Blacksod Bay
| Blacksod Bay Cuan an Fhóid Duibh | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
  Blacksod Bay | |
| Coordinates: 54°05′00″N 10°01′00″W / 54.08333°N 10.01667°WCoordinates: 54°05′00″N 10°01′00″W / 54.08333°N 10.01667°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Mayo |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | F |
Blacksod Bay (Irish: Cuan an Fhóid Duibh) is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean in Erris, North County Mayo, Ireland. The bay is bounded on its western side by the Mullet Peninsula and to its eastern side by the coastline of Kiltane Parish where it extends southwards from Belmullet towards Gweesalia and Doohoma. Blacksod Bay opens to the Atlantic Ocean on its southern end where Blacksod Lighthouse and Pier are situated. Blacksod Lighthouse is an imposing strongly built lighthouse, created in 1864 from local cut granite from the nearby quarry at Termon Hill, the only granite found in this area as most of the rest of the substrate consists of ancient gneiss and schist. It was built by Bryan Carey of Belmullet and contains a helicopter port to service this coastline. The Mullet is mainly a fairly flat peninsula covered with a great deal of sand and sand dunes.
Blacksod Bay is 16 km long, 8 km wide at its mouth and is a safe place for anchorage. The interior of the bay, contains numerous little coves like Elly Bay, a popular bay for many watersports and the location of Colaiste Uisce Adventure Centre, which teaches watersports and other sports through the medium of the Irish language to schoolchildren and adventure groups from across Ireland. At its north end, Blacksod Bay is connected to Broadhaven Bay by an 18th-century canal through Belmullet.
In the summer period, boat trips to the Inishkea Islands, Inishglora, where the Children of Lir are reputed to be buried and Duvillaun off the North Mayo coastline leave from Blacksod. Blackrock lighthouse, also built in 1864 which lies 12 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean to the west, can be seen from the end of the Mullet peninsula. Eagle Island lighthouse lies off the northwest of the Mullet.
Transport
Bus Éireann route 446 links the area with Belmullet, Bangor Erris, Bellacorick, Crossmolina and Ballina. There is one service a day in each direction, including Sundays. On Friday evenings an extra journey operates from Ballina.Onward bus and rail connections are available at Ballina.[1]
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A sail boat at Elly Bay, Erris, County Mayo
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Blacksod Bay with Achill Island to the south
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Kite boarding at Claggan beach, part of Blacksod Bay