Snugly tucked in behind Ram Head with the pretty village basking in its own micro-climate, Ardmore Bay is halfway along the 55 miles between Dunmore East and Cork harbour. However, it only has a small boat quay and slipway, and as it is open to the east and the holding is reputedly poor, the bay tends only to be used – if at all - as a welcome lunch-stop during those sometimes astonishingly long 55 miles.
But now Ardmore has two visitors’ moorings, laid in the most sheltered corner of the bay by the Cliff House Hotel, which was re-opened in 2008 to stylish designs in order to take full advantage of its impressive waterfront location. The new moorings are directly in front of the hotel and can hold yachts of up to 20 tonnes - they may be used by contacting the hotel on 024 87800, email [email protected].
The hotel could help to organise ferrying ashore if required, as they are leading customers of the Ardmore fishermen. It’s a destination venue with its Well Spa, and fabulous food from international chef Martijn Kajuiter. The hospitable village of Ardmore is a place of great character and charm, well worth visiting, so an overnight stop using the new moorings will provide real cruising enjoyment. And if the breeze does happen to come in from the east, that’s a fair wind for those bound west, so it’s time to be moving on anyway.
The Cliff House Hotel at Ardmore has an impressive waterside setting close above the new visitors’ moorings.
CoastNotes is a new Afloat.ie website department which aims to provide a home for news of developments of interest to crews making their way along the Irish coast. Please send us your info , and we would hope to set it in the most useful cruising context.
