Offshore living is where it's at this summer. But the names to drop are home-grown rather than Greek. ALANNA GALLAGHERhas some suggestions for an Irish island break
Achill activity break
Achill is the largest of all the islands off the Irish coast. Set off Co Mayo, it has been connected to the mainland by bridge since 1887. It has attracted a wealth of artists, including the Nobel laureate Heinrich Böll and the artist Paul Henry, who described his decision to remain by saying: “As I wandered round and through the village , and out on the road that led to Pollough, and looked down on Dooagh and to the noble cliffs of Achill Head, I felt that here I must stay somehow or another. I would not go any further.”
Achill has a good supply of holiday homes. Achill Cottages(098-45200, achillcottages.com), less than two kilometres from the main hub of Achill Sound, offers three-bedroomed homes with one triple room and two twins. Rentable by the week, weekend or midweek, they cost between €350 and €685; yoga weekends cost €220 per person, with at least five people required.
Head to Keel for views framed by the majestic Minaun Cliffs. Sandwiched between the sand dunes and the lake is the Sandybanks(051-380964, the sandybanks.com), a holiday village of four-bedroomed houses that comfortably sleep up to seven people. The beach is 400m away, or you can kayak or windsurf on Keel Lake. The houses cost between €550 and €750 a week during the summer.
Kingdom of Tory
Tory Island has its own “king”, Patsy Dan Rogers, who takes it upon himself to personally welcome guests to the island. One-time homestead of Balor, king of the Fermorians, this elevated rock has also inspired generations of artists, notably the late Derek Hill, who lived in Donegal and championed island art. Ask Rogers (085-8148928) to give you a guided tour of the island and soak up the traditional music in the pubs at night, when he often performs with his squeezebox.
Accommodation on the island is basic at best and in short supply, especially at weekends. Teach Bhillie(087-2987407, uniqueirishhostels.com), two minutes from the harbour, has four rooms, two twin rooms and two dormitories, both of which sleep up to six. The rate of €25 per person includes a light breakfast of cereal, toast and tea or coffee. A group of six can sleep for €20 per person per night, Monday to Thursday.
Ostan Thoraigh(074-9135920, hoteltory.com) offers hotel rooms for €40pp BB, or a hostel-style dormitory option for €25pp B&B, as well as combined ferry and hotel packages, as owner Pat Doohan also runs one of the two ferry services to the island.
Ferries leave Bunbeg, in Gweedore, and Meagheroarty, outside Falcarragh. The crossing takes about 40 minutes. See toryislandferry.com for crossing times. Aer Arann (0818-210210, aerarann.com) flies from Dublin to Donegal. The ferry in Bunbeg is a 20-minute drive away.
Aran island hop
The Aran Islands are steeped in Christian, pre-Christian and Celtic mythological heritage. WB Yeats famously persuaded John Millington Synge to visit, and the experience inspired some of his work.
Inis Mór is the biggest of the islands. As traditional accommodation goes it's hard to compete with the Man of Aran Cottage(099-61301, manofarancottage.com). The American film maker Robert J Flaherty, who had been feted for his pioneering work on Nanook of the North,made Man of Aranon the islands. Man of Aran cottages have three bedrooms, with one en suite. B&B costs from €40pp per night for a standard room and €45pps for the en suite. (Man of Aran offers no reductions for children and is better suited to couples.)
Although built as a location for the film, very little of the interior features in the final cut – only the fireplace is seen, and there are no exterior shots. The cottages are about six kilometres from Kilronan Pier; you can hire a taxi, a bike or, if you fancy being true to the island’s roots, a pony and cart.
On Inis Óirr there's Fisherman's Cottage(099-75073, southaran.com), another boutique BB, with a restaurant next door. All four double rooms are en suite; B&B costs €35pps over the summer.
On Inis Meáin there's the rather hard-to-book-into Inis Meáin Restaurant and Suites(086-8266026, inismeain.com).
There are ferries to all three islands from both Doolin and Rossaveel. See doolinferries.com, obrienline.com, doolin2aranferries.com and aranisland ferries.com for further details.
