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eOceanic has been made aware of this haven. We are looking for a sailor with first-hand experience to provide their direct personal insights so that we may complete our write up. In advance of this we have posted these preliminary research notes. Do you know this location? Please contact us or click the 'Report a Mistake or Omission' button below to help share this location with the sailing community.


Mulroy Bay is an inlet off the North Atlantic Ocean on the north coast of Ireland about 10 miles north of Letterkenny. It is a large inlet in a peaceful and tranquil setting which offers several anchorages with possible berthing at the quay at Milford.

Mulroy Bay is an inlet off the North Atlantic Ocean on the north coast of Ireland about 10 miles north of Letterkenny. It is a large inlet in a peaceful and tranquil setting which offers several anchorages with possible berthing at the quay at Milford.

The inlet provides complete shelter protection in all reasonable weather conditions. Access through the long and narrow marked channel requires careful navigation.
Please note

A power cable crossing the channel, with a clearance of 6 metres, restricts Northwater to most yachts.




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Keyfacts for Mulroy Bay
Facilities
Shop with basic provisions availableSlipway availablePost Office in the area


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationRemote or quiet secluded locationAnchoring locationScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinitySet near a village or with a village in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Note: could be two hours or more from the main waterways

Protected sectors

Current wind over the protected quadrants
Minimum depth
2 metres (6.56 feet).

Approaches
2 stars: Careful navigation; good visibility and conditions with dangers that require careful navigation.
Shelter
5 stars: Complete protection; all-round shelter in all reasonable conditions.



Last modified
July 23rd 2021

Summary

A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access.

Facilities
Shop with basic provisions availableSlipway availablePost Office in the area


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationRemote or quiet secluded locationAnchoring locationScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinitySet near a village or with a village in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Note: could be two hours or more from the main waterways



Position and approaches
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Haven position

55° 12.121' N, 007° 48.692' W

this is the position at Fanny's Bay anchorage

What is the initial fix?

The following Mulroy Bay initial fix will set up a final approach:
55° 15.432' N, 007° 46.335' W
in the North Atlantic Ocean midway between Melmore Head and Ballyhoorisky Point



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 Mulroy Bay for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
  1. Sheep Haven - 1.3 nautical miles SW
  2. Portsalon - 6.6 nautical miles E
  3. Pincher Bay - 7.4 nautical miles NE
  4. Tramore Bay - 7.6 nautical miles W
  5. Scraggy Bay - 8.4 nautical miles ESE
  6. Crummie's Bay - 9 nautical miles E
  7. Dunree Bay - 9.3 nautical miles E
  8. Lenan Bay - 10.1 nautical miles ENE
  9. Macamish Bay - 10.6 nautical miles ESE
  10. Ramelton - 11.4 nautical miles SSE
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
  1. Sheep Haven - 1.3 miles SW
  2. Portsalon - 6.6 miles E
  3. Pincher Bay - 7.4 miles NE
  4. Tramore Bay - 7.6 miles W
  5. Scraggy Bay - 8.4 miles ESE
  6. Crummie's Bay - 9 miles E
  7. Dunree Bay - 9.3 miles E
  8. Lenan Bay - 10.1 miles ENE
  9. Macamish Bay - 10.6 miles ESE
  10. Ramelton - 11.4 miles SSE
To find locations with the specific attributes you need try:

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Chart
Please use our integrated Navionics chart to appraise the haven and its approaches. Navionics charts feature in premier plotters from B&G, Raymarine, Magellan and are also available on tablets. Open the chart in a larger viewing area by clicking the expand to 'new tab' or the 'full screen' option.

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What's the story here?
This north facing inlet is situated between Lough Swilly to the east and Sheephaven Bay to the west, with its entrance between Melmore Head and Ballyhoorisky Point, about 10 miles to the north of Letterkenny.


How to get in?

Route location The 'Erris Head to Malin Head' coastal description provides approach information to the suggested initial fix. Vessels approaching from the south should select the northeast bound Route location sequenced description; vessels approaching from the north should select the southwest bound Route location sequence; western approaches may use either description.


The entrance to Mulroy Bay
Image: © Ciaran Kelly


The outer bay is quite open and leads to a narrow tortuous winding channel about 8 miles long in a north-south direction. This channel varies in width and depth with three significant narrows throughout its length, which eventually opens into Broadwater, an open shallow sea lough that has many small islands and islets, and which is again connected by a further narrow channel to Northwater (Kinny Lough).

At its commencement, the second narrows is spanned by a new bridge opened in 2009 linking Rawros Point and Paddys Point which offers 19 metres of clearance. Caution should also be taken to avoid four special water monitoring buoys which may be moored in the vicinity of Island Roy at the end of the first narrows and before the new Mulroy Bay bridge.

Haven location Of the many anchorages throughout the length of this bay the best one is in Fanny's Bay about 3 miles inside the bar with 2 metres depth and which affords complete shelter out of the stream at all times. Other notable anchorages are to the north of Dundooan Rocks off the west shore, south of Ballyhoorisky Island off the east shore, in Glinsk Bay at the end of the first narrows off the east shore, and for those who journey to the head of the bay there is alongside berthing at the quay at Milford in 3 to 4 metres depth.


