Escape to an (Irish) island
By Barbara Daly - A Woman's View column
SINCE the summer began I have been saying to the children, ‘We must visit the islands’, with no concrete plan to do so. Then last Wednesday we did just that.
I decided in the morning that we would go to Clare Island for the afternoon. Callum (aged six years) had been there once but did not remember and Beth, aged three years, had never been.
They jumped around with excitement when they heard of my plan. We often drive to Roonagh (7km from home) and watch the boats coming and going and the activity at the pier and we always enjoy it. This time we were going to be part of it.
We had the loveliest afternoon and that feeling of leaving the mainland and going somewhere different was wonderful. And it is different, I can’t quite explain why but maybe it is the fact that you are among people who live so differently than those on the mainland.
Their daily lives are directed by the fact that they are on an island and adapted accordingly. It is also wildly beautiful with every natural feature of the corresponding mainland and more - a Blue Flag beach, a stunning little cove, a castle, a harbour where yachts were moored, a mountain, cliffs, a lighthouse and on and on I could go.
We swam, bought ice creams from a cabin, juices from the community centre, played in the lovely wooden playground and swam at the beach. All in the space of three hours. Callum was so sad leaving, he wanted to stay and he proclaimed how he loved ‘this place’.
The people we met were friendly and welcoming and as they drove their old cars around the roads they were careful and all waved to us. There was never a sense that you were intruding on their home but rather that they were glad you had come.
And the highlight for the children? The boat trip there and back. We went on the larger, slower ferry and on the way over we were sitting outside on top near the door to the cabin when the driver popped his head out to say hello to the children and then invited them in to ‘drive’ the boat.
He hooshed them on to his knee without any ceremony, readjusted their sunhats for them and gave them directions on how to steer with the old wooden steering wheel. They were beside themselves with excitement and he completely convinced them that they had control of the boat!
This is Irish hospitality and Irish tourism at its very best and these places should be top of all our lists of where to visit in our surrounding area. We are incredibly lucky to have these unique islands so close to us and to be able to go there, even for a day, is so easy and such a pleasure.
Our next destination this summer is Inishturk and we will bring Gary (the Dad) along as he has never been. The boat trip is longer but that will only make it better.
This year we spent a week in a resort in Spain. It cost about €4,500 all in and it was great but essentially it was time spent in pools, kids clubs and in a hotel. Our trip to Clare Island cost me €23.75 for the boat and €10 for drinks and ice creams. We brought a packed lunch and we were home in time for dinner.
What if we picked seven destinations throughout the summer next year and explored the west of Ireland one day at a time? We would reduce our carbon footprint, save money, support local tourism, introduce our children to new experiences and give them a love of their homeland. Definitely worth considering.