Overview
Omey – from the Irish Iomaí, ‘resting place’ – is a tidal island off the village of Claddaghduff on the western edge of Connemara, County Galway. Twice a day the Atlantic drops back to uncover Omey Strand, a wide, firm sand causeway you can walk or even drive across, and twice a day it comes back and seals the island off again. It covers roughly a square mile of dunes, grass and the shallow freshwater basin of Fahy Lough. The one thing to get right here is the tide: everything else is straightforward, but the sea is not negotiable.
History and archaeology
The saint Feichín is said to have founded a monastery here in the early 6th century, and the island has been lived on far longer – shell middens along the shore date to between AD 1000 and 1500. Excavations by UCD archaeologists in the 1990s turned up a rare female burial within the monastic graveyard, unusual enough to be noted in its own right. The early timber church was replaced by a 12th-century stone one, Teampaill Feichín, which then vanished: blown sand buried it for centuries until local volunteers dug the walls back out in 1981.
Later history is the familiar Connemara arc. In the 1500s the O’Tooles of Leinster sheltered here under O’Flaherty protection; Cromwellian grants later handed land to the Brown and D’Arcy families. Over 400 people lived on Omey in the early 1800s before the Famine emptied it. The last full-time resident, former Hollywood stuntman Pascal Whelan, died in 2017, though the 2022 census still counted five, in cottages that fill and empty with the season. You can still trace the foundations of stone cabins, a fulacht fia, several burial grounds and St Feichín’s holy well, along with the octagonal stone retreat the poet Richard Murphy built for himself.
Wildlife and nature
Fahy Lough, the shallow lake at the island’s centre, draws swans, dabchicks and the occasional otter, while choughs, gulls and terns work the shoreline. Offshore, dolphins pass through in season and basking sharks have been recorded gliding by in summer. Sea thrift and marram grass hold the dunes together and give cover to insects and ground-nesting birds, so it’s worth keeping to the paths in spring and early summer.
What to see and do
- Teampaill Feichín (St Feichín’s Church) – The partly excavated 12th-century ruin near the island’s centre, with surviving rectangular walls and fragments of carved cross that mark the monastic core.
- St Feichín’s Holy Well – On the western side, ringed by a low stone wall and a wooden cross; still a quiet spot for a pause.
- Fahy Lough – A shallow inland lake, good for unhurried birdwatching out of the Atlantic wind.
- Omey Strand – The crossing itself is half the point. The firm sand is dotted with rock pools and shells, and the surf builds on the horizon while you walk.
- Events – The Omey Races (late July) turn the tidal flats into a horse-racing course and draw up to 6,000 people; the Omey Dash duathlon and triathlon follows in early August, launching its swim from the strand.
- Active pursuits – A loop of the island runs to about 8km and takes one to two hours; cyclists often pair it with the nearby Sky Road or Cleggan loops, or the Connemara Greenway. The water off the strand is used for kite-surfing, diving and angling, and the Point pony-trekking centre runs guided rides across the flats.
Practical information
Access and tide times
The island is only reachable at low tide. The safe window opens roughly two hours before low water and closes two hours after, which is enough time to walk the loop if you start promptly – but not if you dawdle at the far end. Always check the day’s tide table before setting out; lunar cycles and weather both shift the levels, and the strand goes from firm sand to open sea faster than people expect. Local pubs in Claddaghduff and online tide services carry the times.
Getting there and facilities
Drive to Claddaghduff off the N59 and park at the beach, on the road by the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, or in the small lay-by at the Wild Atlantic Way discovery point, then walk straight out onto the sand. There’s no scheduled bus into Claddaghduff and none onto the strand, so you really need a car; the nearest town of any size is Clifden, about 20 minutes away. There are no shops, cafés or shelters on the island itself, so carry water, snacks and a waterproof, and use the facilities in Claddaghduff or Clifden before you cross.
Safety and etiquette
Tide times are not advisory. The Atlantic comes back quickly and can cut off the way home without warning, so stay on the main causeway, keep clear of deep channels and never turn your back on the sea. Weather changes fast on this coast; pack layers and a shell. Dogs are welcome on a lead, especially near nesting birds. Respect the archaeological sites by staying on the paths and leaving stones and artefacts where they are.
Nearby attractions
- Cleggan – A working fishing village known for fresh seafood and the departure point for the Inishbofin ferry.
- Inishbofin Island – A short boat ride out, with early ring forts, an arts community and long walking routes.
- Sky Road – The scenic loop above Clifden, an easy add-on either side of the tide.
Check the tide table the night before, note the exact time the water turns, and treat it as a deadline: be back on the mainland side well before it, and you’ll have the island close to yourself.