Clew Bay

Clew Bay (/ˈkluː/; Irish: Cuan Mó) is a large ocean bay on the Atlantic coast of County Mayo, Ireland. It is roughly rectangular and has more than a hundred small islands on its landward side; Ireland's best example of sunken drumlins. The larger Clare Island guards the entrance of the bay.

Clew Bay
Clew Bay from the south
LocationCounty Mayo
Coordinates53°50′N 9°48′W
Native nameCuan Mó (Irish)
EtymologyEnglish name: "bay of hurdles"
Irish name: "Modh's harbour"
River sourcesBunowen 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 sourcesAtlantic Ocean
Basin countriesIreland
IslandsClare Island, Dorinish
SettlementsLouisburgh, Lecanvey, Murrisk, Westport, Newport, Mulranny

The bay is overlooked by Croagh Patrick to the south and the Nephin Beg Mountains to the north. From the southwest part of the bay eastwards are the settlements Louisburgh, Lecanvey, Murrisk, and Westport; north of Westport is Newport, and westwards from there lies Mulranny, gateway to Achill.

History

The bay was historically known in Irish as Cuan Mod ("harbour of Mod") or Modlind ("pool of Mod"), and was associated with the Fir Bolg.[2][3][4] This later became Cuan Modha.[5] Some writers claim that this name derives from Modh, one of the Tuatha Dé Danann.[6] Another possibility is the Old Irish mod, moth, which meant "penis" or "man".[7]

Another old name is Cuan Umhaill ("harbour of Umhaill"). It was rendered in English as "Bay of the Owly" and "Bay of the Owles." Other English names were the Bay of Borace, Horrus, and Baragh, 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".[5]

Clew Bay was the heart of the Gaelic territory of Umhaill, ruled by the Uí Máille (O'Malleys). Umhaill's last and most famous ruler was Grace O'Malley (Gráinne Ní Mháille), nicknamed "the pirate queen". The O'Malleys had a fleet of ships and several castles around Clew Bay, including Carrickkildavnet Castle, Carrickahowley Castle and Granuaile's Castle.

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" (now owned by Mowi) is based in Clare Island.[8]

  • Old Head Wood Nature Reserve (southern edge of Clew Bay
    Old Head Wood Nature Reserve (southern edge of Clew Bay
  • Clew Bay as seen from the top of Croagh Patrick.
    Clew Bay as seen from the top of Croagh Patrick.
  • Clew Bay as seen from Westport.
    Clew Bay as seen from Westport.
  • Memorial for the victims of the Clew Bay Drowning on June 14, 1894 at Kildavenet Graveyard, Achill Island
    Memorial for the victims of the Clew Bay Drowning on June 14, 1894 at Kildavenet Graveyard, Achill Island

Islands of Clew Bay
Satellite view

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

References
  1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. society, Irish archaeological and Celtic (15 April 1844). "Publications". Society. – via Google Books.
  3. Dunraven, Edwin Richard Windham Wyndham-Quin Earl of (15 April 1877). "Notes on Irish Architecture0: II". Gge Bell – via Google Books.
  4. O'Rahilly, Thomas Francis (15 April 1946). "Early Irish History and Mythology". Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies – via Google Books.
  5. "Cuan Mó/Clew Bay". Placenames Database of Ireland.
  6. Survey, Great Britain Ordnance; O'Donovan, John; O'Flanagan, Michael (15 April 1927). "Letters Containing Information Relative to the Antiquities of the Counties [of Ireland: Mayo. 2 v" – via Google Books.
  7. "eDIL - Irish Language Dictionary". www.dil.ie.
  8. "Organic Salmon - Irish Organic Salmon". www.theorganicsalmoncompany.com.
  9. McVeigh, Tracy (22 September 2012). "For sale: John Lennon's dream island where King of the Hippies reigned". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  10. "The Story of Clew Bay from Granuaile to John Lennon". irishtimes.com. The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
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