Cold Water · Ireland
Kilkee & the Clare Coast
Swim-throughs and small caverns a 5–10 minute boat spin from Kilkee pier
Kilkee is a horseshoe bay on the County Clare coast, sheltered from the Atlantic by the Duggerna Reef, and its diving runs along the broken rock coast around the town. Guided dives from the East Pier visit Middle Rock, Diamond Rocks, Tony's Crack and Donegal Point, while Duggerna Rocks and Myles Creek on the west side of the bay are entered from shore. Cuckoo wrasse, conger eels and pollock work the cracks and reef edges, and triggerfish carried up on the Gulf Stream turn up at the end of summer.
About diving in Kilkee & the Clare Coast
Boat dives leave from the East Pier, and Middle Rock is a 5 to 10 minute spin out. The site is picked on the day: wind direction, swell and tide decide, and the choice suits the divers and the conditions rather than the other way round. Dives range along the whole coast around Kilkee, not just the Pollock Holes. Shore dives go in from Duggerna Rocks and Myles Creek on the west side of the bay.
Underwater the coast is broken rock: cracks, the canyon at Tony's Crack, swim-throughs and small caverns at Middle Rock, walls full of nooks and crannies, and kelp crowning the top of the crack. Pollock hold along the reef edges in numbers, and cuckoo wrasse, electric blue and orange and the most colourful fish in Irish water, work the broken ground. At Newfee, common and snake pipefish, many species of wrasse, dab, plaice and other flatfish are common sights.
The coast suits cold-water divers who want rock, life and structure close to port, and who accept that the Atlantic picks the site. Kilkee bay faces away from the worst of the Atlantic swell, so the boats can often run here on days when sites further up and down the coast are unworkable, which matters to a diver with only a few days in Clare.
Best time to dive Kilkee & the Clare Coast
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair |
The sea is at its coldest in March, at about 10 °C (49 °F), and through the winter and early spring the East Pier dive centre stays shut. It opens seven days a week in May and runs through September. Mackerel shoals pass through the bay over the summer, and dolphins follow them in. The water peaks at about 16 °C (60 °F) in August, and late August and September pair that warmth with triggerfish carried up on the Gulf Stream.
Dive types & marine life
Conger eels live in the cracks at Middle Rock and pollock hold the reef edges. Spider crabs cover the ground at Donegal Point in their season, mackerel shoals bring dolphins into the bay in summer, and triggerfish arrive in late August and September.
- Reef
- Wall
- Cave & cavern
- Kelp forest
- Dolphins
Best dive sites in Kilkee & the Clare Coast
- 1
Middle Rock
Rock from 5 m down to 45 m, riddled with swim-throughs and small caverns, with conger eels in the cracks.
- 2
Diamond Rocks
Rocks flecked with quartz crystals, sheltered from the full Atlantic and teeming with invertebrates.
- 3
Tony's Crack
Canyon near Diamond Rocks, mostly dived at 15 m with a maximum of 18 m.
- 4
Newfee
Shallow site to 10 m behind a headland, protected at low tide and diveable in most seas.
- 5
Donegal Point
Point where spider crabs carpet the ground in season.
Site guides
Quartz crystals that sparkle in the rocks around the entry
Wall
An airy cavern on the swim back to the anchored boat
Reef
Swim-throughs and small caverns cut through the rock
How to get to Kilkee & the Clare Coast
Shannon is the closest airport for international visitors. Bus Éireann route 336 runs from Ennis via Kilrush to Kilkee in 65 minutes. The dive centre sits on the East Pier at the north end of the bay.
Questions divers ask
Can beginners dive at Kilkee?+
Yes. Newfee is shallow, to 10 m, sheltered by the headland at low tide, and it is the site most often used for first-timers.
Is there shore diving in Kilkee?+
Yes. Duggerna Rocks and Myles Creek on the west side of the bay are shore dives; Black Rocks and Middle Rock are boat dives.
Why are there triggerfish off the west of Ireland?+
They are a Mediterranean species that drifts here on the Gulf Stream, and they reach Kilkee in late August and September when the water is warmest.
Sources
- Scuba Diving Kilkee | SSI Dive Centre, Co. Clare — Oceanlife Dive Centre
- Kilkee - Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Kilkee - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Top diving spots on the island of Ireland — Tourism Ireland
- Kilkee Average Sea Temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
- Middle Rock — Scubago
- Tony's Crack — Scubago
- Newfie — Scubago
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