Bere Island
Native name: An tOileán Mór Oiléan Béarra | |
|---|---|
A map of Bere Island within Ireland | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Bantry Bay |
| Coordinates | 51°38′N 9°53′W / 51.633°N 9.883°W |
| Area | 17.68 km2 (6.83 sq mi) |
| Length | 10.1 km (6.28 mi) |
| Width | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 270 m (890 ft) |
| Highest point | Knockanallig |
| Administration | |
| County | County Cork |
| Largest settlement | Rerrin |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 218 (2022) |
| Ethnic groups | Irish |
Bere Island or Bear Island (Irish: Oiléan Béarra, although officially called An tOileán Mór meaning "the big island") is an island in Bantry Bay off the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland. It spans roughly 10 km x 3 km, with an area of 17.68 km2 and, as of the 2022 census, had a population of 218 people.
Legend says that the island was named by a 2nd-century king of Munster, Mogh Nuadat, in honour of his wife, Beara, the daughter of Heber Mór, King of Castile.