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 | |
|---|---|
| Cuan Mó (Irish) | |
 Clew Bay from the south | |
 | |
| Location | County Mayo |
| Coordinates | 53°50′N 9°48′W / 53.833°N 9.800°W |
| 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, Dorinish |
| Settlements | Louisburgh, 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
editThe 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.[citation needed]
In 2024, the discovery of a submerged late Bronze Age fort from the depths of Clew Bay was announced by a team from Connemara and Mayo County Council.[8][9]
Inishgort Lighthouse
editInishgort Lighthouse stands on the island of Inishgort, 5 km (3.1 mi) from Murrisk.
Fish farming in Clew Bay
editIn 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.[10]
Gallery
edit-
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 Westport. -
Memorial for the victims of the Clew Bay Drowning on June 14, 1894 at Kildavenet Graveyard, Achill Island
Islands of Clew Bay
edit.jpg)
The bay is also home to Dorinish, a private island purchased by John Lennon in 1967.[11] Glenans Ireland, a non-profit sailing school, had a branch on Collanmore Island where sailing was taught.[citation needed]
Legend has it that Clew Bay has 365 islands in it—"an island for every day of the year".[12][13] 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.[citation needed]
Drumlin islands, sandbars, and rocks
editThis 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.[14]
| 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
editReferences
edit- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 November 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ society, Irish archaeological and Celtic (15 April 1844). "Publications". Society. – via Google Books.
- ^ Dunraven, Edwin Richard Windham Wyndham-Quin Earl of (15 April 1877). "Notes on Irish Architecture0: II". Gge Bell – via Google Books.
- ^ O'Rahilly, Thomas Francis (15 April 1946). "Early Irish History and Mythology". Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Cuan Mó/Clew Bay". Placenames Database of Ireland.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "eDIL - Irish Language Dictionary". www.dil.ie.
- ^ Altuntas, Leman; Altuntaş, Leman (1 April 2024). "Archaeologists discovered a sunken prehistoric fort in Clew Bay island". Arkeonews. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ Radley, Dario (1 April 2024). "Submerged prehistoric fort uncovered in Clew Bay island". Archaeology News Online Magazine. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "Organic Salmon - Irish Organic Salmon". www.theorganicsalmoncompany.com.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Clew Bay Islands in Co. Mayo". mayo-ireland.ie. Mayo Ireland Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ Palumbo, Amanda (23 October 2022). "Clew Bay, County Mayo". thewildatlanticway.com. Wild Atlantic Way. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ "The Story of Clew Bay from Granuaile to John Lennon". irishtimes.com. The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
External links
edit
Media related to Clew Bay at Wikimedia Commons- Skippered charters on Clew Bay, with photos and information
