
Killowen is located on the northeastern shore of the Carlingford Lough inlet that is set into Ireland's northeast coastline. It offers an anchorage and a place to pick up moorings off a small village plus the facilities of a local yacht club.
The anchorage offers good protection in the sheltered Carlingford Lough. However, if the wind comes on strong from northwest round to south, it would be more comfortable in the marina on the southern shore. Protection can be sought from a northeasterly by tucking in under the mountain at Wood House half a mile along the coast to the north of Killowen Point. The entire inlet is also subject to heavy squalls descending from the hills in northwest winds. Killowen 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 Killowen
Last modified
July 18th 2018 Summary* Restrictions apply
A good location with careful navigation required for access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
Approximately three hundred metres west of the Carlingford Lough Yacht Club on Killowen point.
What is the initial fix?
The following Carlingford Lough Entrance Initial Fix will set up a final approach:

What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available 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 lough.
- Plan the approach to be at slack water, preferably low water. Tides in the entrance attain rates of up to 5 kn making it virtually impossible for a displacement leisure craft to enter or leave against the tide.
- Carlingford Lough's entrance channel and the dredged channel to Warrenpoint are both narrow channels where sailing vessels of less than 20 metres in length cannot impede ships in transit.
- From the entrance follow the well buoyed and lit commercial channel up the length of the inlet.
- Progress up the inlet until midway between No. 23 and No. 25 Light buoys, the latter being Warrenpoint's first entrance channel marker, and then break off to the north towards the yachts off the club.
- Anchor offshore where the local boat moorings are located.
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 Killowen for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Rostrevor - 0.8 nautical miles NNW
- Carlingford Marina - 1.4 nautical miles S
- Greer’s Quay - 1.6 nautical miles W
- Carlingford Harbour - 2 nautical miles S
- Omeath - 2.3 nautical miles WNW
- Warrenpoint - 2.6 nautical miles WNW
- Greencastle - 3.8 nautical miles SE
- Giles Quay - 5.8 nautical miles SSW
- Kilkeel Harbour - 7.2 nautical miles E
- Newry - 7.6 nautical miles NW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Rostrevor - 0.8 miles NNW
- Carlingford Marina - 1.4 miles S
- Greer’s Quay - 1.6 miles W
- Carlingford Harbour - 2 miles S
- Omeath - 2.3 miles WNW
- Warrenpoint - 2.6 miles WNW
- Greencastle - 3.8 miles SE
- Giles Quay - 5.8 miles SSW
- Kilkeel Harbour - 7.2 miles E
- Newry - 7.6 miles NW
How to get in?

Killowen is a small village based at the foot of the forested Slieve Martin, where the Mountains of Mourne terminate approaching the head on the north-eastern shore of Carlingford Lough inlet.
After passing south of Killowen Point and the No. 23 green starboard buoy, it will be tempting to turn up for Killowen. However, at low water, there is a shallow area of water that extends west of the Killowen Bank and it is best to continue on to the midpoint between the No. 23 and No. 25 Light buoys, the latter marks the entrance to the buoyed Warrenpoint approach channel, before turning north for the anchorage.
No. 25 Green Light buoy – Fl. G 3s position: 54° 04.200’N, 006° 12.100’W
If the wind comes on strong from northeast round to southeast you would be more comfortable in the marina on the southern shore. However, as mentioned above, protection can be sought from a northeasterly by tucking in under the mountain at ‘Wood House’ half a mile along the coast to the north of Killowen Point. The Wood House is a historical building that is easily identified by its gables and chimney. Here you will find better depths closer to the shore with 2 LWS metres available approximately 400 metres from the building on a bearing of 45°.
The Yacht Club has set in place six substantial club moorings that are marked and made available for visitors. The hire rate for boats is £10 per day or part thereof, and there is a reduced weekly rate of £50.
Land at the slip outside Carlingford Lough Yacht Club. If landing at LWS, be prepared to lift your motor and use oars to come in the last length.
Why visit here?
Killowen derives its name from the Irish Cill Eoghain, meaning 'Owen's Church'. It is spelled in many different ways "Eoghain's church", Cill Eoin, or alternatively Cill Abhainn.
Lewis, writing in 1836, speaks of the remains of the old church of Killowen in his time and he puts them on a par with the ruins of the former parish church in Kilbroney. But it is thought that these remains must have occupied the old site in Kilfeaghan and the position of the church that provided Killowen with its name remains a mystery. The first post-Reformation church in Killowen district was erected in 1779 and is now used as a school. The first stones of Killowen’s current ‘Church of the Sacred Heart’ were only laid in 1870 and it was opened in 1872. Whatever the case Killowen’s history goes back much further to megalithic times for this is an ancient part of the country.

