Island life 4: inis UiDrisceoil - Heir Island

What pleasure to be enclosed on an island
high on a rock
where I may reflect on the sea
in all its moods

Where I might see the great waves
shiing bright and cheerful
singing music to their Father
on their perpetual course
From St Colmcille 12C


The forecast did not look particularly promising but we consulted the Norwegians (yr.no excellent weather forecast) and they assured us that all heavy downpours should have concluded by midday. We decided to go ahead, packed our rucksacks with tomatoes, cheese, pistachios, elatosplast, swimming cossie (me) and water, apples, map, sat nav thing (himself) and headed off to Cunnamore where the ferry goes for Heir Island. The ferry, a tiny 12 seater, was punctual and full, including a lot of shopping for islanders and it was a cheerful 5 minute crossing!!
Heir Island is a wonderful place, 2.5km long, 1.5km wide. It has a permanent population of 29 but this rises to about 150 during the summer. It felt well cared for, propserous and vibrant. The views from anywhere are stunning as you are right in the middle of the 100 islands of Roaringwater Bay. Today's blip is actually from Heir Island looking out to the enigmatic island of West Skeam, complete with romantic ruin and pine trees. Worth biggifying. We wandered along tiny tarmaced roads, and even tinier green roads where the hedgerows were just bursting with wild flowers and butterflies. We paddled in empty white sandy beaches and went to the furtherest tip of the island through moorland full of heather and gorse and admired some impressive cliffs. We heard strange noises here - like very bad singing and put it down to seals or mermaids or both. We met a fairly famous painter, Percy Hall who has lived here since the 1960s, and admired his tiny studio. We passed uniform little cottages, built in the 1920s as part of a government rehousing scheme, and went into another gallery where if you wanted to buy something you took the work off the wall, wrapped it up with materials provided, wrote what you'd purchased in a book and eventually sent a cheque. But we somehow missed the Firehouse Bakery , famous for its bread making school, and the Island Cottage restaurant - set menu, limited places, special ferry laid on. The weather was spectacular and we only got slighty damp once.

The two names of the island (belonging to the O Driscolls in Gaelige and Heir in English) refer to O Driscoll Og, the heir and successor to O Driscoll Mor - the greatest of all the O Driscoll chiefs. Lots of O Driscolls still living on the island by the look of it.

A large ice cream was needed once we got to the mainland and I dropped himself off and went swimming. Tons of jellyfish but I found a clear corner and it was blissful.