Bere Island
| Native name: an tOileán Mór Oiléan Béarra |
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Bere Island harbour
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 Bere
The location of Bere Island in Ireland
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| Geography | |
| Location | Bantry Bay |
| Coordinates | 51°38′N 9°53′W / 51.633°N 9.883°WCoordinates: 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 |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 220 (as of 2012) |
| Ethnic groups | Irish |
Bere Island Irish: Oiléan Béarra, meaning "bear island", although officially called An tOileán Mór meaning "the big island") is an island off the Beara Peninsula in County Cork Ireland. It is roughly 10 km x 3 km in dimension, with an area of 17.68 km², and, as of 2012, has a population of between 210 and 220 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.
The island is located between Berehaven Harbour and Bantry Bay in the western part of County Cork, about 1.5 km off the port of Castletownbere. It belongs to the civil parish of Killaconenagh (Cill Eacha Naoineach) within the Barony of Bear (Béarra). It is served by two ferries, which can carry light vehicles. The highest point on the island is Knockanallig, at a height of 270 metres. The main harbour is Lawrence Cove, near the main village of Rerrin (Raerainn), toward the eastern end of the island. The church and its graveyard are located in Ballinakilla.
Ten of then 75 townlands of the civil parish of Killaconenagh are located on the island:
As of 2012, the population was approximately 200, but the past population was significantly higher. At the time of the 1841 census the population was 2,122. However, by the 1851 census the population had decreased to 1,454 due to the Great Famine. The population decline continued in line with the national trend for emigration throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Unlike many of the other islands off the Irish coast, the inhabitants of Bere Island are native speakers of English. Irish ceased to be the spoken language of the majority of the native islanders between 1880 and 1885.
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