
Newry is located three miles up the Newry River which flows from the head of the Carlingford Lough inlet on Ireland's northeastern coastline. It is a provincial city reached by way of a canal currently solely used by leisure craft accessed via a single lock near the Warrenpoint Port at high water. The newly designated city provides berths alongside its town quay.
Set miles inland within a secure lock-in canal Newry offers complete protection from all conditions. The canal is 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 Newry
Last modified
July 18th 2018 Summary* Restrictions apply
A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
At the town quay outside the Quays’ Shopping centre.
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.
- Bookings must be carried out at least 48 hours prior to arrival with Newry Tourist Information.
- Plan the approach to Carlingford Lough 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.
- Victoria Lock is just under 2 miles upstream from the Port of Warrenpoint at the head of Carlingford Lough and only approachable at high water. The Lock gates are operable 1 hour before to 1 hour after High water, but council limits their use to daylight hours.
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 Newry for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Warrenpoint - 5.2 nautical miles SE
- Omeath - 5.6 nautical miles SE
- Greer’s Quay - 6.8 nautical miles SSE
- Rostrevor - 6.8 nautical miles SE
- Killowen - 7.6 nautical miles SE
- Carlingford Marina - 8.7 nautical miles SE
- Carlingford Harbour - 9.3 nautical miles SE
- Dundalk - 9.7 nautical miles S
- Greencastle - 11.4 nautical miles SE
- Giles Quay - 11.5 nautical miles SSE
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Warrenpoint - 5.2 miles SE
- Omeath - 5.6 miles SE
- Greer’s Quay - 6.8 miles SSE
- Rostrevor - 6.8 miles SE
- Killowen - 7.6 miles SE
- Carlingford Marina - 8.7 miles SE
- Carlingford Harbour - 9.3 miles SE
- Dundalk - 9.7 miles S
- Greencastle - 11.4 miles SE
- Giles Quay - 11.5 miles SSE
How to get in?

The Albert Basin is situated in the City of Newry. It is reached by passing through the Victoria Lock, on its seaward end, and transiting the Newry Ship Canal. The Victoria Lock is situated on the Southern shore of the Newry River, just under 2 miles upstream from the Port of Warrenpoint at the head of Carlingford Lough.
The essential first step for any planned visit to Newry is to contact Newry Tourist Information to obtain approval. Advance bookings must be carried out at least 48 hours prior to arrival. Victoria Lock was automated in 2007 and a council official must open and close the lock gates. Therefore this must be all prearranged in advance. Where weekend access is required, notice should be given during office hours. If possible it is best to arrange a transit during normal council working hours as an out-of-hours operation charge could be applied.
Contact: Newry Tourist Information Centre, Bagenal’s Castle, Newry.
P: +44 28 3031 3170 E: newrytic@newryandmourne.gov.uk.
The Tourism Office will provide a booking form and other useful documentation. Their booking form must be completed, signed and returned in advance. Owners may be asked to send a copy of the vessels insurance details as part of this process. Any berthing or transit fee payments may be made in Sterling either on arrival or during the stay at the ‘Albert Basin’ in Newry.
Once this is all in hand then it is simply a matter of pilotage.
The area upriver of Warrenpoint dries at low water and the Victoria Lock is tidal. The lock gates are operable only one hour before and after high water and the council limits their use to daylight hours. Consequently, it is most likely that the canal may only be entered or exited once a day. As such it may be advisable to plan on using Warrenpoint as a staging berth for the canal transit.


