Overview
Long Island (Irish: Inis Fada, ‘long island’) is exactly that: a low ridge of land in Roaringwater Bay, nearly 5 km end to end but barely a kilometre across, five minutes by ferry from Colla Pier near Schull. Seventeen people lived here at the 2022 census. A single surfaced road runs about half the length, and rough tracks carry on from there to the copper mine and beacon in the east and the low cliffs in the west. Between them are shingle beaches, small fields going back to gorse, and a scatter of tumbledown cottages and stores.
If you have one afternoon, walk east from the pier to Copper Point and back – it is the most rewarding stretch, taking in the beacon, the beaches and the widest sea views. Bring everything you need: there is no shop, café or public toilet anywhere on the island.
History & heritage
The island once held far more people than it does now. Before the Great Famine the Roaringwater Bay islands together held close to 5,000; Long Island alone recorded 305 in 1841. Emigration hollowed that out over the following century. One who left was Florence ‘Big’ Driscoll, born on the island in 1837, who went to Kansas in the late 1850s and whose descendants wrote about the Irish-American story that so many island families lived.
A modest copper-mining community worked the eastern side in the early 19th century, and the stone walls, foundations and old workings are still there, with interpretive signs on how the ore was got out and how the miners lived. Out at Copper Point on the eastern tip stands the island’s navigation light – called the Copper Point lighthouse, or simply the Beacon locally – marking the approach for boats running into Schull Harbour.
Getting there & around
Ferries run year-round from Colla Pier, a few minutes’ drive from Schull; the crossing takes about five minutes. Weekday boats sail morning and late afternoon, with an extra midday sailing on Wednesdays and more frequent runs on Sundays. There are fewer in winter, so check the current timetable at longislandferry.ie before you set out. Schull is roughly 30 minutes from Bantry and about an hour and 50 minutes by road from Cork city.
On the island, walking is the way to go. The surfaced central road takes a bike, but the western tracks are rough and uneven and are better on foot. Self-catering cottages are the only accommodation – no hotels or B&Bs – and they fill up in summer, so book ahead.
What to see & do
- Walk to Copper Point and back. Follow the surfaced road east from the jetty, past the beaches to the beacon on the eastern tip, then either retrace your steps or push on along the rougher tracks for wider views over Roaringwater Bay. Allow a few unhurried hours for the full length.
- The copper mine. On the eastern side, the old shafts and stone foundations sketch out the island’s short industrial life; the interpretive signs are worth a read.
- Watch the water. Seals haul out on the shingle and otters work the rocky edges; there are dolphins in the bay, and in summer basking sharks have been recorded off the western shore. Bring binoculars.
- The beaches. The sheltered shingle coves on the south-west side are quiet spots to stop. There is no lifeguard and the water stays cold year-round, so if you swim, stay close to shore.
Practical tips
- Accessibility: rough tracks, uneven ground and unfenced drops near the cliffs mean the island is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.
- Come self-sufficient: no shops, cafés or toilets, so pack food, water and wet-weather gear. Atlantic weather turns fast – check the forecast and keep off the cliff edges in high wind.
- Nearby: back on the mainland, Schull has the lunch options, and the boat network makes it easy to add a hop to Sherkin or Cape Clear another day.
The service runs year-round but thins out in winter and can be held up by weather. Check the timetable a day or two ahead and note the time of the last afternoon boat back to Colla Pier – there is nowhere to stay unless you have booked a cottage.