Whiddy Island

Whiddy Island oil terminal, seen from the north shore of Bantry Bay in 2003

Whiddy Island (Irish: Oileán Faoide) is an island near the head of Bantry Bay, Ireland. It is approximately 5.6 km (3.5 mi) long and 2.4 km (1.5 mi) wide. The topography comprises gently-rolling glacial till, with relatively fertile soil. As late as 1880, it had a resident population of around 450, mainly engaged in fishing and small-scale farming.

It currently has a permanent, resident population of 17 people, although there are many visitors in the tourist season, many staying in self-catering accommodation in the form of several restored traditional island cottages.

The island is linked to the mainland by the local ferry, The Ocean Star III, with return trips several times a day. Bike hire is also available on the Island for a nominal fee, as is a local hackney service. as well as trips to and from the Island, tours of the Bay are also available during the summer months, incorporating local history, scenery and the indigenous flora and fauna.

There is one pub, The Bank House, which opens regularly, fresh food and live music from local musicians is also available during the summer months.

The present-day economy is mainly fuelled by the fishing and farming industries. Due to its mild winter temperatures, it has a local reputation for producing the region's earliest potato crop.

Historically, the island shared the strategic significance of Bantry Bay's deepwater anchorage. It possesses a fortified battery built by the British authorities in Napoleonic times, following the arrival of the French Armada in 1796. The island was briefly used as a United States air base during World War I and now has a large oil terminal.

Historical information

In the last few months of World War I, Whiddy became the site of a US naval air station. The US Navy's Air Wing established a seaplane base on the western end of the island; this became operational on 25 September 1918 when the first two planes arrived. They patrolled an area around Fastnet Rock. One of the planes crashed on the 22 October 1918, killing one airman. The base had an operational radio station receiving messages from as far away as the USA and Russia. Five planes were based in Whiddy. With the Armistice in November 1918, the rationale for maintaining it was ended and the station closed in January 1919. The following planes were based in Whiddy 1918:

• H16s, Nos. A1072 (crashed 22 October 1918 killing one airman),
• A1078, A1084, A3466, A4047, A4048, these were the pusher type of aircraft with the engine and propellor behind the pilot.
• The H16 Large America, planes were made by Curtiss, at Buffalo, New York. They were 46ft. long, a wing span of 95ft two 400h.p. Liberty 12 engines, four Lewis machine guns a bomb load of four 230 pounders a crew of five consisting of a pilot, two observers, a mechanic and a wireless operator.

The island is the site of a large oil terminal constructed in the late 1960s by Gulf Oil. This was designed to accommodate the largest supertankers sailing directly from the Middle East.

On Monday, January 8, 1979, a French tanker, the Betelgeuse, was unloading a cargo of crude oil at the terminal when it exploded. The blast and subsequent fire killed 50 people. This was known as the Betelgeuse incident and is considered to be the worst maritime disaster in Irish history. The terminal, which had been operational since 1969, was never fully repaired. It was transferred to the Irish government in 1986, after which it was used to hold the Irish strategic oil reserve.

The ruins of Pilchard Palaces can be observed close to the bank, the pilchard Industry was a source of huge income for the islanders pre-1900

Archaeology

• Early Ecclesiastical Enclosure, Kilmore
• Protestant Graveyard, Kilmore
• Holy Well, Kilmore
• The "Cup and Saucer", a drinking fountain made by American soldiers during World War I, Reenavanny
• Redoubts, Reenavanny built 1806/1807 for 100–150 men 8–12 guns
• Tower House, Reenavanny Castle of O'Sullivan Bere collapsed in storm 1920

Townlands

The townlands are:

• Close
• Crowangle
• Gorraha
• Kilmore
• Reenaknock
• Reenavanny
• Tranaha

In Reenahunnick, there is a small population of Wild Island Goats which can sometimes be seen near the road close to the oil terminal.

References

• Paddy O'Keeffe, the noted Bantry antiquarian's papers are deposited at the Cork City and County Archives, and there are papers relating to Whiddy, the pilchard industry, churches, land tenure and agriculture in Box 7, item 23