Inishturk and Clare Islands.

 

We left Inishbofin on the Thursday morning to go to Clare island. The wind was coming from the north east so we had to tack over to the mainland and back again towards Inishturk (Island of the wild boar). As we appoached the south coast we decided to drop the sails and motor along the south coast to view the island more closely before pressing on to Clare island. As we rounded the eastern end of the island, where the harbour is situated, the wind dropped to almost nothing. We turned into the bay and were amazed when in 8m of water we could see the sandy bottom through crystal clear water. It was beautiful and enticing, then we spotted 3 empty visitor moorings. Yes we've done it again.

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to stop and go ashore for lunch. We rowed ashore in to the harbour where some locals were trying with some difficulty to launch a 20 foot sailing dinghy which belonged to someone who had a holiday home on the island and the locals had pulled it up the beach during the winter where it was safer, so we gave them a hand. They enquired as to where we were from and going too and suggested that if we would like to stop there's a pub up the hill, and when the last ferry returns to the mainland at one o'clock we could come in to the harbour for the night. So after taking a walk around the island we did just that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is probably the most uncommercialised island we have been to so far. There's a community centre which is also the pub, a small shop next door in a portakabin and 2 B&B's. We visited the pub in the evening and for the first hour we were the only ones there, then 2 locals came in and one island visitor. Like all the islands we have been to the people are really freindly and we had an enjoyable evening chatting.

 

I took this picture without a flash at 10.55pm on our way back to the boat from the pub. At the moment it doesn't get dark until 11 and is light again around 4am.

 

 

Click on one of the links below to return.

Inishturk

 

 

  

I'm updating this website on Friday morning and the mist and rain keeps lifting and decending on us but we're going onto Clare island.