Victoria Lock – position: 54° 07.583’N, 006° 18.330’W
Beyond the lough, the canal provides 3.3 metres of depth for the 3.2 miles up to Newry’s ‘Albert Basin’. There is no air draft, or height restriction, for vessels approaching the Victoria Lock chamber or Albert Basin. However, a maximum boat speed of 4 knots should not be exceeded at any time in the canal. Once through Victoria Lough, it is simply a matter of enjoying the canal passage up the valley between the mountains.
The Albert Basin provides a 186-metre long deep water quay for visiting craft with ample mooring bollards. In the past, the canal was used by commercial coasters so the turning capability in Albert Basin is ample. Vessels of up to 60 metres can be accommodated in Victoria Lock chamber and turned in Albert Basin.
Why visit here?
Newry derives its name from its Irish name Iúr Cinn Trá meaning "Yew at the strand's head", the short form of which is An tIúr meaning "the Yew". It is believed that this name goes back to the 5th century and to the nation’s patron saint. Legend has it that St. Patrick planted a Yew tree here as he arrived up the Clanrye River and thereby founded a settlement with a monastic base.
There is no doubt that Newry is one of Ireland's oldest towns and it predates the vast majority of its current buildings. Located at the head of the ‘Moyry Pass’, better known as the 'Gap of the North', between Slieve Gullion, the Cooley Mountains and Dundalk Bay, it was a well placed settlement. The 'Gap of the North' was created by the last Ice Age leaving a close chain of drumlins across Ireland with just one break. With much of the terrain wooded and mountainous, in ancient times this location was the only entry or exit to Ulster. Through this central pass the men of Ulster sailed forth to harry the tribes of Leinster in the days of the Fianna legends. It was the scene of a great battle between Lord Mountjoy and Hugh O’Neill in 1600. The Gap is also linked to several episodes in the epic Cattle Raid of Cooley. The geography and landscape determined the nation’s history, and certainly the development of the small settlement at Newry.

The town encountered today grew from a garrison and market town. Industrialisation saw Newry become an important port and a linen textile centre. This was largely driven by the construction of the Newry Ship Canal in the decade between 1731 through to 1741. The canal was built to link the Tyrone coalfields, via Lough Neagh and the River Bann, to the Irish Sea at Carlingford Lough. The objective of the canal was to provide a transport route from the Tyrone coalfields to Dublin to enable the city to become self-sufficient in coal. The city relied upon imports from mainland Britain that were often intermittent. On completion, it was the first summit-level canal in Britain or Ireland. Once the canal was complete and operational Newry grew to be the fourth most important port nationally and a new cosmopolitan merchant elite came to the town. The epic canal was an ambitious project but its commercially viable operational lifespan was remarkably short. A railway laid right alongside almost the length of the canal became the preferred method of moving freight in the 20th century. The port and textile industry rapidly declined after World War 1, with Warrenpoint taking over the role as a port for the area. The former warehouses have now found new functions as shops and apartments.

The area surrounding Newry is the Gateway to the North, nestling between two areas of outstanding natural beauty which are the splendid Mountains of Mourne in South Down and the Ring of Gullion in South Armagh. It is a beautiful scenic area steeped in history, mythology and legend where you will find plenty to enjoy. The canal itself continues on beyond Newry towards the River Bann and Lough Neagh with the River Clanrye looping around County Down.

Alongside the quay area, there are a host of attractions including a variety of pubs and restaurants all within a short stroll. Also being one of the province's oldest towns, it has a wide range of historical interest.

