Islands of Ireland: Mizen Head's Bird Island is really tricky to get to — and that's great

There are many Bird Islands in the country including at Kilmakilloge Harbour, Ardgroom Harbour, Dunworley near Clonakilty, and Cape Clear. All are appropriately named as they provide breeding grounds and shelter for myriad bird species. Picture: Larry Cummins

There is remote and then there is remote. Bird Island is the only island along the northside of the furthest reaches of the Mizen Peninsula and is so isolated it can barely be seen from the peninsula itself. Even from the opposite Sheep’s Head it is hard to see as it blends in seamlessly with the Mizen landscape.

Further back towards the village of Durrus there is a small archipelago with Carbery Island the largest. However, on the northern cliffs heading towards the glorious Three Castles Head there is just the lonely Bird Island.

Accessing this island presents the kayaker with a pair of options. It is in fact closer to Sheep’s Head across the bay than it is to Dunmanus Pier 7km to the east. However, a closer put-in option is from the precipitous pier in the townland of Durod which is a scarcely believable place reached by the boreen of boreens and which has a very steep gradient itself. It gets even worse: If the tide is out here there is a drop of a few metres to reach the sea. Off to the east, the alluring Bird Island lurks in the shadow of the cliffs. There is a scant population hereabouts and the only towns and villages are on the northside of the peninsula: Schull, Ballydehob, Goleen, Crookhaven.

Oileán na nÉan in Irish is also the most westerly of the islands in Dunmanus Bay, Sheep’s Head also being unfurnished with islands on the south side towards its end.

Bird Island is the only island along the northside of the furthest reaches of the Mizen Peninsula and is so isolated it can barely be seen from the peninsula itself. Picture Dan Linehan

It is unpopulated and always has been. In fact, the only animal to call it home are the myriad bird species that seek shelter on its hilly tussocks.

It is bereft of any archaeological remains of any hue which is not surprising considering the extreme difficulty in effecting a landing there. This is just the fourth island in this series to defeat the attempt of this columnist to land. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Bird Island is characterised by cliffs all along its southern flank. The northern flank is generally convulsed with angry waves or an off-putting swell. For the men of the Mizen Head and Sheep’s Head who used to gather birds’ eggs there in the middle of the last century and probably before that, there was but one place to land and just one time of the year. When calm seas presented themselves in November an attempt could be made to land on Bird Island but even then it was an extremely difficult landing.

Punts would drift in and when the swell was about to break a man could jump to the rocks. He would then fix a rope to a metal bar that had been placed on a previous trip thus allowing his companions to tie up and land. Then the search for the birds’ eggs began on the grassy summit and in parts of the cliffs where it was possible to scramble.

A cormorant drying its wings perched at the top of a rock along the West Cork coastline. Picture: Denis Minihane

Eggs from seagulls, cormorants, guillemot, razorbill and kittiwake would be gathered and placed safely in their baskets. How they managed to alight from the cliff face, board the boats, and make it back across to the mainland is a mystery. The reward of having your dinner having achieved it in such trying circumstances must have been worth it.

A steamer ashore at Bird Island, Dunmanus Bay, Cork Cork Examiner Tuesday, November 17, 1891 

In spite of the inhospitable seas and rocks, few wrecks have been recorded here over the years. In 1885 the steamship SS Iberia ran aground beside Bird Island and the sloop Alyssum foundered in 1915. Neither had loss of life. News of disasters in those days was relayed by telegram, typified by: “A telegram from Crookhaven, Co Cork states that a large steamer is ashore at Bird Island. Name unknown.”

There are many Bird Islands in the country including at Kilmakilloge Harbour, Ardgroom Harbour, Dunworley near Clonakilty, and Cape Clear. All are appropriately named as they provide breeding grounds and shelter for myriad bird species. None are as hard to reach and none remotely remote as the one in Mizen Head. Long may it continue.

How to get there: No ferry. Kayak from either Dunmanus Pier or Toor Pier.

Other: archaeology.ie; Cork Examiner 17/11/1891