Protected sectors

What's the story here?

Great Island lies in Cork Harbour, just outside Cork City at the mouth of the River Lee. The island divides the harbour into Lower and Upper Harbours, and is home to the town of Cobh. This anchorage lies close to the channel at the remote and natural midpoint of the island’s southern shore, a mile to the east of Cobh.

Cuskinny is a small, shallow bay with deep water immediately outside. It provides a good anchorage in offshore winds, with very good mud holding. Shallower draught vessels that can come in close will be able to make the best of it. Although a small pocket of calm when compared with Cove, landing is not ideal as the entire quay area dries out 50 metres from the shore.

How to get in?

Use Ireland’s coastal overviews Rosslare Harbour to Cork Harbour or Cork Harbour to Mizen Head as appropriate for seaward approaches. Directions for entry and run-up through Cork Harbour are provided in the Cork City Marina entry.

Cuskinny Bay is approached from the Lower Harbour's fairway. When the Spit Bank and No.18 Port Hand marker have been passed to port, do not turn into Cobh Road but continue northward and exit the main channel, passing the Starboard Hand Marker No.13 to starboard.




The anchoring area is adjacent to the main channel, to the north of the Starboard Hand Marker No.13 mark and close to the island’s southern shoreline. This deepwater hole is located just outside the southwest corner of Cuskinny Bay and is clearly marked on Admiralty Charts 1773 and 1777.

It is essential that vessels carrying any draught should anchor in the deep hole adjacent to the channel. The area fronting the Bay itself is shallow and dries out between its inner points. The offshore area is suitable only for shallow-draught vessels or those that can take to the hard.

Land at the small quay within the bay.

Why visit here?

Cuskinny is believed to be an English pronunciation of the old Irish place name Chois an Thuinge, which appropriately means ‘land about the marsh’. There is, however, the possibility that name may have Viking origins, as the Down Survey (1656-58) called it the “lough belonging to Caskiny”, while in one 1720 map it is referred to as Kuskine.




Set in the centre of Great Island – and despite its proximity to Great Island’s main town of Cobh – the beautiful Cuskinny Bay and its immediate inshore area have been left almost entirely unaltered by human history. Great Island’s only stream, Ballyleary Stream, flows into the bay here, and old maps indicate that it tended to flood the Cuskinny Marsh area. This was resolved in the 18th century by the construction of a causeway and a series of channels and sluices. A water-pumping windmill was later constructed to take away the water, and Cuskinny Marsh was named the Mill Pond during this period. The advent of the mill enabled the area behind the causeway to become suitable for agriculture.




No remnants of a mill are visible today, nor are they shown on any of the Ordnance Survey maps. Two other notable historical discoveries have been made here: during the excavation of a dragonfly pond on the reserve, pieces of ‘bog oak’ were found, thought to be over 3,000 years old; and in 1898, a cache of ancient Roman coins was unearthed. These, however, were not thought to be from the Roman times, and probably came from a later period – most likely the 18th or 19th century, when it was fashionable to bring Roman coins back from Italy. If there is a single hallmark for this location, it is the notable absence of human activity, both past and present.




This untouched environment is set to remain for future generations, as the 12 hectares of land along the lower reaches of the Ballyleary Stream and fronting the bay now form the privately owned Cuskinny Nature Reserve. With the exception of a small commercial forestry section, the entire area is given over to nature’s course, managed by Birdwatch Ireland (BWI). The reserve contains a mixture of lake, swamp, grassland and woodland habitats, and is designated a Natural Heritage Area.




Cuskinny Nature Reserve is a cherished local amenity that supports a great variety of wildlife and is used by local schools for educational purposes. Visiting boatmen should take care to view the wildlife only from the road that borders the reserve’s western and southern sides so as not to disturb the natural habitat in the relatively narrow reserve. The bay, beach and disused quay are outside the reserve boundaries and are not subject to landing restrictions with respect to nature conservation.




From a boating perspective, just a mile from Cobh town centre, this surprising natural hideaway is largely used as a lunch stop by Cork sailors. It also presents an ideal anchoring location for visiting boats to slip away from the hustle and bustle of Cobh’s jetties for a peaceful night at anchor. Although most boating visitors will stay aboard to enjoy a quiet and convenient anchorage, a landing party will be well rewarded, especially those who have an interest in birdwatching. It is also possible to use it as visit, as it is only a 3.8km walk from the centre of Cobh.

What facilities are available?

There are no facilities at this secluded natural setting. The island’s main town of Cobh is less than a mile to the west. For everything else there are bus connections to Cork, or other berthing destinations such as Crosshaven, where a concentration of boat services and facilities may be had.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred to a vessel anchored off Great Island.

With thanks to:

Eddie English, Yachtmaster Instructor/Examiner Dinghy & Powerboat Trainer at sailcork.com.