Achill Island Tide Clock

Achill Island sits off the Mayo coast, linked to the mainland by a bridge yet feeling every bit like an Atlantic outpost. Steep mountains rise straight from the sea, with Slievemore and Croaghaun towering over long strands, bogland and scattered villages. On the western tip, Keem Bay curves in a perfect horseshoe of bright sand and clear green water beneath high cliffs, while Keel Beach stretches for kilometres opposite the dark wall of the Minaun Cliffs. Around the edges of the island, headlands like Achill Head, Dooega Head and Doogort look out to open ocean and smaller islands, so almost every road ends in a big sea view.

The clock shows a small section of the original chart, focusing on the area around Achill Island, down as far as Clare Island and including the beach at Dooagh that has been made famous by the return of sand to its shores after many years absence.The chart shows the 5 blue flag beaches of Keem Bay, Dooega, Keel, Dugort and the Golden Strand.Achill Head ,Moyteoige Head and Saddle Head can all be seen, as well as Achill Beg and Inisbiggle.

Achill draws walkers, swimmers, surfers and cyclists who come for its beaches, cliffs and ever-changing weather. People hike from Keem Bay up towards Croaghaun to glimpse Ireland’s highest sea cliffs, or follow the Great Western Greenway from the mainland to Achill Sound and on towards Cashel. Villages such as Keel, Dooagh and Achill Sound offer cafés and pubs between beach trips, while quieter coves and piers give locals and visitors places to launch kayaks, fish or simply sit and watch the Atlantic roll in. The 2022 Oscar nominated film “The Banshees of Inisheri” was partially made on Achill.The Achill Island tide clock gathers this wild coastline onto its face, so every turn of the hand mirrors the pulse of the tides in the bays, sounds and headlands around the island

What is a tide clock?

A tide clock is a device that tells you if the tide is high or low, and how much time is left before it changes. It works by synchronising with the lunar cycle, which influences the tides. The tide clock has a single hand that rotates once every 12 hours and 25 minutes, which is the average time between two high tides or two low tides. The dial of the tide clock is divided into sections that indicate the state of the tide: high, low, rising, or falling. By looking at the position of the hand, you can tell what the tide is doing and how long it will take to change.

Why use a tide clock?

A tide clock can help you plan your activities around Achill Island by letting you know when the water is high enough or low enough for your preferred activity. For example, if you want to swim, you might want to avoid low tide, when the water is shallow and cold, and the mudflats are exposed. If you want to fish, you might want to avoid high tide, when the water is deep and fast, and the fish are dispersed. Going sailing, surfing, or kayaking? You might want to choose a time when the tide is rising or falling, which creates more favourable conditions for these sports. If you want to walk along the shore, you might want to choose a time when the tide is low, which reveals more of the beach and the wildlife.

What is a marine chart?

A marine chart is a map of the sea and shoreline that shows water depths, hazards, and features you can use to understand the geography and infrastructure of a coastal location. It uses symbols and numbers to show how deep the water is at different places, where rocks, sandbanks, or wrecks are, and where channels are safer for boats. The chart marks landmarks on land—like lighthouses, piers, and headlands—so you can match what you see to the map.

What are the details of the Achill Island tide clock?

• 260 mm x 260 mm and 45mm deep. (10″ x 10″ x 1.75″)
  
• Heavy duty professionally printed canvas.
• Solid-wood frame. Select from either black or white.
• Real glass
  
• Delivered in a presentation box with “Who knows what the tide may bring” printed on it.

The Achill Island tide clock contains full instructions on how to set and how to read a tide clock.

This is not a navigation device.