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Inis Bō Finne (English: Inishbofin), Island of the White Cow
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Once inside, there is deep crystal clear aqua blue water over white sand bottom with good holding if you have the right tackle. We tried out our new Quickset anchor here and watched it set and bury just like in the promotional movies. Here, you drop anchor and enjoy spectacular sunsets aboard before heading to the local pub to find out all the local news. There are also yellow visitor moorings available on a first come basis free of charge. The village has two piers, one being a large new jetty where the ferry deposits day and overnight trippers. The old pier is accessible to sailboats with a channel to it having been dredged to 3 meters depth when the new pier was built; word has it that there is silting in several places. Tie up is permitted at the old pier and makes for a very comfortable berth and easy access in the wee hours of the night. |
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The best place to tie up a dinghy is inside the old pier,
either tied to the shore on the beach or tied to the pier itself. Many
boaters leave their dinghies high on the shore along the wall between the two
piers where the local punts are berthed as well.
Inishbofin lying 5 miles off the coast of Connemara is 5.5km (3½mi) long and 3km (2mi) wide. The highest point (90m) is Cnoc Mór (“Big Hill”). The island is divided into five areas: West Quarter, Fawnmore, Middle Quarter, Cloonamore and Knock. It’s a delightful escape from modern life. There are hardly any cars, and only a few minivans, but bicycles are available for hire at the harbour when the ferries come in or up the road from King’s.
Most social and commercial activity takes place near the pier, which recently underwent a €2m renovation. A community centre includes a small island library, a health centre, and tourist information bureau. Chances are the person staffing the bureau will know all about you when you get there; if not, they will before you leave. Although internet is available in the community centre, mobile phone coverage is notoriously bad throughout the island. There is one spot at the top of the hill where mobile coverage was better than on the mainland.
There is an airstrip which was built at the same time as the new pier but it’s never been opened as a working airport.
The roads are ideal for cycling or walking and cross country expeditions are worth the effort, rewarded by expansive views of the neighboring islets and coasts of Connemara and County Mayo, stretching northeastwards towards Croagh Patrick.
First and foremost, a visit to Day’s Bar at the head of the harbour is a prerequisite. It is polite to check in with the bartender there who pulls a great pint and keeps tabs on all the boats in the harbour. There is an outdoor seating area overlooking the harbour which is great fun on a beautiful summer day.
Biking and hiking the island is the way to go. At low
tide, you can cross over from the main island to explore Cromwell’s fort and
penal colony dating to the 1600s. Or as a boater, you can always visit by
dinghy.
At the head of the harbour lies the centre of the village, with Day’s Pub, the tiny but fascinating museum and heritage centre, Day’s Hotel with a world class spa – a perfect rainy day pursuit, the church, and a craft shop. Down the road towards the new pier where the ferry comes in, lies the post office and general store which is open daily. Bike rentals are available when the ferry arrives.
You can ride your bike all over the island. One easy loop heads up the hill and east from Day’s Bar towards East End Bay and Cloonamore. You will find long sandy beaches for swimming and remote villages where restored traditional cottages are rented as summer holiday homes. You can visit the old quay and curing station and stop for a bite to eat at the delightful Galley Restaurant.
The island has splendid cliffs, rocky outcrops and inlets, sea stacks (The Stags), sea caves and arches, and a blowhole (Poll Tolladh). There are several rocky or sandy strands; the best for swimming are the broad horseshoe beach in Rusheen Bay and the nameless one in the southeast corner of the island. Trá Ghael, overlooked by Cnoc Mór, is beautiful but can be dangerous with rip currents. Yet we saw several people swimming there happily while we walked its length. The view over the harbour and Inishark from the road at the top is spectacular. It’s a bit of a climb down to the beach, but not too bad. And there’s a freshwater cascade down the rocky slope to clean off the salt and sand before donning your shoes again.
