Sandys Parish is one of the nine parishes of Bermuda. It is named for English aristocrat Sir Edwin Sandys (1561-1629), and hence there is no apostrophe in the name, which is pronounced "Sands". It is located in the northwest of the island chain, occupying the three islands of Ireland Island, Boaz Island, and the larger Somerset Island, as well as a small part of the main island of Bermuda. These islands make up the northwestern coast of the Great Sound, the large expanse of water which dominates the geography of western Bermuda, where it is joined to Southampton parish. Like most other parishes in Bermuda, it covers 2.3 square miles (about 6.0 km² or 1500 acres).