half decent town/village with plenty of pubs. Any other tips on going across to Ireland also gratefully received - crossing times, journey times, must see's etc. :encouragement:

Rob:o
 
The usual suspect is Kilmore Quay, though this would be a marina pontoon. There are a couple of decent restaurants and a couple more pubs, but it's a small enough place. Leaving Kilmore, timing is everything, given the potential tidal streams through St Patricks Bridge and north to Arklow
 
Kilmore quay not very interesting. Howth much better, easy access
plenty pubs and excellent restaurants. Malahide also good but sandbar
At estuary entrance. Howth best all round.
 
Kilmore Quay is the closest, although a little out of your way if you're heading up the east coast. You can use it to get your tidal timings right heading north.

Next port north for practical purposes is Arklow. Marina is very small and very tight. Often not space on the pontoon in the river. Last resort is going alongside in the fishing harbour. Beware also surge between the piers can be dangerous in the wrong conditions. Enough places to eat & drink in town.

Wicklow's outer harbour is a bit exposed but enough depth alongside the wall. It dries further up. The Bridge (if I remember the name correctly does a good Guiness).

Greystones is a new marina. I'm not sure I'd fancy the entrance in heavy onshore weather (in fact I'm pretty sure I wouldn't). Marina prices don't reflect the demise of the Celtic Tiger (in fact very few do) or the empty space in the marina. Pubs & restaurants in town (it's a commuter town disguised as a village really :D). On DART.

Bray has a drying mud harbour.

Dun Laoghaire has a large marina - also four yacht clubs which variously have a few pontoons and quite a few moorings. Fair size town. Bit run down but not as bad as Holyhead. Again on DART. Entrance best bet in heavy onshore weather, but still beware of reflections off pierheads.

There's a marina at Ringsend on the Liffey - always seems to be pretty full. Hard to get the bridges lifted to go further upstream and Dublin City Moorings hasn't re-opened. See Dublin Port website for guidance notes re the Liffey - Almanac over-eggs it.

Howth. Club marina. Very active club. Quite a few good restaurants nearby - some expensive and you'll have to book in advance at the flash ones. A bit tight for space in the marina and watch the edge of the dredged area is steep and pretty hard.

Malahide. Tidal entrance. Quite shallow, especially in the approaches but fine in the top half of the tide. Nice village, but a bit pretentious and touristy. On DART (as are all the marinas from Greystones north).

There's also Carlingford. Prob one of the best drinking villages in Ireland. Shame about the marina.

If you're in a hurry I guess one of the Dublin marinas would be your best first port of call. If you have more time you can amble up the coast.
 
robmcg said:
Kinsale and Cork worth a visit?
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Yes, and points further west but you'd be going well out of your way.
If Kinsale or Cork (Crosshaven?) appeals, best going direct from Scillies, around 120miles. Watch out for Kinsale gas rigs: exclusion zone between them.
Good advice/info in posts above but the info none has is what winds you'll encounter. You might pencil in Dale (nr Milford Haven) as a back-up if SE Ireland puts wind on the nose. Similarly, whilst Irish east coast is a weather shore in prevailing winds, it's very shallow and can kick up nastily in easterlies, especially with spring tides.
 
robmcg said:
Have all spring and summer this year to get to Scotland. Nice slow meander!:cool:
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In that case, Carlingford is good, as said above. If you can dry against a wall (Tradewind 35?), Carlingford harbour is better than the rough but expensive marina.
Same for Strangford. Both have 'interesting' entrances, especially the latter. Recent thread on pilotage there, well worth reading.

Enjoy your meander.
 
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As has been said Kilmore is a good first arrival - very friendly and nice village. Good jumping off point for Arklow or Wicklow. If you want to do Dublin, I'd recommend going to Howth or Dun Laoghaire and getting the train in. First time we went there we went all the way up to Poolbeg Yacht Club on the river, but even from there it was a long walk on busy commercial roads to reach anything resembling the centre. You'll also be scrubbing your waterline for a good week after from the brown Liffey water. If going to Howth in the summer best to call ahead, I have been turned away from there before because the whole marina was closed to a racing event, and security wouldn't let you take a vacant berth.

If you have a bit of time to kill, and it's sunny and calm, Sorrento Bay is a beautiful anchorage for a long lunch stop before heading up the Dalkey Sound with the afternoon sea breeze into Dublin Bay.
 
If you're to take it easy, you could hit Kilmore, Arklow then Greystones/Dun Laoghaire/Howth/Malahide (pick at least two from the four!),followed by Carlingford, Ardglass, Bangor and then across to Bonny Scotland!
 
Craig Young said:
If you want to do Dublin, I'd recommend going to Howth or Dun Laoghaire and getting the train in. First time we went there we went all the way up to Poolbeg Yacht Club on the river, but even from there it was a long walk on busy commercial roads to reach anything resembling the centre. You'll also be scrubbing your waterline for a good week after from the brown Liffey water.
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All four of the other marinas (Greystones, DL, Howth & Malahide) are close to DART stations.

Poolbeg is the least convenient, but it isn't as isolated as all that. There are very frequent buses into town running through Irishtown and there is the the Luas (tram) at The Point just across the East Link Bridge.
 
I did this in 2013 - Plymouth - Fowey - Helford - Wicklow - Howth - Carlingford Lough (marina is grotty) - Strangford Lough (challenging entrance) - Glenarm - Craighouse. It was a delivery trip, so were not dawdling. Rustler 36.

Anywhere W of Kenmare Quay is going out of your way. Helford - Wicklow is ~240 miles, so 2 days. The rest is daily hops. Wicklow is a nice enough town, although you will have to tie up against the wall. Howth is good, and avoids the detour into Dublin bay. Public transport links along this bit of the coast is good for crew changes - I was just telling my new crew to get to get to Dublin airport, and I would then text them where I was.
 
Minchsailor said:
I did this in 2013 - Plymouth - Fowey - Helford - Wicklow - Howth - Carlingford Lough (marina is grotty) - Strangford Lough (challenging entrance) - Glenarm - Craighouse. It was a delivery trip, so were not dawdling. Rustler 36.

Anywhere W of Kenmare Quay is going out of your way. Helford - Wicklow is ~240 miles, so 2 days. The rest is daily hops. Wicklow is a nice enough town, although you will have to tie up against the wall. Howth is good, and avoids the detour into Dublin bay. Public transport links along this bit of the coast is good for crew changes - I was just telling my new crew to get to get to Dublin airport, and I would then text them where I was.
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Was it in a Rustlers called Talwyn?
 
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