Island · Co. Mayo
Achill Island
Achill is Ireland's largest western island, connected to the mainland since 1887. It features dramatic headlands, historic lighthouses, and a community that blends farming with tourism.
The bay
Cuan na Cuime, known in English as Keem Bay, sits past Dooagh village on the west of Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland. A Blue Flag beach defines the spot. The sand, the water, and the headland shape the bay. It was formerly the site of a basking shark fishery. The history of the place is the history of the bay. The fishery, the boats, and the coast are what the people of the bay lived on.
The lifeboat
In the 19th century, the British government established a lifeboat station on Keem Beach. It operated for over 100 years. The station provided a vital service for those who lived and worked on the coast. The station is the bay’s monument. The boats went out from there. The walk along the beach passes the station on the way to the headland. Keem Bay is the western end of Achill’s west coast. The light on the water is best before the weather moves in.
The film
The bay was used as a filming location for the 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin. The film put the west of Achill on the map for a new audience. It is the reason the bay is busier than it was. The walk through the bay is the walk the film used. It covers the beach, the headland, and the water. The village of Dooagh is a short drive back along the coast road.
Practical
Keem Bay is past Dooagh village on the west of Achill. It is a drive from Westport and Dooagh. The beach is on the bay’s sheltered side. The bay works best in the morning. The walk along the beach to the headland is the walk to do first.
