
This is an exposed day anchorage that is good for a landing on the island in settled conditions. It would not be ideal for an overnight stay where it may become uncomfortable. The Lough's enclosed body of water provides sheltered sailing in all weather, all tides and ample marks to make daylight navigation straightforward.
Keyfacts for Don O’Neill Island
Facilities
None listedNature
Considerations
Protected sectors
Approaches
Shelter
Last modified
November 7th 2022 Summary
An exposed location with attentive navigation required for access.Facilities
None listedNature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
Close northwest of the larger south-western Don O’Neill Island in approximately two and a half metres.
What is the initial fix?
The following Don O’Neill Initial Fix will set up a final approach:

What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details for vessels approaching Strangford Lough from the north are available in the northeast Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Malin Head to Strangford Lough
. Details for vessels approaching from the south are available in eastern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Strangford Lough to Dublin Bay
. Details of the approaches, tidal timings, the run up The Narrows and onward to Killyleagh, on the Lough's western shore, are covered in the Entering and exiting Strangford Lough
route description.
Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Don O’Neill Island for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Holm Bay - 0.7 nautical miles WSW
- East Down Yacht Club - 0.9 nautical miles WNW
- Simmy Island - 1 nautical miles NNW
- Killyleagh - 1.3 nautical miles SW
- Between Jackdaw & Chapel Island - 1.7 nautical miles SSE
- Jackdaw Island - 1.7 nautical miles SSE
- Chapel Island - 1.8 nautical miles SSE
- Pawle Island - 1.8 nautical miles N
- Audley’s Point - 2.1 nautical miles SE
- Brandy Bay (North Salt Island) - 2.2 nautical miles SSW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Holm Bay - 0.7 miles WSW
- East Down Yacht Club - 0.9 miles WNW
- Simmy Island - 1 miles NNW
- Killyleagh - 1.3 miles SW
- Between Jackdaw & Chapel Island - 1.7 miles SSE
- Jackdaw Island - 1.7 miles SSE
- Chapel Island - 1.8 miles SSE
- Pawle Island - 1.8 miles N
- Audley’s Point - 2.1 miles SE
- Brandy Bay (North Salt Island) - 2.2 miles SSW
Chart
What's the story here?

Image: Michael Harpur
The Don O’Neill Islands are located almost at the centre of Strangford Lough, about 1½ miles northwest of the Narrows and 1.2 miles northwest of Killyleagh. They consist of a larger and a smaller island linked by a causeway at low tide. The larger roughly D-shaped southern island, which is known as Dunnyneill Island, is formed from a small drumlin. It is approximately 100 metres long and rises to a height of approximately 13 metres above sea level and is currently covered by trees. The island has a steep eroding cliff facing towards the mouth of the Lough and a narrow detached gravel bar, barely visible at high tide, approximately 200 metres to the east.

Image: Michael Harpur
The smaller island is located 100 metres to the northeast of the main island and is made up of sand and gravel topped by centuries of bird compost which supports the grass and fauna. It is roughly oval in shape, approximately 65 metres long and rises to a height of approximately 3.4 metres.
There are no defined landing places on the island although it is possible to land on Dunnyneill Island's northwestern-facing gravelly shore with relative ease.
How to get in?

Image: Michael Harpur

Image: Michael Harpur
This lies between the smaller northern Don O’Neill Island and the Limestone Pladdy. Racemark No. 5 normally lies in this area. It is approximately a distance of 1.8 miles on a bearing of 324° T from Ballyhenry Point.

Image: Michael Harpur
There is deep water all around the island so it is also possible to cut between Long Rock and Don O’Neill Island's southwest side from the Lough's entrance. However, deeper draught vessels taking this pass should make note of Neil Reef, with 2.1 metres over it, which is close to this approach across the Lough.

