
Murlough Bay is situated on the northeast coast of Ireland a mile and a half south of Fair Head and twenty-four miles north by west of Larne. Here vessels may obtain an anchorage out of the main tidal stream for a lunch stop or a tide-wait.
Murlough Bay is an exposed anchorage in an area with extreme currents where a vessel should not be left out of sight. It offers good protection in settled, or westerly round to southerly component conditions but is completely exposed to anything from the east. Access is straightforward thanks to the absence of offshore dangers or any tidal restriction.
Keyfacts for Murlough Bay
Last modified
July 18th 2018 Summary* Restrictions apply
An exposed location with straightforward access.Facilities
None listedNature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in the northeast Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Malin Head to Strangford Lough
.
- Approach the bay from the northeast and anchor according to draft.
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 Murlough Bay for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Torr Head - 2.1 nautical miles ESE
- Ballycastle - 4.3 nautical miles W
- Church Bay - 5.6 nautical miles NNW
- Cushendun - 5.6 nautical miles SSE
- Cushendall - 8.4 nautical miles SSE
- Red Bay Pier (Glenariff Pier) - 8.9 nautical miles SSE
- Ballintoy Harbour - 9 nautical miles WNW
- Carnlough Bay and Harbour - 13.8 nautical miles SSE
- Portballintrae - 14.9 nautical miles W
- Glenarm Bay and Harbour - 15.5 nautical miles SSE
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Torr Head - 2.1 miles ESE
- Ballycastle - 4.3 miles W
- Church Bay - 5.6 miles NNW
- Cushendun - 5.6 miles SSE
- Cushendall - 8.4 miles SSE
- Red Bay Pier (Glenariff Pier) - 8.9 miles SSE
- Ballintoy Harbour - 9 miles WNW
- Carnlough Bay and Harbour - 13.8 miles SSE
- Portballintrae - 14.9 miles W
- Glenarm Bay and Harbour - 15.5 miles SSE
How to get in?

The picturesque Murlough Bay provides an anchorage in a remote and beautifully unspoilt location. There is nothing here except for a single house and the ruins of Drumnakill Church overlooking the bay from a northern promontory.
A white cottage with a boathouse and its slip set amongst the rocks will be seen on the western side of the bay. Keep well off this side of the bay as exposed rocks fringe the western shoreline.
Why visit here?
Murlough Bay derives its name from the Irish words Murlach or Murbolc. These are based on a softening of the original Mu-i-rbholg, pronounced murrwullig, that mean ‘sea inlet’. Situated between Fair Head and Torr Head this is a place well known through the centuries for its outstanding beauty.
Early Christians built Drumnakill Church on the small hillock in the centre of Murlough Bay. Its name is derived from the Irish words ‘Droim na Coille’ meaning ‘ridge of the wood’. Previously it was known as the ‘Church of St. Mologe’ after the Saint who founded it as a monastic settlement, and who is believed to be buried at its western end. In its time, which was more than a thousand years ago, the church was chiefly accessible from sea and it was from the sea that its small flock would have sustained themselves.

From the 1700's to the 1940's, and most particularly during the 1800’s, coal and limestone were mined here. The local geology is typical of the Antrim topography with basalt overlaying sandstone and limestone which made the production of lime popular along this coast. The mining effort at Murlough Bay was at best sporadic and never amounted too much. Yet it did support a small mining settlement that is evidenced by the ruins of some miner's cottages north of the bay on the path to Fair Head. The kilns here would have processed limestone quarried from the cliffs above, that would have been burned together with the locally mined coal. The resultant residue was utilised for fertiliser or in mortar, and occasionally as limewash which was believed to have been used to whiten the buildings of Cushendun.

An unusual feature of the bay is a concrete plinth near the road with superb views over the bay and across to Scotland. This was originally a ‘station of the cross’ on an ancient pilgrim's way from the old Church of Drumnakill. The plinth was then used by Republicans to place a cross, subsequently destroyed, in commemoration of Sir Roger Casement. Casement was a most remarkable man by any measure. In 1911, he knelt before King George V and was knighted for his humanitarian work. Described as the ‘father of twentieth-century human rights investigations’, he received his knighthood for his important investigations of human rights abuses in Peru and the Congo. Yet five years later this British diplomat, human rights activist, and poet was brought back to London in chains. There he was stripped of his knighthood, hanged at London's Pentonville prison and his naked body was thrown into an open grave.


Today Murlough Bay is the most spectacular of all the bays along the northern coast. Visitors here will find solitude combined with a breathtaking panorama that combines views over Fair Head, Rathlin Island, Islay, Ailsa Craig and the Mull of Kintyre. Whilst drinking it all in Buzzards, Peregrine, Falcons, Eider and Fulmars will most likely be soaring up along its high cliff walls above. This bay itself is unique and a place of outstanding natural beauty. Tucked in beneath its high cliff-tops and out of the prevailing winds, the hillside gently curves down to the sea creating a wall of sheltering limestone and a preserving microclimate. One of the few remaining old 'natural' temperate woodlands in Ireland, where Birch, Rowan and Hazel still thrive, is here along with a unique series of wildflower meadows. These stand in complete contrast with the harsh barren moorland plateau above. During winter, the woods provide food and shelter for the herd of feral goats who roam the area freely.