Another prehistoric site was discovered by chance on the shore of the loch near Killowen in 1976. Unearthed in advance of a road widening scheme the Ballinran Court Tomb, sometimes known as the Giant's Grave, was situated close to the shore of Carlingford Lough. The tomb had a very long gallery, over 12 metres long, aligned north-south, opening onto an approximately circular forecourt at its north end. No traces survived of the cairn or any kerb or revetment. One of the two portal-stone sockets still contained the fractured stump of the stone which had stood in it. No burial deposits could be found in situ, although some cremated bones, presumably human, and three primary flint flakes were found.
From a boating perspective, the small village provides another excellent anchoring location on the lough. Its primary attraction are the excellent facilities provided by Carlingford Lough Yacht Club.
What facilities are available?
Carlingford Lough Yacht Club has a bar and shower facilities that are available when it is open. They are more than helpful and delighted to assist visiting boatmen. Please do return the compliment by providing custom to their bar etc. Minor repairs can be undertaken here or at nearby Rostrevor and Warrenpoint.Two miles away Rostrevor village has a population of 2500, and is popular among holiday-makers so expect to find almost all provisioning necessities there. Nearby Warrenpoint has excellent road links and bus services available to Carlingford/Cooley as well as the major population centres of Ireland. International air services are available from Belfast airport 96 km. Minor repairs can be undertaken.
Useful transport contacts in this area:
Dundalk Train Station + 353 42 933 5521
Dundalk Bus Station + 353 42 9334075
Newry Bus Station + 44 28 30623531
Newry Train Station + 44 28 30269271
Any security concerns?
Never an issue known to have occurred at Killowen and Carlingford Lough Yacht Club.With thanks to:
Charlie Kavanagh ISA/RYA Yachtmaster Instructor/Examiner and Henry McLaughlin Carlingford Lough Yacht Club secretary. Photography with thanks to P Flannagan, Garry Harper and Eric Jones.




A Northern Ireland tourist board overview
Views of the Kilfeaghan Dolmen and the view from the top of Slieve Martin
About Killowen
Killowen derives its name from the Irish Cill Eoghain, meaning 'Owen's Church'. It is spelled in many different ways "Eoghain's church", Cill Eoin, or alternatively Cill Abhainn.

Lewis, writing in 1836, speaks of the remains of the old church of Killowen in his time and he puts them on a par with the ruins of the former parish church in Kilbroney. But it is thought that these remains must have occupied the old site in Kilfeaghan and the position of the church that provided Killowen with its name remains a mystery. The first post-Reformation church in Killowen district was erected in 1779 and is now used as a school. The first stones of Killowen’s current ‘Church of the Sacred Heart’ were only laid in 1870 and it was opened in 1872. Whatever the case Killowen’s history goes back much further to megalithic times for this is an ancient part of the country.

Another prehistoric site was discovered by chance on the shore of the loch near Killowen in 1976. Unearthed in advance of a road widening scheme the Ballinran Court Tomb, sometimes known as the Giant's Grave, was situated close to the shore of Carlingford Lough. The tomb had a very long gallery, over 12 metres long, aligned north-south, opening onto an approximately circular forecourt at its north end. No traces survived of the cairn or any kerb or revetment. One of the two portal-stone sockets still contained the fractured stump of the stone which had stood in it. No burial deposits could be found in situ, although some cremated bones, presumably human, and three primary flint flakes were found.
From a boating perspective, the small village provides another excellent anchoring location on the lough. Its primary attraction are the excellent facilities provided by Carlingford Lough Yacht Club.
Other options in this area
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Alternatively here are the ten nearest havens available in picture view:
Coastal clockwise:
Rostrevor - 0.5 miles NNWWarrenpoint - 1.6 miles WNW
Newry - 4.7 miles NW
Omeath - 1.4 miles WNW
Greer’s Quay - 1 miles W
Coastal anti-clockwise:
Greencastle - 2.4 miles SEKilkeel Harbour - 4.5 miles E
Annalong Harbour - 6.6 miles E
Newcastle Harbour - 8.1 miles NE
Dundrum Harbour - 10.1 miles NE
Navigational pictures
These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for Killowen.



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Picture view | On |
A Northern Ireland tourist board overview
Views of the Kilfeaghan Dolmen and the view from the top of Slieve Martin
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