A lifetime of Islands: Island 288 - Ballyhenry Island, Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland

Thursday, 17 September 2015

Island 288 - Ballyhenry Island, Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland

Ballyhenry Island is located a couple of miles north west of the small town of Portaferry on the eastern shore of Strangford Lough. It is a small tidal island owned by the National Trust. It low lying and is only cut off from the mainland for a short time around high tide. There is only about 20 metres separating the island from the mainland and the island is only about 200 metres long by 200 metres wide. There is a small parking area by the side of the narrow but stunningly beautiful coast road and adjacent to the island.

The island is not grazed and is therefore covered in long rough grass. When I visited in early September 2015 sea mayweed was flowering in many places on the island, along with rosebay willowherb, sea asters and dandelions. There are a few scrubby trees e.g. hawthorn and some gorse bushes. There are no formal paths but there are a few indistinct paths criss crossing the island. On my walk around the island I disturbed a heron. I'm not sure why but I really liked Ballyhenry Island.

There is a navigation light on the western shore of the island below the high tide level.

The wreck of the SS Empire Tana can be clearly seen off the south coast of the island at low water. The ship, which is also known as Lee's Wreck, was built in Trieste in 1923 and originally called Carso. She was captured by the allies from the Italians during the Second World War, renamed Empire Tana and was used during the D Day Landings as a blockship/part of the gooseberry harbour at Sword Beach. She was on her way John Lee's breaker's yard in Ballyhenry Bay in 1946/7 but was blown on to a rock and broke in two. The wreck is now a popular diving site and is noted for its conger eels.