Whiddy Ferry schedule, September to May (shown 1 Sep 2026 – 31 May 2027)
Extra trips by arrangement The schedule offers extra trips by arrangement, and the operator takes bookings for special trips such as school trips and walking groups. Call 086 862 6734.
Weather The operator does not publish a weather policy or a live status page. To check that a sailing is running, phone 086 862 6734.
Map – Bantry – Whiddy Island
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, return | €8 |
| Child, return (age limit not published) | €4 |
The operator quotes return fares: €8 for adults and €4 for children. It does not say up to what age the child fare applies. Free Travel Passes are accepted. No single fare, bicycle charge or payment method is published; ask on board or call 086 862 6734. All fares in euros (EUR).
Whiddy Island sits in Bantry Bay, and the island's own website describes it as 5 km long and 3 km wide, about ten minutes by boat from Bantry town. Tim O'Leary has run the ferry since 1994 with two vessels, the Lantern 2 and the Ocean Star 3. The service is subsidised by the Department of Rural and Community Development so that it can operate all year round.
On the mainland, the boat leaves from the pier across the road from the Maxol filling station on Bantry's quay. The schedule is a single image on whiddy.ie split into June–August and September–May; the board on this page shows the September–May half. In that period the timetable changes by day of the week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday have five crossings in each direction, Tuesday and Thursday drop the late-morning boat, Saturday has four with a later start, and Sunday has three. The schedule notes that bank holiday trips follow the Sunday times. On weekdays the first crossing of the day starts from the island rather than from Bantry.
Fares are quoted as returns: an adult return costs €8 and a child return €4, and Free Travel Passes are accepted. The operator does not define a child's age, quote a single fare, or say whether bicycles are carried or how to pay, so ask the crew or ring 086 862 6734 if any of that matters for your trip. The same number handles the extra trips that the schedule offers by arrangement, and the ferry also takes bookings for groups such as school trips and walking groups.
Close to where the boat comes in, the island website lists the Bankhouse Bar, which serves food and drinks, and the converted Whiddy School House, whose room rates include the ferry. Neither the schedule nor the website mentions how weather is handled, and there is no live status page; the ferry's Facebook page and phone line are the contacts listed. Christmas Day is not covered by the schedule at all, so check by phone before planning a crossing that day.
- Be at the pier in good time; on car ferries vehicles may need to arrive earlier than foot passengers.
- Check the operator's notices on the day — Atlantic wind and swell can cancel or reschedule island sailings.
- Some island operators advise booking ahead in June, July and August, and for groups.