Roonagh to Clare Island Ferry: Times, Fares & Two Operators
Roonagh to Clare Island Ferry: Times, Fares & Two Operators
Two rival companies sail the same short crossing from Roonagh Quay, at the same headline fare but on different timetables. Clare Island is also one of the very few Irish islands you can get a car onto — though never on the passenger boat.
The timetable
| Season | From Roonagh | From Clare Island |
|---|---|---|
| May, June & September Mon–Thu | 10:30, 16:45 (13:15 in June) | 09:45, 16:00 (12:45 in June) |
| May, June & September Fri–Sun | 10:30, 13:15, 16:45, 18:00 | 09:45, 12:45, 16:00, 17:30 |
| July & August peak | 10:30, 13:15, 16:45, 18:00 (+11:45 from 18 Jul–23 Aug) | 09:45, 12:45, 16:00, 17:30 (+11:15 from 18 Jul–23 Aug) |
| November – February O’Malley Ferries only | 08:20, 10:30, 13:30, 17:00 (09:30, 13:30, 17:00 Sun) | 08:00, 09:45, 13:00, 16:15 (09:00, 13:00, 16:15 Sun) |
| March, April & October O’Malley Ferries only | 08:05, 10:30, 13:30, 18:00 (09:30, 13:30, 18:00 Sun) | 07:45, 09:45, 13:00, 17:15 (09:00, 13:00, 17:15 Sun) |
Summer times are those published by the Clare Island Ferry Company for 2026; the winter rows come from O’Malley Ferries, the only operator that publishes a year-round table. The Clare Island Ferry Company does not publish any October to April timetable — we checked its full site inventory rather than assuming, and it simply is not there. Phone 098 23737 for its winter sailings. A few of O’Malley’s winter departures carry an unexplained marker in its own timetable, with no key published anywhere, so confirm when booking.
Times change with the season and the weather. Check the operator before you travel:
Fares and tickets
| Ticket | Return | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | €17 | Same headline fare with both operators |
| Student / 13–18 | €12 | Student ID required |
| Child 6–12 | €8 | Ages 3–5 €5 · under 2 free |
| Bicycle | €6 | Electric bikes €10 · free for children |
| Dog | Free | On a lead, not in the passenger lounge |
| Free Travel Pass | Free | Limited allocation — book by phone |
| Car (cargo sailing) | €80 | €40 one way · separate landing craft, phone booking only |
Fares published by the Clare Island Ferry Company, checked July 2026. O’Malley Ferries charges the same €17 adult return, with a reduced islander rate. Weather cancellations are refunded in full, as are bookings cancelled more than 48 hours ahead.
Prices move with the date and demand. Get a live quote and book direct:
Route map
Roonagh Quay sits west of Louisburgh at the mouth of Clew Bay; Clare Island guards the bay entrance about five kilometres offshore.
Two operators, one crossing
Unusually for an Irish island, Clare Island has a genuinely competitive ferry market. Both companies are long established, both sail from Roonagh, and both charge €17 for an adult return — but their timetables differ, so it pays to check each.
| Operator | Crossing | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Clare Island Ferry Company Run by the O’Grady family, Clare Island natives | 15–20 min | Publishes summer times only — phone for winter sailings |
| O’Malley Ferries also trading as Clare Island Fast Ferries | 15–20 min | Publishes a full year-round timetable and runs a Westport bus on request |
Taking a car
This is where Clare Island differs from almost every other small Irish island: you can get a car across — but never on the scheduled passenger ferry.
Both companies run a separate cargo landing craft, subsidised by the Department of Rural and Community Development, carrying cars, vans, trailers and even mobile homes. A car costs €40 one way or €80 return and must be booked by phone. Larger vans run to €200 return, a mobile home €300.
Bicycles, by contrast, travel on the ordinary passenger boat for €6 — and the island forms a link in the Clew Bay Bike Trail between Achill and Roonagh.
Things people get wrong
Two timetables, one fare
Both operators charge €17 return but sail at different times. If one company’s schedule does not suit your day, check the other before giving up on the trip.
The bus stops four miles short
Public buses reach Louisburgh, not the pier. Either arrange O’Malley’s request bus from Westport the day before, or budget for a taxi.
Planning a day visit
Comfortably, in summer. With the first boat out around 10:30 and the last back between 17:30 and 18:00, you get seven or eight hours ashore — enough to walk to the abbey and the lighthouse, or cycle the island road.
In winter there are usually four sailings a day and a day trip still works, but cancellations are more common and one of the two operators does not publish winter times at all.
Booking
Book ahead, especially in summer. Both operators sell online, and the Clare Island Ferry Company notes that a booking made for a main departure is valid on any other sailing that day — useful flexibility if your plans shift.
Vehicles and cargo are phone-only bookings.
On the other side
Clare Island has a population of 138 and rises steeply from the sea at the mouth of Clew Bay. There is a pub, a couple of cafés and a range of accommodation including a campsite and a lighthouse guesthouse — but no hotel and no hostel.
Its best-known association is with Gráinne Mhaol, Grace O’Malley, the sixteenth-century sea captain and chieftain often called Ireland’s pirate queen. Her tower house stands near the harbour, and Clare Island Abbey — which holds rare medieval painted ceiling frescoes — is her reputed burial place.
Accessibility
Neither operator publishes any accessibility information — and that is a checked finding rather than an assumption. We went through both companies’ full site inventories, their fleet pages for all seven vessels, and the Fáilte Ireland listings for both operators and the pier itself. The accessibility fields are simply empty.
The only assistance-related text anywhere is a leftover pandemic-era note on one operator’s safety charter warning that help with boarding and baggage would be reduced. If mobility matters for your trip, phone ahead: 098 23737 or 098 25045.
Before you board
Roonagh Quay is about four miles west of Louisburgh and roughly half an hour from Westport by road. Reaching it without a car takes planning.
- The 450 bus between Dooagh, Westport and Louisburgh stops at Louisburgh only — you are still four miles from the pier, so a taxi or a long walk follows.
- O’Malley Ferries runs its own bus from Westport to Roonagh to meet sailings, but on request only: phone 098 25045 the day before to reserve a seat.
- Parking is free. Mayo County Council describes a large car and coach park opposite the pier, and Fáilte Ireland’s listing confirms it is free and CCTV monitored. No capacity figure is published anywhere, and there are no posted time limits — leaving a car while you are on the island is the normal practice.
- Buy your ticket in the car park: each operator has a portacabin office there, so you do not go to the pier first.
- In peak season the car park fills and vehicles are directed to a private field nearby. That overflow has been arranged with a local farmer since at least 2021 and is not free, though no official price is published.
- Works in progress: Mayo County Council closed the outer section of the pier on 31 October 2025 over structural concerns. In July 2026 it was allocated €519,699 that includes traffic management for the pier and its car park, so arrangements may change during the year.
- Cargo and vehicle bookings are taken by phone only, never online.
- For wider connections see public transport in Westport and Castlebar.