Harbour masterto open museum

Terence, Kim and Jonny Stitt, from Islandmagee, restored and reopened the Victorian harbour in 2015.

They repointed all sea walls, replaced the old pontoons/mooring points, fitted a swingnet to the inner mouth and repaired the limestone steps.

Terence said: “2016 saw a good, steady influx of berth-holders to what must be one of the most idyllic marinas in the north of Ireland.

“We are delighted with the range of fish caught in the area, including Blackhead and The Gobbins, such as plaice;cod; mackerel; haddock; dogfish as well as lobsters and crabs.

“Friends of Whiteharbour have been enjoying its tranquility for canoeing, photography, fishing and just relaxing and watching the ships go by.”

Terence and Kim are now compiling material for a small museum and are asking if anyone would like to donate any item, such as old photos, paintings or stories for display.

Whiteharbour was built in 1850 for the export of lime and bricks.

It had been in use until 1900 and as years progressed, it became silted up. It was dredged in 1989, nearly 100 years later.

Terence, who is also harbour master at Portmuck, in Islandmagee, continued: “An estate agent came to me and asked me if I wanted to buy a harbour.

“Our marina can now cater for boats up to approximately ten metres long with a draft of 1.3 metres.

“We would like to thank everyone involved in the challenging work so far and the current berth-holders and all the friends of Whiteharbour for their invaluable support.

“To view the facilities, please contact us in advance by ringing 0747 0392553.