ARDGROOM ANCHORAGE

Spectacular scenery awaits those who drop the pick in this quiet anchorage on Ireland’s south west coast, as Norman Kean discovers

A tranquil idyll on Ireland’s south-west coast

The Kenmare River, also known as Kenmare Bay, on the borders of Cork and Kerry, gives the enduring impression of being a great and wellkept secret. One of the four great rias of south-west Ireland, it is less wellknown than its neighbours Bantry Bay and Dingle Bay, yet it boasts more anchorages than both of them, and it has the famous scenic routes of the Ring of Kerry and the Ring of Beara to north and south. Tens of thousands of visitors each year enjoy the views from these roads, but both rings are much better seen from seaward.

Ardgroom Harbour lies on the south side of Kenmare Bay about 17 miles from Dursey Sound. The entrance channel of the harbour passes between Halftide Rock, with its unlit beacon, and the drying Ship Rock, and continues between more rocks and shallows before opening out. The channel is marked by two pairs of unlit white stone leading beacons. The first pair leads 099° from close north of Halftide Rock through the next gap in the rocks to the east. The back mark of this pair, on sloping wooded ground, tends to get obscured by rampant greenery, and care must be taken not to confuse it with the chimney of a house to the east or the tip of the gable of another to the west. The chartplotter is a very present help in time of need. The second pair of beacons leads 206°, clear east of the shoals.

INTRIGUING ANCHORAGE

Much of the area of the harbour is used for the rope culture of mussels. The ropes hang from parallel lines of barrels – it is safe to thread the lines but not to cross them, and safest just to skirt the outside of the farms. There is ample room around them, and plenty of space to anchor. A visiting yacht will most likely be the only one. The recommended anchorage is in the northwest corner, off the pier at Reenavade, sheltered from the north by the long low curving spit of Cus Island. Practically anywhere clear of the mussel farms and with suitable depth is available: the main harbour has 6 to 9 metres. The head of the inlet in the south-west corner offers a good anchorage and access to the colourful village of Ardgroom, which has shops, a cafe, filling station and the Village Inn pub. Make your way up the little river in the dinghy, tie it up to a fence post on the left-hand side at the bridge, and walk 500m to the village. Nearby Glenbeg Lough is a spectacular glacial lake between the mountains, and Ardgroom Stone Circle dates from 1000 BC.

East of Ardgroom is Kilmakilloge Harbour, similar in size and shelter. Three miles away on the north side of the bay lies Sneem Harbour, surrounded by wooded islands. The bay stretches for a further 11 miles east to the bustling town of Kenmare.