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The Ilen River enters the sea at Ireland’s southwest corner, to the north of Baltimore Harbour. The river offers several anchorages on its north-eastward path to Skibbereen, the chief town of the area, situated seven miles above its entrance. Reena Dhuna is situated two and a half miles up from the entrance providing a river anchorage in a secluded location.

The Ilen River enters the sea at Ireland’s southwest corner, to the north of Baltimore Harbour. The river offers several anchorages on its north-eastward path to Skibbereen, the chief town of the area, situated seven miles above its entrance. Reena Dhuna is situated two and a half miles up from the entrance providing a river anchorage in a secluded location.

Set well within the river Reena Dhuna is completely protected and provides shelter from all wind directions. Careful navigation is required when operating in the River Ilen most especially at the river mouth. The river can be entered directly from Long Island Bay or from the north end of Baltimore Harbour, and in either case, there is little in the way of supporting marks and it can involve significant pilotage. Narrow, shallow at times and with ample rocks to circumvent be prepared for some keen eyeball navigation supported by excellent visibility.



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Keyfacts for Reena Dhuna
Facilities
None listed


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationRemote or quiet secluded locationAnchoring location

Considerations
None listed

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
September 17th 2021

Summary

A completely protected location with careful navigation required for access.

Facilities
None listed


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationRemote or quiet secluded locationAnchoring location

Considerations
None listed



Position and approaches
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Haven position

51° 31.440' N, 009° 22.050' W

In the middle of the river approximately 200 meters east of a private slipway located on the north bank of the river.

What are the initial fixes?

The following waypoints will set up a final approach:

(i) Baltimore north entrance initial fix

51° 28.080' N, 009° 27.450' W

This is set on the clearing line of bearing 230°T of Clare Island's Doonanore Castle ruins open east of Illauneana, as best seen on Admiralty 2129, and about midway between the Toorane Rocks and Carrigmore.

(ii) Baltimore Harbour initial fix

51° 28.120' N, 009° 23.423' W

This is a quarter of a mile due south of the entrance, midway between Beacon & Barrack Point in the white sector of the lighthouse.
Please note

Initial fixes only set up their listed targets. Do not plan to sail directly between initial fixes as a routing sequence.




What are the key points of the approach?

Offshore details are available in southwestern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Cork Harbour to Mizen Head Route location. River Ilen directions to the anchorage are covered in the Oldcourt Click to view haven description situated upriver from Quarantine Island. A useful waypoint to target is at the head of 'The Sound'.


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 Reena Dhuna for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
  1. Inane Creek - 0.9 nautical miles SSW
  2. Oldcourt - 1.9 nautical miles ENE
  3. Quarantine Island - 2.1 nautical miles SW
  4. Poulgorm Bay - 2.3 nautical miles NW
  5. East Pier - 2.4 nautical miles SW
  6. Rincolisky Harbour - 2.5 nautical miles WSW
  7. Turk Head - 2.5 nautical miles SW
  8. Baltimore - 2.5 nautical miles S
  9. Ballydehob Bay - 2.7 nautical miles WNW
  10. Trá Bán - 2.7 nautical miles SW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
  1. Inane Creek - 0.9 miles SSW
  2. Oldcourt - 1.9 miles ENE
  3. Quarantine Island - 2.1 miles SW
  4. Poulgorm Bay - 2.3 miles NW
  5. East Pier - 2.4 miles SW
  6. Rincolisky Harbour - 2.5 miles WSW
  7. Turk Head - 2.5 miles SW
  8. Baltimore - 2.5 miles S
  9. Ballydehob Bay - 2.7 miles WNW
  10. Trá Bán - 2.7 miles SW
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?
Reena Dhuna with the house and boathouse seen on the north shore
Image: Michael Harpur


Reena Dhuna sits anchorage sits a bend on the river off an old 19th-century slip in a beautiful remote setting. The slip leads up to a stone boathouse in the grounds of a fine rectory. The ruin of the associated Church of Ireland building is Aghadown church and graveyard, locally called Kilcoe Church, that can be seen on a point ½ a mile upriver with its ivy-clad ruins overlooking the river.


