Clew Bay

bay, Ireland

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Clew Bay, sheltered bay on the west (Atlantic) coast of County Mayo, Ireland, approximately 10 miles (16 km) from east to west and 7 miles (11 km) from north to south. The bay is bounded on both north and south by mountains—Croagh Patrick (2,510 feet [795 metres]) on the south and the Nephin Beg range on the north. Achill Island and the Corraun Peninsula form western extensions of the northern shores, and Clare Island is located at the mouth of the bay. A distinctive feature of the inner end of the bay is the archipelago of small islands formed by drumlins, or long oval mounds of glacial origin.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.