In the table below the locations of the buoys are given in three possible latitude/longitude formats.
- The GPS format of Degree Decimal Minutes for example for M1 is 53 07.6 N 11 12 W.
- The corresponding traditional format of Degree Minutes Seconds is then given in the third column, i.e. 53° 7′ 36″ N 11° 12′ 0″ W.
- Finally in the fourth column the format as used by Digital Position equipment and GIS applications gives the location in Decimal Degrees and should be used with three decimals to ensure appropriate accuracy: 53.127 –11.200.
There are several online latitude/longitude converters available on the internet to convert from one format to the other.
| Buoy | Degree Decimal Minutes (GPS) | Degree Minutes Seconds (DMS) | Decimal Degrees GIS applications | General Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 62090 |
53 07.6 N 11 12 W |
53° 7′ 36″ N 11° 12′ 0″ W |
53.127 -11.200 |
Off the Galway coast Approximately 40 nautical miles (74 km) westsouthwest of Slyne Head |
| M2 62091 |
53 28.8 N 5 25.5 W |
53° 28′ 48″ N 5° 25′ 30″ W |
53.480 -5.425 |
Irish Sea Approximately 20 nautical miles (37Km) east of Howth Head |
| M3 62092 |
51 13 N 10 33 W |
51° 13′ 0″ N 10° 33′ 0″ W |
51.217 -10.550 |
Off the Cork coast Approximately 30 nautical miles (56km) southwest of Mizen Head |
| M4 62093 |
55 0 N 10 0 W |
55° 0′ 0″ N 10° 0′ 0″ W |
55.000 -10.000 |
Off the Donegal coast Approximately 45 nautical miles (83 km) west northwest of Rossan Point |
| M5 62094 |
51 41.4 N 6 42.3 W |
51° 41′ 24″ N 6° 42′ 16″ W |
51.690 -6.704 |
Off the south Wexford coast Approximately 30 nautical miles (56 km) south of Hook Head |
| M6 62095 |
52 59.2 N 15 52 W |
52° 59′ 09″ N 15°52′ 0 ” W |
52.986 -15.866 |
Deep Atlantic Approximately 210 nautical miles (389 km) west southwest of Slyne Head |
| IL 1 Ballybunnion1 |
52 32.528 N 9 46.944 W |
52° 32′ 31.68″N 9° 46’56.64″W |
52.542 -9.782 |
West coast Approaches to Shannon estuary. |
| IL 2 Finnis1 |
53 2.812 N 9 29.126 W |
53° 02’48.72″N 9° 29′ 7.56″W |
53.047 -9.485 |
West coast Approaches to Galway Bay. South Sound between Aran Islands and Clare coast. |
| IL 3 South Hunter1 |
54 52.691 N 5 45.284 W |
54° 52′ 41.46″N 5° 45’17.04″W |
54.878 -5.755 |
North East coast Approaches to Larne. |
| IL 4 Splaugh1 |
52 14.363 N 6 16.784 W |
52° 14′ 21.78″N 6° 16′ 47.04″W |
52.239 -6.2800 |
South East coast Approaches to Rosslare. |
Caution: These are the designated locations of the buoys for which statutory sanction was approved, hence buoy locations are approximate and are not for navigational purposes. All vessels are requested by the Marine Institute to give the buoys a wide berth of at least 1 nautical mile.
Commissioners of Irish Lights request mariners navigating around the coast of Ireland to exercise the greatest care to avoid damage to Aids to Navigation. Mariners should give all Aids to Navigation a wide berth, paying particular attention to the strength of wind and tide.
Note1 : The data collected from these Navigation buoys are part of a pilot study between Met Éireann and Irish Lights. The quality of the data published is currently being tested as part of the pilot study.
The network of M1 – M6 buoys around Ireland is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and managed by the Marine Institute in collaboration with Met Éireann.