Keem Bay

Keem is at the far western end of Achill Island, reached by a narrow road cut into the side of a cliff with a drop on the seaward side and a car park at the end. The bay is a deep horseshoe of pale sand enclosed by Croaghaun and Moyteoge Head, and the water is shallow and clear enough to read the bottom on a bright day. From the 1950s to the mid 1970s this was the base of a basking shark fishery: the sharks came into the bay in numbers each spring, were netted from currachs and processed for liver oil, and around twelve thousand were taken in twenty years. The fishery collapsed with the population and the sharks are now protected. A watchtower from the Napoleonic era stands on the headland above. Lifeguards cover the beach in high summer; outside that there is a rip along the eastern side.

What you actually see

• The enclosed bay - white sand between two headlands, clear shallow water.
• The cliff road - the narrow approach with the drop below.
• The shark fishery site - where twelve thousand basking sharks were taken.
• The signal tower - Napoleonic-era remains on the headland above.

When to go

May to September; lifeguards in July and August. Basking sharks pass offshore in early summer and are occasionally seen from the headland. The road is unpleasant in fog.

Honest expectations

The access road is narrow with an unguarded drop and the small car park fills by late morning in summer. A rip runs along the eastern side. Facilities are minimal and seasonal.

Nearby

Keel and the Minaun Cliffs are east; Croaghaun's sea cliffs are north above the bay.