Clew Bay (; ga, Cuan Mó) is a natural ocean bay in County Mayo,

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

. It contains Ireland's best example of sunken

drumlins A drumlin, from the Irish Gaelic, Irish word ''droimnín'' ("littlest ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacier, glacial ice acting on und ...

. The bay is overlooked by Croagh Patrick to the south and the Nephin Range mountains of North Mayo.

Clare Island Clare Island ( or ''Oileán Chliara''), also historically Inishcleer, is a mountainous island guarding the entrance to Clew Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. Historically part of the kingdom of Umhaill, it is famous as the home of the 15th century pi ...

guards the entrance of the bay. From the southwest part of the bay eastwards are

Louisburgh Louisburgh () is a small town on the southwest corner of Clew Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It is home to Sancta Maria College and the Gráinne O'Malley Interpretive Centre. Transport Road access Louisburgh is located on the R335 regional r ...

Lecanvey Lecanvey () or Leckanvy () is a seaside village in County Mayo, Ireland, between Westport and Louisburgh, about 2 km west of Murrisk. It has a small beach with Lecanvey Pier. To the south is Croagh Patrick. To the west is Clare Island. ...

Murrisk Murrisk () is a village in County Mayo, Ireland, on the south side of Clew Bay, about 8 km west of Westport and 4 km east of Lecanvey. Murrisk lies at the foot of Croagh Patrick and is the starting-point for pilgrims who visit the m ...

, and Westport; north of Westport is Newport, and westwards from there lies Mulranny, gateway to

Achill Achill Island (; ga, Acaill, Oileán Acla) in County Mayo is the largest of the Irish isles, and is situated off the west coast of Ireland. It has a population of 2,594. Its area is . Achill is attached to the mainland by Michael Davitt Brid ...

. From the south side of the bay, between Clare Island and Achill, Bills Rocks can be seen.

History

The bay was anciently known in Irish as ''Cuan Mod'' 'h''("Mod Harbour") or ''Modlind'' ("Mod Pool"), and was associated with the

Fir Bolg In medieval Irish myth, the Fir Bolg (also spelt Firbolg and Fir Bholg) are the fourth group of people to settle in Ireland. They are descended from the Muintir Nemid, an earlier group who abandoned Ireland and went to different parts of Europe. ...

. Some writers claim that this name derives from Modh, one of the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gae ...

. Another possibility is the

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...

''mod'', ''moth'', which meant "

penis A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males d ...

"; it is possible that the bay was imagined as a penis thrusting into the land. Another old name is ''Cuan Umaill'' ("harbour of

Umhaill Umhaill or Umhall (anglicized as Owill or Owel) was a Gaelic territory around Clew Bay in the west of what is now County Mayo, Ireland, comprising the baronies of Burrishoole (Lower Owel) and Murrisk (Upper Owel). By the 12th century, its ru ...

"), 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 A hurdle (UK English, limited US English) is a moveable section of light fence. In the United States, terms such as "panel", "pipe panel" or simply "fence section" are used to describe moveable sections of fencing intended for agricultural us ...

". Clew Bay was the focus of the O'Malley family possessions in the Middle Ages, and is associated especially with

Grace O'Malley Grace O'Malley ( – c. 1603), also known as Gráinne O'Malley ( ga, Gráinne Ní Mháille, ), was the head of the Ó Máille dynasty in the west of Ireland, and the daughter of Eóghan Dubhdara Ó Máille. In Irish folklore she is commonly k ...

(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 Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal point for the surrounding hinterland. W ...

from Anti-Treaty forces.

Inishgort Lighthouse

Inishgort Lighthouse stands on the island of Inishgort, from

Fish farming in Clew Bay

In recent years there has been controversy over

fish-farming upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye">mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland Fish farming or ...

in the bay. "The Organic Salmon Company" (now owned by

Mowi Mowi ASA, formerly known as Marine Harvest ASA (until January 1, 2019), (Pan Fish prior to February 6, 2007), is a Norwegian seafood company with operations in a number of countries around the world. The company's primary interest is fish farm ...

) is based in Clare Island.

Gallery

File:Old Head Wood Nature Reserve Co. Mayo.jpg, Old Head Wood Nature Reserve (southern edge of Clew Bay Image:ClewBayOctober2007.jpg, Clew Bay as seen from the top of Croagh Patrick. Image:ClewBay_001.jpg, Clew Bay as seen from the foot of Croagh Patrick. File:Memorial for the victims of the Clew Bay Drowning on 15 June 1894 at Kildavenet Graveyard, Achill Island.jpg, Memorial for the victims of the Clew Bay Drowning on June 14, 1894 at Kildavenet Graveyard,

Achill Island Achill Island (; ga, Acaill, Oileán Acla) in County Mayo is the largest of the Irish isles, and is situated off the west coast of Ireland. It has a population of 2,594. Its area is . Achill is attached to the mainland by Michael Davitt Br ...

Islands of Clew Bay

The bay is also home to

Dorinish Dorinish (Irish: ''Deoirinis'') is an uninhabited island in Clew Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. History John Lennon purchase and Hippie Commune The island was previously owned by John Lennon, who purchased the island in 1967 for £1,700. Pre ...

, a

private island A private island is a disconnected body of land wholly owned by a private citizen or corporation. Although this exclusivity gives the owner substantial control over the property, private islands remain under the jurisdiction of national and som ...

purchased by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

in 1967. Glenans Ireland, a non-profit sailing school, had a branch on Collanmore Island where

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cou ...

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

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.

References

External links

*
Skippered charters on Clew Bay, with photos and information
{{Authority control Bays of County Mayo