Viking reenactors will be in Strangford and will tell the shared Viking story of the two villages to visitors. Full-size replica longships will be on display and on the lough. Sailors from the Vikings TV Series will tell you about their adventures.
Viking reenactors will be in Portaferry and will tell the shared Viking story of the two villages to visitors. A full-size replica longship will be on display.
Primary school children from the wider Strangford and Portaferry areas are being visited by some of our fierce Vikings and will make an artwork to go on display.
Primary school children from the wider Strangford and Portaferry areas are being visited by some of our fierce Vikings and will make an artwork to go on display. The winner from each school will receive a family ticket to the amazing Ballydugan Medieval Village near Downpatrick.
An archaeologist, specialising in ceramics from the neolithic to the Viking era, will talk about construction and design. This is a two part event, the first of which takes place on 25 March in Strangford. In Part 2, Jacqui will expand on the contribution Vikings made to ceramics in Ireland. She will show replica items made in her own kiln.
Two of Europe's leading exponents of Celtic knotwork meet to discuss their work. A rare opportunity to meet this quality of practitioner face to face. This is a two part event, part 1 takes place in Strangford on 25 March.
Sean Parry and Sean Fitzgerald will debate if there was a natural artistic progression during the Viking era, or whether the Vikings copied Celtic art forms.
Come along and make your own demijohn of Viking mead, under the instruction of local foraging and hedgerow cuisine tutor Alison McGrenaghan and Norway's own Oddgeir Lutzen.
Come along and make your own demijohn of Viking mead, under the instruction of local foraging and hedgerow cuisine tutor Alison McGrenaghan and Norway's own Oddgeir Lutzen.
An evening with a difference! There is nothing more magical than being on your Paddleboard and watching the sun setting into a beautiful purple sky as the glow reflects off the water!
Following the torchlit parade and declaration of war by the followers of King Magnus Barelegs at the steps of Portico, the Viking celebration will begin!
***Temporary Suspension of Normal Ferry Service **** Essential health and safety work will be carried out at slipways in Portaferry and Strangford, 14 October 2024 and last for 5 weeks. Alternative arrangements intended for passengers include a passenger only ferry operating a reduced timetable.
Strangford Lough was originally called Loch Cuan which means the quiet lough. When the Vikings came they renamed it Strang Fjord (Strangford) which means the ‘fjord of the strong currents’. The Narrows is renowned for its’ fierce currents. Read more about the history of the Vikings in the region.
With over 100 miles of coastline, many Areas of Special Scientific Interest and a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty we want to protect this special place and the impact we have on our natural surroundings.