The last time we visited, we opted to do the western loop by bicycle across the peat bogs to the rugged western shore and the Stags. We continued on down the road until it turned into a dirt path. It was a beautiful Sunday on a bank holiday weekend and there were plenty of exporers making this trip that day. The peat is now a spongy and often soggy surface which doesn’t always lend itself to bicycling but our off road bikes were up to the task. It was starkly beautiful out there. A high plateau for much of the way, punctuated by walking paths sparsely marked. We picked a spot to picnic where we could veer from the path to a natural pool of water surrounded by smooth and comfortable rocks that were dry and above the soggy land. The views out over the water were breathtaking. The sailboats sailing off to the mainland were tiny specks below. We ate our lunch in the warm sun and then continued on to the Stags. We rode on past the blow holes but there wasn’t much activity on this day of settled weather.
After passing by a beach populated by
smooth round rocks, we came upon a lake. There are multiple lakes on
Inishbofin and ponds with reedbeds providing cover, food and nest sites for a
wide variety of birds, including swans. Lough Bó Finne, “the Lake of the
White Cow”, is associated with various versions of a legend involving an old
woman and a white cow, usually turned to stone, who emerge from the depths
every seven years to warn of impending disasters. Animals and birds under
threat in other parts of the country still flourish here. The rarest species
present are the Corncrakes, which have been nesting and breeding here
for many years. Other seabirds abound, and there seem to be an unusually
large number of choughs.
As we returned to civilization, we rejoined the road and enjoyed a downhill ride at leisure. It was a most enjoyable sojourn.
The waters around the island are remarkably clear and unpolluted. Dolphins visit regularly, and basking sharks are not unusual. Seals come up onto the rocks and beaches to sunbathe and watch the tourists. Scuba diving and angling are popular pastimes.
First, we’re going to share a secret, but shhh, don’t tell anyone else. If you walk along the main road past the new pier towards Murray’s, you’ll pass by a house with a sign that says crab meat for sale. We stopped in and were greeted by a lovely woman who picks the crabmeat and sells it from her home. It is fresh daily and the most sweet and delicious crab we have ever had. We bought a pound and gorged ourselves silly. We even invited friends onboard for cocktails and crab appetizers.
There are three hotels on the island which offer food as well as accommodation; Day's Inishbofin House Hotel (www.inishbofinhouse.com), Murray's Doonmore Hotel (www.doonmore.com) and the Dolphin Hotel (www.dolphinhotel.ie), as well as a hostel (www.inishbofin-hostel.ie) which offers only a self-catering kitchen.
Murray’s Doonmore Hotel and restaurant
is a nice stop for a pint and lunch fare when visiting the western half of
the island. In fact, we stopped in after a long ride around the Westquarter
across the moors to the Stags and it seems everyone on the island was there
absorbing the sun outside or the matches on the telly inside.
We had a wonderful dinner at The Beach/Day’s Bar – we took a chance and splurged on the local lobster as it was my birthday. As we learned that night, the food there is fabulous. The pub is associated with the Hotel (same family) and the chefs supply the meals for both. Both the pub and the hotel restaurant were jammed that day. Highly recommended.
We had a pleasant stay at the Inishbofin House Hotel for a birthday party once. Although it is a lovely upmarket hotel, it does not reflect the rural charm and character of the island. The rooms are nice and there are lovely spaces in which to meet up with friends. The restaurant serves exceptional food in a modern hotel dining room atmosphere that is perfect for families and large gatherings for special celebrations.
The Dolphin Hotel located 10 minutes’ walk out of town on the Cloonamore Looped Walk also has a nice menu with fresh seafood specialties. The dining room is small and intimate but we did not have a chance to sample it. It is a member of the BIM Seafood Circle and has been reviewed by Georgina Campbell’s Ireland and Paolo Tullio’s TasteofIreland.com.
The Galley Restaurant is a delightful daytime restaurant near East End Bay. It is a deli style set up with a beer and wine license and both outdoor and indoor seating in a lovely sheltered spot. Packed lunches are available by special order. Lunch was very tasty: we had a personal sized quiche and a meat pie, just perfect with a cool glass of cider.
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