Clew Bay

Clew Bay (/ˈkluː/; Irish: Cuan Mó) is a natural ocean bay in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. It contains Ireland's best example of sunken drumlins. The bay is overlooked by Croagh Patrick to the south and the Nephin Range mountains of North Mayo. Clare Island guards the entrance of the bay. From the southwest part of the bay eastwards are Louisburgh, Lecanvey, Murrisk, and Westport; north of Westport is Newport, and westwards from there lies Mulranny, gateway to Achill. From the south side of the bay, between Clare Island and Achill, Bills Rocks can be seen.

Clew Bay
Overlooking Murrisk and Clew Bay
Location	County Mayo
Coordinates	53°50′N 9°48′W
Native name	Cuan Mó  (Irish)
Etymology	English name: "bay of hurdles" Irish name: "Modh's harbour"
River sources	Bunowen river network, Owenmore river network, Newport river network, Srahmore river, Carrowbeg River, Moyour River, Owenglasbreen Stream, Owenwee River, Owennabrockagh river, Rossow river[1]
Ocean/sea sources	Atlantic Ocean
Basin countries	Ireland
Islands	Clare Island
Settlements	Louisburgh, Lecanvey, Murrisk, Westport, Newport, Mulranny

History

Map c. 1890

The bay was anciently known in Irish as Cuan Mod[h] ("Mod Harbour") or Modlind ("Mod Pool"), and was associated with the Fir Bolg.[2][3][4] Some writers claim that this name derives from Modh, one of the Tuatha Dé Danann.[5] Another possibility is the Old Irish mod, moth, which meant "penis"; it is possible that the bay was imagined as a penis thrusting into the land.[6]

Another old name is Cuan Umaill ("harbour of Umhaill"), which was rendered in English as "Bay of the Owly", and then "Bay of the Owles." The English names Bay of Borace, Horrus, Baragh and Boruce are all recorded, all references to Burrishoole (Buiríos Umhaill). The name Clew Bay, of uncertain origin, first appears in a 1714 map; it may be derived from cliath, "hurdle".[7]

Clew Bay was the focus of the O'Malley family possessions in the Middle Ages, and is associated especially with Grace O'Malley or Granuaile. She is known as the Pirate Queen who commanded a fleet of ships and maintained several castles, including those on Clare Island, Achill and Rockfleet.

During the Irish Civil War in July 1922, 400 Free State troops were landed at Clew Bay to take Westport and Castlebar from Anti-Treaty forces.

Inishgort Lighthouse

Inishgort Lighthouse stands on the island of Inishgort, 5 km (3.1 mi) from Murrisk.

Fish farming in Clew Bay

In recent years there has been controversy over fish-farming in the bay. "The Organic Salmon Company" is based in Clare Island.[8]

Gallery

• 
  Clew Bay as seen from the top of Croagh Patrick.
• 
  Clew Bay as seen from the foot of Croagh Patrick.
• 
  Memorial for the victims of the Clew Bay Drowning on June 14, 1894 at Kildavenet Graveyard, Achill Island

Islands of Clew Bay

The bay is also home to Dorinish, a private island purchased by John Lennon in 1967.[9] Glenans Ireland, a non-profit sailing school, had a branch on Collanmore Island where sailing was taught.

Legend has it that Clew Bay has 365 islands in it—"an island for every day of the year". The large number of drumlins at the east end of the bay gave rise to this myth, but in fact there are not so many.

Drumlin islands, sandbars, and rocks

See also: List of islands of County Mayo

This chart shows the relative positions of the islands, sandbars, and rocks in the eastern half of Clew Bay. There are 141 named islands and islets within the bay.[10]

	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96
96		Inishkeel	Inishbobunnan (Unnamed)	Beetle Island North Inishlim
95	Moynish More	Black Rock Inisherkin	Inishgowla Beetle Island South Inishnacross	Inishtubrid	Inishquirk		Illannambraher	Roslynagh	Gobfadda Kid Island East		Forillan Illanavrick Camel Island
94	Moynish Beg	Inishcooa Roeillaun	Inishdeashmore Inishdeashbeg	Inishilra Inishcarrick Inishcorky		Inishdasky Inishcoragh (Unnamed)	Freaghillanluggagh	Inishdaweel Muckinish Illanascraw	Inishturlin	Rabbit Island
93				Inishcannon	Inisheanmore Rock Carrickachorra Carricklahan	Freaghillan West Inishkee	Freaghillan East Inishcuill West Inishfesh	Inishcuill Carrickwee		Rosbarnagh Island Carrigeennaronty
92					Inishoo	Illanmaw Inishgowla	Mauherillan Inishlaughil	Inishmolt Inishbollog	Inishdaff	Inishloy
91					Inishbee	Calf Island Derrinish	Inishcottle	Illannaconney Inishnakillew	Inishturk Beg
90					Rabbit Island	Knocky-Cahillaun Quinnsheen Island	Freaghillan Moneybeg Island Clynish Illaunnamona	Carrigeenglass North Trawbaun Carrigeenglass	Atticlea Island
89					Island More	Collan Beg	Collan More Carrigeenglass South
88					Inishgort	Inishlyre
87				Dorinish More	Inishlaghan	Crovinish Carrickwee	Illanataggart Rocky Island
86		Creggandillisk			Dorinish Beg Inishimmel	Inishleague	Inishgowla South Inishraher	Forillan Carrickawart Island Finnaun Island	Stony Island		Cleavlagh Strand
85					Carrickataha	Bartraw Inishdaugh	Inisheeny	Corillan Carricknamore	Green Islands	Carricknacaly	Monkellys Rocks Inishweela Illanroe
84						Cahernaran Island			Annagh Island West Sruffanbaun Strand	Annagh Island East Illanatee
83									Annagh Island Middle Roeillan

See also

• Clew Bay Heritage Centre
• Wild Atlantic Way

References

1. http://www.wfdireland.ie/docs/1_River%20Basin%20Management%20Plans%202009%20-%202015/WRBD%20RBMP%202010/Water%20Management%20Unit%20Action%20Plans/Clew%20Bay%20WMU_190310.pdf
2. society, Irish archaeological and Celtic (April 15, 1844). "Publications". Society. – via Google Books.
3. Dunraven, Edwin Richard Windham Wyndham-Quin Earl of (April 15, 1877). "Notes on Irish Architecture0: II". Gge Bell – via Google Books.
4. O'Rahilly, Thomas Francis (April 15, 1946). "Early Irish History and Mythology". Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies – via Google Books.
5. Survey, Great Britain Ordnance; O'Donovan, John; O'Flanagan, Michael (April 15, 1927). "Letters Containing Information Relative to the Antiquities of the Counties [of Ireland: Mayo. 2 v" – via Google Books.
6. "eDIL - Irish Language Dictionary". www.dil.ie.
7. "Cuan Mó/Clew Bay". Logainm.ie.
8. "Organic Salmon - Irish Organic Salmon". www.theorganicsalmoncompany.com.
9. McVeigh, Tracy (2012-09-22). "For sale: John Lennon's dream island where King of the Hippies reigned". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
10. "The Story of Clew Bay from Granuaile to John Lennon". irishtimes.com. The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 May 2020.

Other projects

Media related to Clew Bay at Wikimedia Commons

External links

• Skippered charters on Clew Bay, with photos and information