Baile Conaola, meaning “Conneely’s village,” nestles on the Errismore Peninsula in western Connemara, standing as one of Ireland’s most enchanting coastal villages. People have inhabited this surrounding landscape for over 5,000 years, leaving behind archaeological evidence of Bronze Age to medieval coastal shell middens scattered along its pristine shorelines.
Ballyconneely’s natural splendor shines brightest at Derrygimbla, where white maerl sands composed of coralline algae fragments form the famous “Coral Strand.” These unique beaches, flanked by extensive sand dunes and salt marshes, host an extraordinary variety of seabirds. The rocky promontories and rugged Atlantic coastline shelter seals, dolphins, and whales. Botanically, the area supports rare salt marsh vegetation growing on freshwater peat, pyramidal orchids, and carpets of harebells across the machair grasslands.
Doon Hill rises 67 meters above the peninsula, serving both as a crucial landmark for fishermen approaching Bunowen Pier and a repository of human history. Ancient Celtic forts, medieval churches, Napoleonic signal towers, and World War II watch posts all mark this hill and nearby Bunowen Castle ruins, telling stories of generations who called this corner of Connemara home.
The map of Ballyconneely displays detailed natural and built landmarks. It shows the sweeping curve of Ballyconneely Bay and its coastline, including major water bodies like Salt Lough, Lettershask Lough, Maumeen Lough, and Lough Namanawaun. The map marks prominent headlands, rocky outcrops, and shallow inlets such as Bunowen Bay and Carrickaloughaun.
Settlements, including Ballyconneely village and Bunowen House, appear alongside infrastructure like the main Pier and historic Callow Bridge. Inland features such as Doon Hill and Maumeen Hill provide elevation and terrain references, while roads and minor tracks link these points across the peninsula. The map names beaches, rocks, and islands like Illaunurra and Little Bellows throughout.
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.
A tide clock can help you plan your activities around Mannin Bay 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.
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.
The Ballyconeely Tide Clock contains full instructions on how to set and how to read a tide clock.
This is not a navigation device.
€65.00
“We received the tide clock this week and it is so fantastic, so beautiful! We love it. We just hit high tide on a full moon 5 min ago and I set it! Thank you thank you thank you and hope you are all doing well. I also was very excited to get a package from Ireland. That was half the fun!”
“ I just received the tide clock that I ordered today, and I just wanted to say thank you! The service was so prompt, and the clock is amazing. It was great to find a gift for my husband who is very hard to buy for! He and my eldest daughter love to go fishing in the summer, so this will be very useful. Thanks again! .”