Why visit here?
Mulroy Bay, is an anglicisation of the Irish name Cuan Mhaoil Ruaidh. The bay was first recorded in 1608 by the shortened version of Maol Rua simply meaning meaning 'red current' with the full Irish title Cuan na Mhaoil Ruaidh meaning 'Bay of the Red Current' or 'Bay of the Red Stream'.

The bay penetrates many miles inland through three sets of narrows leading to an almost inland lake environment that has tranquil and scenic surroundings. Beyond the third narrows is Broadwater which has beautiful scenery with tree-clad shorelines and rocky shoals, many of which are marked by ancient stone cairns. Mulroy Bay has been described as having some of the most awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping scenery in all of Ireland.

There is little in the way of facilities for the length of the bay, but at the excellent anchorage in Fanny's Bay, there is a slipway for a landing, to enable a walk to be made to the village of Downings one mile across the peninsula dividing Mulroy Bay from Sheephaven Bay, where there is a post office and shop.

The village of Milford, in Irish Baile na Galloglach, situated at the head of the bay is a small market town which from the 19C has been the centre of local and national trade in North Donegal owing to its trade links and good communication network, and although latterly this has declined it remains an important centre of trade for the peninsulas of Fanad and Rosquill. It has the usual facilities for a town with a population of over 1500, including supermarkets and a variety of shops, a health centre and pharmacy, post office, service station for fuel, hotels, bars and restaurants, and many craft and local heritage outlets, and freshwater is available by the quay.

Located north of Letterkenny the town of Milford was founded in the 18th-Century by the Clement family. The Irish Baile na Galloglach literally means 'town of the galloglach'. The 'Galloglaigh' were an elite class of mercenary warriors who came from Gaelic Norse clans in Scotland between the mid 13th and late 16th-Century. A battle between the Irish, helped by the 'Galloglaigh', and the English took place on a hill in the townland, and this is where the name comes from.


What facilities are available?
One mile over the peninsula from Fanny's Bay anchorage is Downings village which has a post office and shop, and at Rosapenna 0.75 miles away there is an excellent hotel. About eight miles from the Fanny's Bay anchorage the town of Milford has most other facilities including Supermarkets, Butchers, Hotel, Bars & Restaurants, Post Office, Doctors and a Pharmacy.


With thanks to:
eOceanic site research. Photography with thanks to © Artur.



















Sailing from Lough Swilly to Mulroy Bay


About Mulroy Bay

Mulroy Bay, is an anglicisation of the Irish name Cuan Mhaoil Ruaidh. The bay was first recorded in 1608 by the shortened version of Maol Rua simply meaning meaning 'red current' with the full Irish title Cuan na Mhaoil Ruaidh meaning 'Bay of the Red Current' or 'Bay of the Red Stream'.

The bay penetrates many miles inland through three sets of narrows leading to an almost inland lake environment that has tranquil and scenic surroundings. Beyond the third narrows is Broadwater which has beautiful scenery with tree-clad shorelines and rocky shoals, many of which are marked by ancient stone cairns. Mulroy Bay has been described as having some of the most awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping scenery in all of Ireland.

There is little in the way of facilities for the length of the bay, but at the excellent anchorage in Fanny's Bay, there is a slipway for a landing, to enable a walk to be made to the village of Downings one mile across the peninsula dividing Mulroy Bay from Sheephaven Bay, where there is a post office and shop.

The village of Milford, in Irish Baile na Galloglach, situated at the head of the bay is a small market town which from the 19C has been the centre of local and national trade in North Donegal owing to its trade links and good communication network, and although latterly this has declined it remains an important centre of trade for the peninsulas of Fanad and Rosquill. It has the usual facilities for a town with a population of over 1500, including supermarkets and a variety of shops, a health centre and pharmacy, post office, service station for fuel, hotels, bars and restaurants, and many craft and local heritage outlets, and freshwater is available by the quay.

Located north of Letterkenny the town of Milford was founded in the 18th-Century by the Clement family. The Irish Baile na Galloglach literally means 'town of the galloglach'. The 'Galloglaigh' were an elite class of mercenary warriors who came from Gaelic Norse clans in Scotland between the mid 13th and late 16th-Century. A battle between the Irish, helped by the 'Galloglaigh', and the English took place on a hill in the townland, and this is where the name comes from.

Other options in this area


Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Alternatively here are the ten nearest havens available in picture view:
Coastal clockwise:
Pincher Bay - 4.6 miles NE
Portsalon - 4.1 miles E
Scraggy Bay - 5.2 miles ESE
Macamish Bay - 6.6 miles ESE
Rathmullan - 7.2 miles ESE
Coastal anti-clockwise:
Sheep Haven - 0.8 miles SW
Tramore Bay - 4.7 miles W
Tory Island - 9.1 miles WNW
Toberglassan Bay - 7.7 miles W
Inishsirrer Island - 11.4 miles WSW

Navigational pictures


These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for Mulroy Bay.










Sailing from Lough Swilly to Mulroy Bay



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Please note eOceanic makes no guarantee of the validity of this information, we have not visited this haven and do not have first-hand experience to qualify the data. Although the contributors are vetted by peer review as practised authorities, they are in no way, whatsoever, responsible for the accuracy of their contributions. It is essential that you thoroughly check the accuracy and suitability for your vessel of any waypoints offered in any context plus the precision of your GPS. Any data provided on this page is entirely used at your own risk and you must read our legal page if you view data on this site. Free to use sea charts courtesy of Navionics.