Bere Island

Bere Island lies in Bantry Bay off the Beara peninsula and has around two hundred residents. Its shape is unusual for an Irish island: it was a British naval anchorage and one of the three Treaty Ports retained by Britain after Irish independence, handed over only in 1938, and the fortifications built to defend that anchorage are scattered across the island - gun batteries, a Martello tower, magazines, barracks and observation posts, mostly abandoned and open to walk around. Two waymarked loop walks run from the harbours through farmland and along the cliffs, with views to the Caha Mountains and across Bantry Bay. There are two pubs, a shop, a heritage centre and a handful of places to stay. Two ferry services run from Castletownbere, both taking cars, though the island is small enough to walk. Services are limited and largely seasonal.

History

Legend says the island was named by Mogh Nuadat, a 2nd-century king of Munster, after his wife Beara, and megalithic tombs and standing stones mark its early occupation. It belonged to the O'Sullivan Bere clan until the power of the Gaelic chieftains was broken in 1602, and in December 1796 a French fleet under Lazare Hoche, with Wolfe Tone, entered Bantry Bay, though adverse winds kept the main force from landing (Wikipedia, Bere Island).

The landscape

• The gun batteries - abandoned British coastal artillery works across the island.
• The Martello tower - one of the older defences on the high ground.
• The loop walks - waymarked routes through farmland and along the cliffs.
• The bay views - the Caha Mountains and Bantry Bay all around.

When to go

April to October, when the ferries run more frequently and services are open. Winter crossings are reduced and weather-dependent.

What to expect

Very limited services - two pubs, one shop, and much of it seasonal. The fortifications are unmanaged ruins with open drops and no barriers. Ferry timetables are short in winter and cancel in swell.

Nearby

Castletownbere is across the sound; Dursey Island and the cable car are west.

Key facts