Clew Bay

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Clew Bay (Irish Cuan Mó) is a natural ocean bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It contains Ireland's best example of sunken drumlins. According to tradition, there is an island in the bay for every day of the year. The bay is overlooked by Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain, and the mountains of North Mayo. Clare Island guards the entrance of the bay. From the southwest part of the bay eastwards are Louisburgh, Lecanvey, Murrisk, and Westport; north of Westport is Newport, and westwards from there lies Mulranny, gateway to Achill. From the south side of the bay, between Clare Island and Achill, Bills Rocks can be seen.

Clew Bay was the focus of the O'Malley family possessions in the Middle Ages, and is associated especially with Grace O'Malley. The bay is also home to Dorinish, a private island purchased by John Lennon in 1967. Glenans Irish Sailing Club, a non-profit sailing school, has a branch on Collanmore Island where sailing on dinghys, sailboards and catamarans are taught. In recent years there has been controversy over fish-farming in the bay.

[edit] Islands of Clew Bay

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.

[edit] 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 117.

	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96
96		Inishkeel	Inishbobunnan (Unnamed)	Beetle Island North Inishlim
95	Moynish More	Black Rock Inisherkin	Inishgowla Beetle Island South Inishnacross	Inishtubrid	Inishquirk		Illannambraher	Roslynagh	Gobfadda Kid Island East		Forillan Illanavrick Camel Island
94	Moynish Beg	Inishcooa Roeillaun	Inishdeashmore Inishdeashbeg	Inishilra Inishcarrick Inishcorky		Inishdasky Inishcoragh (Unnamed)	Freaghillanluggagh	Inishdaweel Muckinish Illanascraw	Inishturlin	Rabbit Island
93				Inishcannon	Inisheanmore Rock Carrickachorra Carricklahan	Freaghillan West Inishkee	Freaghillan East Inishcuill West Inishfesh	Inishcuill Carrickwee		Rosbarnagh Island Carrigeennaronty
92					Inishoo	Illanmaw Inishgowla	Mauherillan Inishlaughil	Inishmolt Inishbollog	Inishdaff	Inishloy
91					Inishbee	Calf Island Derrinish	Inishcottle	Illannaconney Inishnakillew	Inishturk
90					Rabbit Island	Knocky-Cahillaun Quinnsheen Island	Freaghillan Moneybeg Island Clynish Illaunnamona	Carrigeenglass North Trawbaun Carrigeenglass	Atticlea Island
89					Island More	Collan Beg	Collan More Carrigeenglass South
88					Inishgort	Inishlyre
87				Dorinish More	Inishlaghan	Crovinish Carrickwee	Illanataggart Rocky Island
86		Creggandillisk			Dorinish Beg Inishimmel	Inishleague	Inishgowla South Inishraher	Forillan Carrickawart Island Finnaun Island	Stony Island		Cleavlagh Strand
85					Carrickataha	Bartraw Inishdaugh	Inisheeny	Corillan Carricknamore	Green Islands	Carricknacaly	Monkellys Rocks Inishweela Illanroe
84						Cahernaran Island			Annagh Island West Sruffanbaun Strand	Annagh Island East Illanatee
83									Annagh Island Middle Roeillan

Coordinates: 53°50′N, 9°48′W