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Fennels Bay, Ireland

Stay in Cobh: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Cobh

Watch this spot We email you when Fennels Bay is worth the trip.

About Fennels Bay

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SE (138°), so it takes swell from the SE. The wind blows offshore from the NW (318°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 500 m out (1 in 51). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 10°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in August, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Cobh, 7.2 km away (about 15 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 16 h 05 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Dublin Airport (DUB), direct. About 26 flights a week that month.

    See flights ORD → DUB · Skyscanner from about £370 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 4 h 15 from the airport to Fennels Bay.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in CobhAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Cobh · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Cobh · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Fennels Bay on Google Maps · Directions

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Fennels Bay does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.

The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreExpertSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct41 ft3 smushy2kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct51 ft6 smushy14kJ12°C
Tue 20Oct22 ft5 smushy18kJ14°C
Wed 21Oct62 ft7 smushy45kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct84 ft7 smushy124kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct163 ft10 scrumbling112kJ10°C
Sat 24Oct11 ft5 smushy8kJ15°C
Sun 25Oct185 ft8 smushy290kJ13°C
Mon 26Oct63 ft8 smushy134kJ14°C
Tue 27Oct125 ft10 ssoft474kJ13°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to DUB, then 4h 15 by road. About 16h 05 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 4 ft at best.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 3 ft at best.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 1 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to DUB, then 4h 15 by road. About 16h 05 door to door

The plan picks the best of 3 spots near Cobh each day: Fennels Bay, Fennels Bay Reef, White Bay.

The trip from Cobh, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,115–£2,055 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to DUB, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£370–£770
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£110–£180
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£260–£430
Food7 days eating out£245–£455
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£95–£155
Total£1,115–£2,055

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Cobh

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.