Overview
Whiddy Island is a ten-minute crossing from Bantry, though it feels a good deal further out. Thirty-one people live on this low, green island at the head of Bantry Bay, in County Cork, one of the deepest natural harbours in Europe – deep enough to have drawn navies, oil supertankers and, in January 1979, Ireland’s worst maritime disaster. It runs roughly 5.6 km long and 2.4 km wide, gently rolling and fertile, and the pace is slow. If you do one thing, hire a bike at the Bank House Bar by the pier and ride the loop: the island is flat enough that a couple of hours covers the lot, batteries and all.
History
The island’s position has drawn soldiers for centuries. After the failed French landing in Bantry Bay in 1796, the British built a line of gun batteries along the northern shore; the largest, the Middle Battery, still stands, its overgrown earthworks and stone footings a clear link to 19th-century coastal defence.
Older still is Reenananig Castle (sometimes Reenavanny), a tower house of the O’Sullivan Beare lords, which survived Cromwellian bombardment only to be brought down by a storm in 1920. Low stone walls are all that remain.
Aviation history arrived in the last months of the First World War, when the United States Navy set up a seaplane base on the eastern shore and flew five Curtiss Model H aircraft on patrols around Fastnet Rock; a radio station relayed messages as far as the United States. The base closed in January 1919, and a stone memorial to pilot Walford August Anderson, killed on 22 October 1918, was unveiled near the ferry pontoon in 2014.
Heavy industry came in the late 1960s, when Gulf Oil built a terminal to berth supertankers. On 8 January 1979 the French tanker Betelgeuse exploded while unloading, killing 50 – Ireland’s worst maritime disaster. The terminal never fully returned to commercial shipping; today it holds part of the national strategic oil reserve.
Quieter heritage survives too: an early ecclesiastical enclosure at Kilmore with a holy well, church and graveyard, the ruins of 19th-century pilchard-processing sheds from the old fishing days, and the ‘Cup and Saucer’ drinking fountain carved by American naval officers during the seaplane era.
Nature and wildlife
The Gulf Stream gives Whiddy a mild microclimate, and it shows in the planting. From late June into autumn, red and purple fuchsia line the hedgerows and garden walls, and in damp, shaded corners the common butterwort – one of Ireland’s few carnivorous plants – spreads its sticky, insect-trapping leaves. Two small lakes near Kilmore hold waterfowl, while gulls, terns and the occasional chough work the open fields and coast. The shoreline’s coves and rock pools are good for an hour of low-tide rummaging with children.
What to see and do
- Whiddy Island Loop – a waymarked 5 km circuit (7.7 km with the detours to Lousy Castle and the Middle Battery), part of the Sheep’s Head Way, about two hours at a walk.
- Cycling – quiet, car-free lanes; hire a bike at the Bank House Bar opposite the pontoon.
- Bantry Blueway – Whiddy is a stop on Ireland’s first Blueway, with kayak, paddleboard and sailing hire contacts and safety details posted on the harbour information boards.
- Military and aviation heritage – the Napoleonic batteries, the seaplane base site and the Anderson memorial; local historian and publican Tim O’Leary runs guided walks, listed on the island website.
- The Bank House Bar – the island’s only pub, doing fresh seafood platters, draught ales and seasonal live music, with outdoor seating over the harbour. For a lot of people it is the reason to come back.
- Cultural events – in July the West Cork Literary Festival holds a week-long workshop on the island; in August the West Cork Fit-Up Theatre Festival performs, and there is a Family Fun Day.
- Accommodation – restored traditional cottages and the refurbished School House Hostel (sleeps up to 30); some bookings include the return ferry.
Practical information
Getting there
The Ocean Star III runs between Bantry Pier and Whiddy daily, a 10–15 minute crossing.
- Summer (June–August): 5 sailings each way daily.
- Off-season: Mon, Wed and Fri 5 round trips; Tue, Thu and Sat 4; Sun 3.
The return fare is €8, paid at the pier on the day. There is one pub and no shop on the island, so the day runs on the ferry timetable – check the last sailing before you settle in for a second pint. For current times, see whiddyferry.com or call +353 86 862 6734. Park at the Bantry marina, a minute or two from the town.
On the island
- No private cars: the ferry takes passengers and light luggage only.
- Bike hire at the Bank House Bar, rates posted on-site.
- Facilities: public toilets near the pontoon, limited Wi-Fi at the pub and hostel, and a community centre for hire (dannyboywhiddy@gmail.com, +353 86 193 6247).
- Accessibility: the paths are natural and uneven; wheelchair users should ring the ferry operator ahead to arrange boarding and check the route up from the pontoon.
Nearby
- Bantry House & Gardens – across from the ferry terminal, with formal gardens and period rooms.
- Bere Island – a ferry from Castletownbere, with military ruins and coastal walks.
- Garinish Island – off Glengarriff, famous for its Italian gardens.
Time your day around the ferry, not the other way round, and don’t leave without the seafood platter at the Bank House – for most people it is the main reason to come back.