Image: Michael Harpur
When rounding the island from the south give it a wide berth as a narrow gravel bar, barely visible at high tide, lies approximately 200 metres to the east of the southern islands. Direction for Holm Bay

Image: Michael Harpur

Image: Michael Harpur
Land on the island's gravelly northwest-facing beach. At low tide, there is a boulder field on its closer approaches so take it steady with an outboard when coming in as it would be easy to strike a rock with the propellor.
Why visit here?
Don O’Neill Island, locally known as 'The Dunner Neil' or 'Dunny Neil', is believed to have acquired its name from the semi-mythical King Niall of 'Niall of the Nine Hostages'. The 'dun' element to the name, meaning 'fort', could have referred to a defensive enclosure on the main island and the 'O'Neill' referring to the prehistoric Irish king. Others believe the island's name is similarly derived but from the Gaelic 'Dun-na-n-giull', meaning 'the fort of the hostages'.
Image: CSMA Club Photography
Niall is presumed to have been a real person, or at the very least semi-historical but most of the information about him that has come down to us is regarded as legendary. He is the ancestor of the 'Uí Néill' family that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th century. Legend has it that in the late 5th century he was king of Ulster and he took hostages from nine kingdoms around the British Isles of which one was St Patrick. There is no direct evidence to indicate that this was the island where Niall confined his high-status hostages. No constructions or ruins relating to the conception of a fort or prison on the island have been uncovered from that period, but it would have been an ideal site for a Niall to have constructed one. Unique among all the islands of Strangford Lough, the Don O’Neill Islands are strategically located to command both the narrows at the Lough’s mouth and the entrance to the Quoile Estuary.

The Quoile River Estuary and The Mournes
Image: Michael Harpur
This strategic position would not be overlooked in later centuries as recent excavations have revealed the island hosted a trading emporium during the 6th and 7th centuries. Ulster, during this period, was a great maritime kingdom. It was here that the wealthy merchants of the high-status settlement sites in western Britain and Ireland sailed to in order buy and sell goods. Likewise, merchants from as far afield as modern-day Russia, Germany, Iceland and France came to this tiny little island to trade wine, pottery and other luxury products for furs, seal skin, slaves and famed Irish wolfhounds.

Image: Michael Harpur
It is believed that the island would only have been occupied when seaborne merchants arrived. Members of the local 'Dál Fiatach' dynasty would have travelled to Don O’Neill Island with their retinue and provided hospitality for the merchants whilst trading was conducted. This encouraged the merchants to continue dealing with the local secular elite, rather than seek trading arrangements with rival neighbouring kingdoms. But the occupation would eventually be abandoned after it was slowly eclipsed by trading routes located in the North Sea zone. The brusque trade left behind fragments of its business such as glass an Anglo-Saxon claw beaker, nails, bone combs and animal bones.

Image: Michael Harpur
The footprint of a long rectangular hut discovered on the island dates here from around 900 AD. This dates to the time of the Viking invasions when it would have made an ideal forward operating base for their activities. It is believed the occupation extended into John de Courcy’s Lordship of Ulster following his Anglo-Norman invasion of the kingdom of 'Dál Fiatach' in 1177. The island's strategic position and easily secured boundaries would have made it attractive during this period of political change and instability. In the 17th century, the island was, according to local tradition, used as a leper colony and was used for the burial of victims of the 1854 cholera outbreak.

Image: Michael Harpur
Today the diminutive island, which should perhaps be referenced as islands as it comprises two separated by an inter-tidal peninsula, is a lovely place to come ashore and take it all in and have a picnic. Family boats will find it a great location to let the kids off to roam as the stones and shells they will find around the Island are remarkable. Please be conscious that the smaller Don O’Neill Island to the northeast is an important nesting site for Sandwich, Arctic and Common Terns that arrive from the edge of the Antarctic or Africa to nest in April-June. During this period there should be no landing on the smaller island. Likewise, on the larger island, one should not go above the high water mark to minimise any distress to birds during the nesting season.
What facilities are available?
None, this is a secluded island with no resources.Any security concerns?
Never a problem known to have occurred at Don O’Neill Island.With thanks to:
Brian Crawford, local Strangford Lough boatman of many decades. Photography with thanks to CSMA Club Photography. eOceanic would like to thank Quoile Yacht ClubAerial views of Don O’Neill Island
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