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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)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
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.