
The harbour offers excellent all-round protection but may be uncomfortable in heavy southerly conditions when other nearby locations offer a more comfortable berth. Access from Bantry Bay is unobstructed and it may be approached at any stage of the tide. Attentive daytime navigation is however required in Adrigole owing to its moderately narrow entrance and some rocky outcrops extending from the island that lies in the middle of the harbour near the anchoring location.
Keyfacts for Adrigole
Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Protected sectors
Approaches
Shelter
Last modified
January 11th 2022 Summary
A good location with careful navigation required for access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
Approximately 300 metres northeast of Orthon Island in 3.4 metres.
What is the initial fix?
The following Adrigole initial fix will set up a final approach:

What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in southwestern Ireland’s coastal Overview for Mizen Head to Loop Head
.
- The neck of the entrance is about 400 metres wide but carries 10 metres.
- Thereafter the harbour opens out with the central rocky Orthon's Island.
- The channel is between the islet and the eastern shore.
- Anchor to the northeast of Orthon's Island or pick up a visitor mooring.
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 Adrigole for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Lonehort Harbour - 4 nautical miles SW
- Lawrence Cove - 5 nautical miles SW
- Mill Cove - 5.8 nautical miles WSW
- Kitchen Cove - 6 nautical miles SSE
- Kilcrohane Pier - 6.6 nautical miles S
- Kilmakilloge Harbour - 6.7 nautical miles NW
- Dooneen Pier - 7.2 nautical miles S
- Castletownbere (Castletown Bearhaven) - 7.2 nautical miles WSW
- Ardgroom Harbour - 7.3 nautical miles NW
- Dunbeacon Cove - 7.5 nautical miles SE
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Lonehort Harbour - 4 miles SW
- Lawrence Cove - 5 miles SW
- Mill Cove - 5.8 miles WSW
- Kitchen Cove - 6 miles SSE
- Kilcrohane Pier - 6.6 miles S
- Kilmakilloge Harbour - 6.7 miles NW
- Dooneen Pier - 7.2 miles S
- Castletownbere (Castletown Bearhaven) - 7.2 miles WSW
- Ardgroom Harbour - 7.3 miles NW
- Dunbeacon Cove - 7.5 miles SE
Chart
What's the story here?

Image: Michael Harpur
Adrigole Harbour lies on the scenic south coast of the Beara Peninsula, about 2½ miles northeast of the eastern entrance to Bearhaven, 1½ miles northeastward of Roancarrig Lighthouse and is entered ½ a mile northeast of Bulliga Point. Orthon's Island lies in the middle of the harbour surrounded by sunken rocks and Drumlave Pier lies opposite it on the eastern shore. The channel into the harbour is between the islet and the eastern shore. At the head of the shore is Adrigole village which is scattered along the shoreline where one small grocery shop can be found. The beautiful inlet is loomed over by Hungry Hill (687m, 2,253 ft) with two rock-girt lakes which feed a cascade called the 'Mare's Tail'.

Image: Michael Harpur
The harbour provides a sheltered anchorage with excellent holding for leisure craft carrying up to 3 metres. Seven seasonal visitor moorings are available in 4 metres. A daily charge of €7.50 may be levied for the moorings.
How to get in?

Image: Michael Harpur

Image: Michael Harpur

Image: Michael Harpur

Image: Michael Harpur
There are mussel rafts on the west side of the entrance. But the west side of the inlet is obstructed by rocks and the anchorage is on the east side of the bay. So the mussel rafts may be left to the west side (port) and present no problem to navigation.

Image: Michael Harpur
Once past the entrance, the harbour opens out but is obstructed by the low central Orthon's Island and its surrounding rocky outcrops reaching out a distance of 200 metres. Keep mid-channel between the islet passing between it and Dromlave Pier seen on the east shore, eastward of the island. Continue keeping to the east shore as unmarked foul ground extends 200 metres south of Orthon's Island and likewise north-northeastward. Although it needs some attention, it is, however, this island that offers protection from southerly conditions.

Image: Michael Harpur

Image: Michael Harpur
Seven seasonal visitor moorings are available a ¼ of a mile northeastward of Orthon's Island off the eastern shore in 4 metres. The 15 tons rated moorings are large, coloured bright yellow and labelled VISITOR.

