What's the story here?

White Bay is located immediately within the entrance to Cork Harbour, on its eastern side and about ¾ mile north of Roches Point. It offers an attractive rural anchorage with a sandy beach. When the tide is out, there is an extensive sandy beach. When the tide is in, however, particularly on Springs, the sand is almost completely covered.

Set within the mouth of the harbour and under steep cliffs, the anchorage offers excellent easterly protection with ample water and good holding.

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.




White Bay lies inside the channel leading into Cork Harbour and on the east shore less than a mile north of Roches Point Lighthouse. Once within the vicinity of the No.3 starboard buoy, it is safe to turn east by northeastward for White Bay.




Anchor according to draught and conditions. The 2-metre contour lies about 150 metres from the shore. Excellent sand holding will be found off the beach. Land on the beach by tender.

Why visit here?

It is uncertain how White Bay acquired its name; presumably it is down to the gleaming white sands that vividly reflect the sun when exposed at low water.




If this is the case, it is well named; nestled at the foot of the cliffs to the north of Roches Point, it is truly a spectacular beach, and one that is off the beaten path and more conveniently addressed by boat. There is no better suntrap to soak up the afternoon’s rays, with wonderful views of Cork’s Lower Harbour to the north, and Roche’s Point Lighthouse, along with the outer Ringabella Bay coastline, to the south. This remote, secluded location is also well known by rod fishermen, particularly those who like to harvest a night tide. Its best fishing is to be had in the deepwater channel about 150 metres out from the beach, which is ideal for anchored boatmen to try their luck. Flatfish, bass, codling, conger eels, dogfish and even rays are regularly pulled in here.




The anchorage also offers unique views of nearby Fort Davis, which overlooks it from the north. Fort Davis flanks the entrance with Fort Meagher at the opposite side. The two forts, set on lower harbour's entrance promontories, are dramatic features. Positioned at the narrowest point of the entrance and together with similar structures at Fort Mitchell (on Spike Island) and Templebreedy Battery (also close to Fort Meagher), all would have been most effective at closing out any seaborne attack.




With such structures visible around the anchorage, it will come as no surprise that Cork Harbour has throughout history played a key naval role in protecting the western approaches to the British Isles. Its significance was fully realised in the mid-1700s, when the harbour was chosen as a base for the Royal Navy. These two defining outer entrance forts were, however, a late Cork Harbour military construction. The first fortifications were built to protect Cork City and were in and around the surrounds of the ancient metropolis. In the 18th century, fortifications were built on Haulbowline Island to protect the anchorage and the garrison town of Cobh. Fort Davis (first called Fort Carlisle) and Fort Meagher (previously Fort Camden) were started around 1780, constructed during the American War of Independence (1775–1783). They were significantly strengthened after the arrival of the French fleet into Bantry Bay in 1796.




By the mid-19th century, the defences had been renamed Fort Carlisle, for Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, a previous Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. In the 1850s a Royal Commission gave renewed consideration to the strategic importance of the harbour and proposed enhancements to the defences at Fort Mitchell on Spike Island, Fort Camden and Fort Carlisle. During the 1860s Fort Carlisle was redeveloped along the lines of other 'Palmerston Forts' in the region. Convict labour was used to complete the construction of both forts, and they remained as a labour force for decades afterwards. It was not until the latter days of 1867 that the convicts were replaced by military and civilian labour.




Following the establishment of the Irish Free State, three deepwater Treaty Ports at Cork Harbour (Queenstown), Berehaven and Lough Swilly were retained by the United Kingdom in accordance with the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. The main reason for the retention of the ports was the U-boat campaign around Irish coasts during World War I and the concern of the British government that it might recur. The forts were handed over to the Irish Defence Forces in 1938, and Fort Carlisle was renamed Fort Davis. This was in memory of Cork’s revolutionary Irish writer and poet Thomas Davis (1814 –1845), who was the chief organiser of the Young Ireland movement. Fort Camden was also renamed Fort Meagher at this time, in memory of Irish nationalist Thomas Francis Meagher, who was the leader of the Young Irelanders in the Rebellion of 1848.


Today the forts are known colloquially as Camden and Carlisle, rather than their official titles. Since being handed over to the Irish military, most of the installations have ceased to be used for military purposes and have seen little upkeep in the ensuing decades. Fort Meagher is now being renovated and cared for by local volunteers and enthusiasts. The fort has public open days, when it can be accessed by a walk from Crosshaven. Although less elaborate than Fort Meagher, Fort Davis continues to be used by the Defence Forces for FIBUA training. Though used as a fortification from the early 17th-century, Fort Davis’s 74-acre site overlooking the anchorage dates primarily from the 1860s. The facility is not secured and in a neglected state, and sadly has no public access.

From a sailing point of view, White Bay offers visitors a beautifully secluded anchorage off an extensive white-sand Blue Flag beach. For those with a family aboard, this hidden local gem has to be the primary destination on a sunny summer’s afternoon. It is also an ideal location for late-arriving first-time-visitors to anchor overnight before addressing Cork’s lower harbour in daylight. Although very well marked for night navigation, the harbour is nonetheless challenging for first-time visitors owing to the vast amount of markers in the lower harbour area, which are hard to pick out from the lights of Cobh. White Bay renders this an unnecessary challenge during easterlies, just as the Ringabella anchorage, immediately outside the entrance, provides a useful berth during westerlies. Beyond these outer anchorages, casual anchoring in the lower harbour is difficult owing to the number of unlit moorings that will be encountered at any useful anchoring location.

What facilities are available?

There are no facilities at White Bay. It has road access to Midleton via the R630 from Whitegate. The beach has a car park adjacent to the road leading to Roche’s Point. The pathway to the beach will be found at the left-hand corner of the car park.

Cork Harbour is a major yachting centre for Ireland, so you can get everything you need inside the lower harbour area. The main concentration of services, however, is a couple of miles away at Crosshaven.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred to vessels at anchor at this secluded location.

With thanks to:

James O’Brien, Cork Harbour Marina owner and manager.