Boat on anchor at Reena Dhuna as seen from the north shore
Image: Burke Corbett


Reena Dhuna provides a well-protected river anchorage with a pool of 2.4 metres off the slip.


How to get in?
The run up from the River Ilen entrance to Inishbeg
Image: Michael Harpur


Convergance Point Offshore details are available in southwestern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Cork Harbour to Mizen Head Route location. Seaward approaches and run up the River Ilen are covered in the Oldcourt Click to view haven description which is situated 2 miles upriver from Reena Dhuna.


The northward turn opening between the mainland and Inishbeg
Image: Michael Harpur


On final approach, Reena Dhuna will be found at the head of the river bend where it turns north to pass the eastern side of the island of Inishbeg. The anchorage is northern length before the river turns east and to the northwest again.


Steering northward for Reena Dhuna House and its Boat House
Image: Burke Corbett


Haven location Depths of 2 metres LAT or more will be found all the way up to the anchorage. A big holiday home will be seen on the north side of the river with a private slip just above it.
Please note

The holding is in mud which although reported to be poor, is far from the actual experience. The bottom is also foul in places and where a release line could not be used, an anchor or two have been left behind here. As a result, a tripping line is recommended.




Why visit here?
Reena Dhuna takes its name from the private 19th-century country house that overlooks it the north bank of the river. The usual Irish word for a queen is rioghan, pronounced 'reean', or in old Irish rigan with its genitive riogkna 'reena'. So assuming 'Dhun' to be an anglicised from of Dún, the name is the conjunction of Dún -a'- riogkna meaning the 'fort of a Queen' or a 'Queen's fort'.

The house was most likely given the name by its first owner who was a curate for the local Aughadown, locally pronounced Affadown, Church of Ireland sited further upriver. The name Reena Dhuna is very fitting even today as it is a beautiful example of an early 19th-century country house. Around the house are farm buildings and 11.5 acres of exceptionally lovely grounds with abundant trees, lawns, walkways, a greenhouse, a pond and a walled garden. Even its boathouse, which connects it to the river, is a pretty building constructed of limestone with a barrel roof and a red-brick archway. All this tucked into this lovely protected nook of the River Ilen, it has a beautiful setting that is one of the best in West Cork.


Aughadown Church of Ireland located upriver
Image: Graham Rabbits


Even the ruins of the curate's church are pretty and well worth a visit. Picturesquely situated on the river edge it was built in 1814 on the site of an older church of which no trace remains. The 1814 church was too small for its congregation by the 1870s and it was replaced in 1872 by the much larger St Matthias church a mile to the north. Neglected thereafter the church fell into ruin and gradually accrued the ivy and the general air of dereliction that is encountered today. A wander around this old church on a sunny day is rewarding and certain to leave you in a better mood.

From a boating perspective, Reena Dhuna provides a quiet river anchorage in a serene and tranquil setting with plenty of natural wildlife around. It is an ideal location to sit out bad weather in a nice quiet and beautiful setting. Many local sailors reportedly leave boats here unattended for extended periods with complete confidence that they would come to no harm. Though a sequestered location, Baltimore Harbour is just a 10-minute tender ride for those that get up on the plane. Skibbereen is also addressable on the rise.


What facilities are available?
Reena Dhuna in the Ilen River has no facilities. Further upriver, the large provincial town of Skibbereen is a one hour walk and is well serviced by buses. The town is the hub of west Cork and has all stores available plus one of the best Chandleries in the southwest that has nearly everything a boatman could require. A mile and a half further up river at Oldcourt, there is a quay with a boatyard frequented by trawlers, that also caters for yachts.


Any security concerns?
Never an issue known to have occurred in Reena Dhuna. The owner of the big house is a sailor and has kept an eye on unattended boats in the past. This has often been reciprocated with a bottle of duty free, which many have thought fitting for his consideration. Of course he may be away sailing so he cannot be depended upon.


With thanks to:
Burke Corbett, Gusserane, New Ross, Co. Wexford.




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