Whistlin' Donkeys

The Portico of Ards ('Portico') is an Arts and Heritage Centre in Portaferry, County Down, at the mouth of Strangford Lough in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (45 mins south of Belfast).

Built in 1841, Portico is a venue with unique grade A listed Greek architecture. It is owned by the charity Portico of Ards Ltd. but still used every Sunday morning by the Portaferry Presbyterian congregation (now our tenants).

Portico was restored and reopened in 2016 as a venue for events: Classical, Comedy, Country, Folk, Jazz, Organ, Pop, Rock, Theatre and more!

We also offer guided tours of the architecture, heritage exhibitions and the refurbished organ with its spectacular modern console.

Portico is a social enterprise that aims to make life better for locals and visitors. We believe that arts and heritage brings joy to individuals and social and economic benefits to the wider community by attracting visitors and local spend.

We are a charity, operating on a not-for-profit basis. We rely on income from our events, grants from Arts funders such as the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Ards and North Down Borough Council and donations from individuals and organisations. If you'd like to donate, please follow this link to find out more.

Our wonderful team of volunteers make it all happen. If you'd like to find out more about volunteering, take a look here

For further information please see our website.