Perhaps because of the absence of a main road, there is little man-made evidence here beyond what has been already mentioned. As much as anywhere else on the Irish coastline, this is a place for just spending time taking it all in. The more energetic may take the opportunity to visit the impressive Fair Head which is accessible by foot from here. It is owned by the National Trust and a path leads to the walkway called ‘The Grey Man’s Path’ that winds around the rugged coastline.

From a purely boating perspective, Murlough Bay, akin to nearby Torr Head, provides a place to step out of the run of the current along this coastline. This is a considerable advantage in this area, making it a good place to await a favourable tide or to have a lunch break. With enough crew aboard to keep an eye on the boat, there is also the opportunity to enjoy a truly beautiful place.
What facilities are available?
There is nothing here except for the slip.Any security concerns?
Never an issue known to have occurred to a vessel anchored off Murlough Bay. Any vessel here will most likely be alone in this isolated corner of Ireland.With thanks to:
Terry Crawford. Photography with thanks to Bob Embleton, Mike Palmer, Mat Tuck, Rosario Fiore, Yvonne Wakefield, Kyle Monahan, Anne Burgess, Eskling and Horslips5.






About Murlough Bay
Murlough Bay derives its name from the Irish words Murlach or Murbolc. These are based on a softening of the original Mu-i-rbholg, pronounced murrwullig, that mean ‘sea inlet’. Situated between Fair Head and Torr Head this is a place well known through the centuries for its outstanding beauty.

Early Christians built Drumnakill Church on the small hillock in the centre of Murlough Bay. Its name is derived from the Irish words ‘Droim na Coille’ meaning ‘ridge of the wood’. Previously it was known as the ‘Church of St. Mologe’ after the Saint who founded it as a monastic settlement, and who is believed to be buried at its western end. In its time, which was more than a thousand years ago, the church was chiefly accessible from sea and it was from the sea that its small flock would have sustained themselves.

From the 1700's to the 1940's, and most particularly during the 1800’s, coal and limestone were mined here. The local geology is typical of the Antrim topography with basalt overlaying sandstone and limestone which made the production of lime popular along this coast. The mining effort at Murlough Bay was at best sporadic and never amounted too much. Yet it did support a small mining settlement that is evidenced by the ruins of some miner's cottages north of the bay on the path to Fair Head. The kilns here would have processed limestone quarried from the cliffs above, that would have been burned together with the locally mined coal. The resultant residue was utilised for fertiliser or in mortar, and occasionally as limewash which was believed to have been used to whiten the buildings of Cushendun.

An unusual feature of the bay is a concrete plinth near the road with superb views over the bay and across to Scotland. This was originally a ‘station of the cross’ on an ancient pilgrim's way from the old Church of Drumnakill. The plinth was then used by Republicans to place a cross, subsequently destroyed, in commemoration of Sir Roger Casement. Casement was a most remarkable man by any measure. In 1911, he knelt before King George V and was knighted for his humanitarian work. Described as the ‘father of twentieth-century human rights investigations’, he received his knighthood for his important investigations of human rights abuses in Peru and the Congo. Yet five years later this British diplomat, human rights activist, and poet was brought back to London in chains. There he was stripped of his knighthood, hanged at London's Pentonville prison and his naked body was thrown into an open grave.


Today Murlough Bay is the most spectacular of all the bays along the northern coast. Visitors here will find solitude combined with a breathtaking panorama that combines views over Fair Head, Rathlin Island, Islay, Ailsa Craig and the Mull of Kintyre. Whilst drinking it all in Buzzards, Peregrine, Falcons, Eider and Fulmars will most likely be soaring up along its high cliff walls above. This bay itself is unique and a place of outstanding natural beauty. Tucked in beneath its high cliff-tops and out of the prevailing winds, the hillside gently curves down to the sea creating a wall of sheltering limestone and a preserving microclimate. One of the few remaining old 'natural' temperate woodlands in Ireland, where Birch, Rowan and Hazel still thrive, is here along with a unique series of wildflower meadows. These stand in complete contrast with the harsh barren moorland plateau above. During winter, the woods provide food and shelter for the herd of feral goats who roam the area freely.

Perhaps because of the absence of a main road, there is little man-made evidence here beyond what has been already mentioned. As much as anywhere else on the Irish coastline, this is a place for just spending time taking it all in. The more energetic may take the opportunity to visit the impressive Fair Head which is accessible by foot from here. It is owned by the National Trust and a path leads to the walkway called ‘The Grey Man’s Path’ that winds around the rugged coastline.

From a purely boating perspective, Murlough Bay, akin to nearby Torr Head, provides a place to step out of the run of the current along this coastline. This is a considerable advantage in this area, making it a good place to await a favourable tide or to have a lunch break. With enough crew aboard to keep an eye on the boat, there is also the opportunity to enjoy a truly beautiful place.
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:
Torr Head - 1.3 miles ESECushendun - 3.5 miles SSE
Cushendall - 5.2 miles SSE
Red Bay Pier (Glenariff Pier) - 5.5 miles SSE
Carnlough Bay and Harbour - 8.5 miles SSE
Coastal anti-clockwise:
Church Bay - 3.5 miles NNWBallycastle - 2.7 miles W
Ballintoy Harbour - 5.6 miles WNW
Portballintrae - 9.2 miles W
Portrush Harbour - 11.6 miles W
Navigational pictures
These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for Murlough Bay.








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