Clare Island

Okay a trip to Clare Island would have meant catching the boat at 10am, walking to the far end of the island, walking back and then catching the next ferry back at 16.30. So I thought, from the map, I might just get a glimpse of it from Achill Island (which is joined to the mainland by a bridge) to the north.

A really spectacular location, perched high on top of a cliff, just a bit too far for a decent close-up photo but hopefully the snaps I took show off its dramatic position.

There was apparently a station established here since 1806, though the light was decommissioned in 1965 in favour of the Achillbeg Light across the sound. It was the second light to mark the entrance to Clew Bay, the first having been heavily damaged by fire. In recent times it has been a bed and breakfast and is now a holiday home.

Below, shows the cliffs of Clare Island to the left and the long sloping promontory of Achillbeg (small Achill) on which there is supposed to be the 1965 lighthouse that replaced Clare Island. However, from Bolinglanna, which is to the east of Achillbeg, there is no view of the lighthouse, even though I took to the peat bog fields all the way down to the cliff top to try and catch a glimpse of it. There appears to be no road to the island itself though there seemss to be a few ruined houses on it. Maybe there is a view of the light to the west of the island, though its a long way around to be proved wrong!