What facilities are available?
Electricity and water supply points are available along the quay, located on the wharf, but their use is subject to prior approval. Cables must not be left connected to the electricity supply when the boat is unoccupied.Newry is the fourth-largest city in Northern Ireland, the eighth in Ireland, and the "Basin" is situated in the heart of Newry’s retail centre which makes it one of the best locations for provisioning and shopping in the Carlingford Lough area, if not the best on the whole of the east coast. The Quays shopping centre, just beside the Albert Basin, also has a cinema and more importantly public toilets. There is a chandlery in the industrial estate on the other side of the river from the Quays. There is also a B&Q store although it's quite a distance from the basin.
Newry also has excellent railway connections, with the rail station just off the Camlough road offering cross border services on the Dublin-Belfast line – with international airports in both cities. It also has a major new bus station with a comprehensive bus service. Newry is on the main M1/A1 route from Dublin to Belfast. It is 34 miles (60 km) from Belfast and 67 miles (108 km) from Dublin.
Useful transport contacts in this area:
Newry Bus Station P: +44 28 30623531
Newry Train Station P: +44 28 30269271
Dundalk Train Station P: +353 42 933 5521
Dundalk Bus Station P: +353 42 9334075
Any security concerns?
The Albert Basin is an open quay with unrestricted public access at all times. Newry & Mourne District Council accepts no liability for vessels berthing there. Boat owners are responsible for their own security measures. However the basin is opposite the Quays Shopping Centre, that operates CCTV with security staff.With thanks to:
Brian McJury, Warrenpoint Harbour Master and Brian Lennon. Photography with thanks to Brian Lennon, Henry Clark, Eric Jones, Deckyno9 and Aubrey Dale.
An informative Northern Ireland tourist board overview
About Newry
Newry derives its name from its Irish name Iúr Cinn Trá meaning "Yew at the strand's head", the short form of which is An tIúr meaning "the Yew". It is believed that this name goes back to the 5th century and to the nation’s patron saint. Legend has it that St. Patrick planted a Yew tree here as he arrived up the Clanrye River and thereby founded a settlement with a monastic base.

There is no doubt that Newry is one of Ireland's oldest towns and it predates the vast majority of its current buildings. Located at the head of the ‘Moyry Pass’, better known as the 'Gap of the North', between Slieve Gullion, the Cooley Mountains and Dundalk Bay, it was a well placed settlement. The 'Gap of the North' was created by the last Ice Age leaving a close chain of drumlins across Ireland with just one break. With much of the terrain wooded and mountainous, in ancient times this location was the only entry or exit to Ulster. Through this central pass the men of Ulster sailed forth to harry the tribes of Leinster in the days of the Fianna legends. It was the scene of a great battle between Lord Mountjoy and Hugh O’Neill in 1600. The Gap is also linked to several episodes in the epic Cattle Raid of Cooley. The geography and landscape determined the nation’s history, and certainly the development of the small settlement at Newry.

The town encountered today grew from a garrison and market town. Industrialisation saw Newry become an important port and a linen textile centre. This was largely driven by the construction of the Newry Ship Canal in the decade between 1731 through to 1741. The canal was built to link the Tyrone coalfields, via Lough Neagh and the River Bann, to the Irish Sea at Carlingford Lough. The objective of the canal was to provide a transport route from the Tyrone coalfields to Dublin to enable the city to become self-sufficient in coal. The city relied upon imports from mainland Britain that were often intermittent. On completion, it was the first summit-level canal in Britain or Ireland. Once the canal was complete and operational Newry grew to be the fourth most important port nationally and a new cosmopolitan merchant elite came to the town. The epic canal was an ambitious project but its commercially viable operational lifespan was remarkably short. A railway laid right alongside almost the length of the canal became the preferred method of moving freight in the 20th century. The port and textile industry rapidly declined after World War 1, with Warrenpoint taking over the role as a port for the area. The former warehouses have now found new functions as shops and apartments.

The area surrounding Newry is the Gateway to the North, nestling between two areas of outstanding natural beauty which are the splendid Mountains of Mourne in South Down and the Ring of Gullion in South Armagh. It is a beautiful scenic area steeped in history, mythology and legend where you will find plenty to enjoy. The canal itself continues on beyond Newry towards the River Bann and Lough Neagh with the River Clanrye looping around County Down.

Alongside the quay area, there are a host of attractions including a variety of pubs and restaurants all within a short stroll. Also being one of the province's oldest towns, it has a wide range of historical interest.

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:
Omeath - 3.5 miles SEGreer’s Quay - 4.2 miles SSE
Carlingford Marina - 5.4 miles SE
Carlingford Harbour - 5.8 miles SE
Giles Quay - 7.2 miles SSE
Coastal anti-clockwise:
Warrenpoint - 3.2 miles SERostrevor - 4.2 miles SE
Killowen - 4.7 miles SE
Greencastle - 7.1 miles SE
Kilkeel Harbour - 8.7 miles ESE
Navigational pictures
These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for Newry.








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An informative Northern Ireland tourist board overview
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