Cape Clear Island

Cape Clear Island is an island off the West Cork coast and can be reached by a short boat trip from either Baltimore or Schull. An island only 3 miles long and 1.5 mile wide it is a Gaeltacht island where Irish is spoken as the first language and then English. Cape Clear Island off West Cork in Ireland is a paradise for bird watchers, renowned for sightings of rare birds.

The Fastnet Rock lies 3 miles from Cape Clear Island. Cape Clear Island offers incredible wild scenery, with its many harbours, bogs and lakes and where the hills are covered in heather and gorse, wild flowers and unspoilt stonewall fields. With its hilly rugged landscape Cape Clear Island is very popular with walkers and birdwatchers alike. Cape Clear Island allows the visitor get back to nature, a retreat from the everyday bustle.

For those who enjoy water sport activities there is the opportunity to go snorkelling, kayaking, sea and rock fishing, scuba diving and wind surfing and canoeing. Cape Clear Island is at its busiest during the months April through to September or October with the many tourists and people coming to learn the Irish language. There are many lessons available on the island from goat and chicken farming to the art of beekeeping to wildlife courses. The people on Cape Clear Island retreat indoors for the wild winter months where the island is ravaged by gale force winds but the local people take advantage of this time to enjoy some storytelling by the fireside.

Cape Clear Island is a wonderful place for walking and bird watching and for the sea life enthusiasts a chance to see whales, dolphins and sharks and leatherback turtles.

Traces of times past can be seen in the 12th century church of St Kieran's along with the many underground tunnels, the old signal tower, stone ruins and ancient stones such as St Kieran stone near the well and shrine.

Getting to Cape Clear Island

Cape Clear Ferries operates every day of the year except Christmas day, from Baltimore to Cape Clear Island. The Dún an Óir II has capacity for 94 passengers and has a large viewing deck to photograph the breath-taking scenery or watch the whales and dolphins along the way.