Clare Island (Cliara)
A mountainous island at the mouth of Clew Bay, home of the pirate queen.
Clare Island guards the entrance to Clew Bay beneath the peak of Knockmore. It was the stronghold of Gráinne Mhaol (Grace O'Malley), the 16th-century 'Pirate Queen', whose castle and burial place stand on the island.
At a glance
- Guards the mouth of Clew Bay
- Stronghold of Gráinne Mhaol
- Her castle and grave survive
In County Mayo
Clare Island is in County Mayo, Maigh Eo in Irish, which means “plain of the yew trees”.
More in Mayo
- Croagh Patrick (Cruach Phádraig): Ireland's holy mountain, climbed by pilgrims for over a thousand years in honour of St Patrick.
- Achill Island (Acaill): Ireland's largest island, joined to Mayo by a bridge, with cliffs and blue-flag beaches.
- Céide Fields (Achaidh Chéide): The oldest known field systems in the world, preserved under blanket bog.
Other places of this kind
- Aran Islands (Oileáin Árann): A group of three islands located at the mouth of Galway Bay.
- Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichíl): A jagged island monastery off the Kerry coast, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a modern film location.
- Rathlin Island (Reachlainn): Northern Ireland's only inhabited offshore island, an L-shaped seabird haven off the Antrim coast.
- The Saltee Islands (Na Sailtí): Two small islands off the Wexford coast, one of Ireland's great bird sanctuaries.
- Devenish Island (Daimhinis): A serene monastic island on Lower Lough Erne, crowned by a perfect round tower.
- Boa Island (Inis Badhbha): A Lough Erne island famed for its enigmatic two-faced stone idol.
The Irish name
The Irish form of Clare Island is Cliara. You can hear it spoken, and take apart names like it, in the Placename Explorer. The authoritative record for any Irish place-name is logainm.ie.