30 miles long, 12 miles wide at its mouth and narrowing gradually as it bisects and separates the Beara and Iveragh peninsulas and their mountain ranges, the Kenmare Bay due to its shape has in the past been referred to as the Kenmare River. It is very accessible along its length with many harbours, inlets and creeks providing shelter for seafarers through the ages whether they were Viking longships, Spanish galleons, British men-of-war or the modern Irish Naval Fleet.

These days a few score yachts visit the bay every summer, there are a few fishing boats still scraping the bottom of the bay for the last of the overexploited wild fish stocks and during the summer months a few very lucky souls have the bay to-themselves pleasure fishing, sailing or just exploring the beautiful and varied coast.

The Kenmare Bay is very much part of the land. The sea enters the land and the land surrounds the sea. Both the sea and the land are entwined, each complimenting the other.