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Voykit pocket guide · Ireland
Inishbofin Island
Inis Bó Finne
Go for one night, two at most: the ferry gives you about five hours ashore, so a day trip works but misses the dark skies and empty evening walks.
Inishbofin is a low, treeless island 8 km off Connemara, 5.5 km by 3 km, with 184 residents and no cars allowed over. The ferry from Cleggan takes 30 min. Walk or cycle everywhere, sleep one night, and treat it as a slow stop between Clifden and Galway rather than a sightseeing checklist.
- Country
- Ireland
- Local name
- Inis Bó Finne
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (storms and ferry cancellations)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including pubs and taxis.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–140 excl. bed · High €140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Three and Eir run the networks; prepaid SIMs (also 48, Tesco Mobile, GoMo) sell in phone shops and newsagents, no registration fuss.
- Emergency
- Emergency (police, fire, ambulance, coast guard) 112 · Emergency (alternative) 999 · Irish Coast Guard 112 or 999 and ask for the coast guard
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type G three-pin, like the UK; European and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–15% if service is not included.; Pub: Not expected when ordering at the bar.; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide or driver: €5–10 per person for a day tour.; Hotel porter: €1–2 per bag.
- Water
- Tap water is safe; occasional local 'boil water' notices are posted by Uisce Éireann.
- Toilets
- Free in shopping centres, museums, pubs (as a customer) and many petrol stations; some public toilets charge 50c.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | €3–4.50 |
| Soup and sandwich | €9–14 |
| Pint of stout in a hotel bar | €5.50–7 |
| Indian meal from the bus near Murray's | €12–18 |
| Bofin Grocery basics | €2–8 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NOC · Ireland West Airport Knock
- About 2 h by road to Cleggan; check car hire before booking.
- SNN · Shannon
- About 2 h 30 min by road to Cleggan.
- DUB · Dublin
- About 4 h by road to Cleggan; bus and rail via Galway take longer.
Typical fares
- Ferry Cleggan → Inishbofin
- about €15 each way, 30 min (check)
- Bike hire by the pier
- about €20 a day (check)
- Taxi Cleggan → Clifden
- about €25–35 (check)
Get around
Walk or cycle. No cars come over on the ferry; park at Cleggan. Bike hire sits by the pier. Hotels and B&Bs usually meet arrivals at the pier. The island is small enough to cross on foot in a couple of hours.
See and do
Known for
- Cromwell's Barracks star fort
- St Colmán's monastic site
- Dark skies and seal colonies
- Quiet beaches and walking
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Inishark | No ferry; occasional boat trips from the island | Half a day |
| Inishlyon | Walk across the tidal strand from the east coast | 1–2 h |
| Inishturk | Ferry from Roonagh on the Mayo mainland, not from Inishbofin | Separate trip |
| Clifden | Ferry to Cleggan, then road | About 1 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Pier and village
- Steps from the ferry, grocery and most eating; best for one night with bags.
- North beach (Bay Cottage side)
- Quieter, a 15–20 min walk from the pier.
- South end near the airstrip
- Peaceful B&Bs; 20–25 min walk to the village.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dia duitjeea gwit |
| Thank you | Go raibh maith agatguh rev mah agut |
| Please | Le do thoilleh duh hull |
| Where is the pier? | Cá bhfuil an ché?kaw will an khay |
| How much is it? | Cé mhéad é?kay vade ay |
| Cheers | Sláinteslawn-cha |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, first names quickly; avoid: Over-formality; it reads as coldness
- Conversation: Banter, weather and sport; self-deprecating humour; avoid: Opening with Northern Ireland, religion or the Famine
- Pubs: Buy your round; chat at the bar; avoid: Leaving a round without buying one
- Identity: Say Ireland, or the Republic when you need to distinguish; avoid: 'Southern Ireland' and calling it British
- Driving: Lift a finger from the wheel to thank drivers who pull in for you; avoid: Stopping on narrow bends for photos
Scams and watch-outs
- No mobile signal from any carrier as of May 2025; rely on accommodation wifi.
- The ferry is foot-passenger only and can be cancelled by Atlantic weather: build a spare day into your plan.
- The island airstrip is closed and marked with X marks; no private aircraft may use it.
- The graveyard at St Colmán's is deep in nettles: wear long trousers.
- Bofin Grocery closes mid-afternoon; buy what you need before it shuts.
Very safe for tourists: the real risks are weather, tide races in the channel and the lack of mobile signal. Tell someone your walking plan and carry a waterproof.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Inishbofin Island yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Cromwell's Barracks star fort
- St Colmán's monastic site
- Dark skies and seal colonies
- Quiet beaches and walking
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Inishbofin ferry: inishbofinferry.ie/
- Ireland — official tourism: www.ireland.com/
- Wikivoyage: Inishbofin Island, revision 5067984 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5067984
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Inishbofin IslandInis Bó Finne
Chuig an seoladh seo, le do thoil
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Emergency (police, fire, ambulance, coast guard)112
- Emergency (alternative)999
- Irish Coast Guard112 or 999 and ask for the coast guard
No embassies on the island; the US Embassy is in Dublin and most countries' embassies are in Dublin.
No mobile signal on the island as of May 2025: save this card offline.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/inishbofin-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.