Image: Michael Harpur
Land at the Drumlave Pier on the eastern shore directly across from Orthon’s Islet.
Why visit here?
The townland of Adrigole, takes its name from Eádargoil. The compound of Eadar-dha -ghabhal meaning 'land enclosed' by two branches of a river or two inlets. It has been used to describe many places in Ireland, in various forms, including Adrigole.
Image: John Finn
Set into the Beara Peninsula, Adrigole is an extraordinarily picturesque anchorage. Nestled into the Caha Range of the Ring of Beara, that have been listed as a Special Area of Conservation, it and its surrounds offer some of Ireland's most spectacular scenery. Adrigole is loomed over by magnificent Hungry Hill (687 metres, 2,253 ft) which is the highest of the range and part of the range that forms the spine of the peninsula. The hill gave its name to the Daphne du Maurier novel about the local copper-mining barons of the 19th-century.

Image: Michael Harpur
Hikers will be in their element here. The stunningly beautiful mountains offer fantastic hill-walking opportunities at all grades. Hungry Hill itself provides a rewarding challenge for the energetic hillwalker who may discover on their way the hidden rock-girt lakes of Coomarkane and Coomadavallig, that feed the 'Mares Tail' waterfall, the highest in Ireland. The head of the inlet also forms part of Ireland’s longest national waymarked trail the Beara-Breifne Way.

Image: Michael Harpur
This follows the legendary fourteen-day march taken by the last great Irish Chieftan Dónal Cam O’Sullivan Beare and his thousand soldiers, men, women and children in January 1603. The trek occurred in the aftermath of the 1601 defeat of the Irish Chieftains and Spanish at the Battle of Kinsale, Elizabeth's forces advanced west to capture O’Sullivan’s lands in Beara. Following a series of battles and the loss of his stronghold at Dunboy, O’Sullivan withdrew with his troops to Coomerkane Valley, west of Glengarriff. When the English then seized his cattle, O’Sullivan knew his people were faced with almost certain starvation and that they had no option but to flee to his allies the O’Rourke’s of Breffni (now Leitrim). This involved an unsupported winter march over hostile territories over a distance in excess of 300 miles.

Image: Public Domain
Undaunted, O'Sullivan sought to then join with other northern chiefs to fight the English and organised a force to this end. But resistance ended when Hugh O'Neil, 2nd Earl of Tyrone, successfully sued for peace and swore an oath of loyalty to the crown. O'Sullivan then sought exile, making his escape to Spain by ship. Soon after, 1607, in Hugh O'Neill and Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, with about ninety followers, also left Ulster in Ireland for mainland Europe. This departure of the ancient leaders and their permanent exile became known as the Flight of the Earls.

Image: Michael Harpur
It was a watershed event in Irish history, symbolizing the end of the old Gaelic order. Today the Beara-Breifne Way follows the epic 14-day march of Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare through some of Ireland's most beautiful and untouched countryside.

Image: Michael Harpur
From a boating point of view, this is one of the most beautiful anchorages on the west coast of Ireland and an excellent night stop. It is well protected in bad weather, save for heavy southerly conditions when Lawrence’s Cove, just to the west on Bear Island, would be ideal. Outside of this Adrigole is the perfect place to enjoy some natural beauty in a quiet, secluded and remarkable setting that can be shared with the seals on the surrounding rocks.

Image: Michael Harpur
The central small grassy and ferny Orthan’s Island makes for a nice picnic venue on a fine summer’s afternoon having a small sandy area to land on its northern side. The scattered village strung along the head of a lovely inlet has a small shop where basic provides can be purchased to spend some extra time.
What facilities are available?
There are no facilities in this remote bay. It has a sparsely distributed population of about 450 people. The village has a shop known locally as "Peg's Shop" which also offers certain postal services, such as the purchase of stamps and mailing of letters, and there are also four pubs. A sea training school for sail and power boats operates from the pier on the east side of the Harbour.These are all available on the road on the north side of the bay but that’s a dingy ride at high water and a short walk across the fields. Supplies can be obtained from the village of Drumlave ¾ of a kilometre to the east of the pier.
Adrigole is centred around the junction of the R572 regional road with the R574 on the main Cork to Castletownbere (approximately 15 kilometres) road. The proximity to the town of Castletownbere makes other services such as banking easily available. The nearest airport is Cork Airport.
Any security concerns?
Never an issue known to have occurred in Adrigole.With thanks to:
Burke Corbett, Gusserane, New Ross, Co. Wexford.Aerial view of Adrigole Harbour
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