The road view
The whole bay from the cliff road.
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Keem Bay is a small sandy bay at the far west of Achill Island in County Mayo, past the village of Dooagh. Steep green hills drop to clear blue water, around a Blue Flag beach that is among the loveliest in Ireland when the weather is kind. The bay was once the site of a basking shark fishery. In the nineteenth century the British government set up a lifeboat station on the beach, and it served those who lived and worked on this coast for over 100 years. The place appeared more recently in the 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin. The narrow road comes down from a high cliff with the whole bay below you, its water shading through blues over pale sand. At the beach there are a small old building and picnic tables, with hillsides rising on both sides. You can climb the slope to see the bay and cliffs from above. Clouds can pass quickly and change the colour in minutes, which is part of the beauty of this coast. The bay is 48.1 km in a straight line north-west of Westport, and Achill is joined to the mainland by a bridge. The last stretch of road is narrow beside a cliff, so drive slowly. The water is cold all year and currents can be strong, so ask about the lifeguard season before swimming. Wind is sometimes fierce, so keep away from cliff edges and bring a jacket.
The whole bay from the cliff road.
Pale sand and clear water.
A view of the cliffs from above.
Past Dooagh village, west Achill Island, County Mayo
The water is cold and currents can be strong, so ask about the lifeguard season first.
By car over the Achill bridge, then on a narrow road past Dooagh.