You can also fly to Inis Mór, Inis Óirr and Inis Meáin from Connemara Airport with Aer Arann (091-593034 aerarann islands.ie). Return day-trip flights cost €45 per person, or €40pp for groups of four or more. Scenic flights taking in all three islands and the Cliffs of Moher cost €385 per plane, with a maximum of eight passengers.
Isolation on Rossmore
Seal Rock Cottage(079- 49784016, kenmareirish cottages.com) is on the west side of Rossmore, a tidal island connected to the Co Kerry mainland by an old stone bridge. About one and a half kilometres wide by three kilometres long, it is outside Tahilla on the Ring of Kerry, near the village of Sneem. The luxury two-bedroomed stone cottage has stunning views from all the rooms, plus lots of home comforts, such as an open log fire in the sitting room and a fully equipped kitchen. Designed for its globe- trotting owners, the house comes with some caveats: no under-16s and no pets. And it's pricey, with a week in high season costing €1,800.
The cottage is about 80km from Farranfore Airport (kerry airport.com) if you’d prefer to fly and drive.
Inishbofin sing-song
Inishbofin, off the Galway coast, is a traditional-music hot spot. The Dolphin Hotel(095-45991, dolphinhotel.ie) is an 11-room establishment a 10-minute walk from the pier, with comfortable rooms as well as gigs on Tuesdays throughout the summer.
Mary Coughlan, Eleanor Shanley and Mundy have taken to the stage, as has the comedian Jon Kenny. Nicolas Cage has also been spotted exploring the island.
In June two nights’ B&B and one dinner costs €145 per person sharing. Under-fives are free; Under-12s are charged an additional €10 BB per night.
Island hopping is a must. A day trip to Clare Island, 90 minutes away, can be arranged if you book in advance. It’s the burial place of the pirate queen Granuaile. Closer to Inishbofin is Inishshark, which has been uninhabitated since the 1960s. Again, you can organise a boat trip for a picnic if the fancy takes you.
The ferry to Inishbofin leaves from Cleggan, beyond Clifden. From Galway it’s a two-hour drive. The crossing takes 35-40 minutes. See inishbofin islanddiscovery.com.
Sail to Sherkin
Horseshoe Cottageon Sherkin Island, in Co Cork (028-20598, gannetsway.com), offers BB in three en-suite bedrooms. The south-facing cottage, overlooking Horseshoe Bay, is a five-minute walk from the ferry. You can hear live music in the nearby Jolly Roger, ask about classical-music weekends at the cottage or walk tall along the wonderful cliffs.
From June to September BB costs €45 per person, or €40 if you stay for more than a night. Two nights’ B&B with a meal one evening for two adults and two children costs €250. Under-threes stay free; under-12s are half price.
The real star of this part of the world is the water. Two nights' B&B at Horseshoe Cottage plus a day's sailing aboard its 14m schooner, the Anna M,with lunch, costs €325. Or, weather permitting, you could spend a night aboard and explore the Skelligs and the Blaskets – or stay longer and sail to the Aran Islands. Keep your eyes peeled for whales, dolphins and other sea life. This overnight trip costs €350 per couple, including B&B, lunches and dinner.
A ferry for foot passengers sails from Baltimore pier (087-9117377, sherkinferry.com). The crossing takes 10 minutes, and there’s free parking near the pier.
Inishturkbeg luxury
Designheads with deep pockets might love Inishturkbeg (087- 6573840, inishturkbeg.com), a small island in Clew Bay, Co Mayo. It is owned by the Egyptian-Irish businessman Nadim Sadek, who has turned it into a hip retreat that can accommodate 36 people in a series of houses.
If you want to rent the island, it will cost you €9,000 a night for the first 17 people, plus €100 for each additional person. That’s before you order any food.
Despite the eye-watering prices, the place is said to be attracting an international crowd.
The accommodation includes Island House – which has lots of open-plan space to lounge around, huge outdoor terraces and a saltwater indoor swimming pool – and the Pavilion, a three-bedroomed pierside property.
You can trampoline in the sea, plunge into a hot tub, take a boat trip around the island, play with the pet pigs and nibble on the island’s smoked fish, which is stocked by Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols.
You reach the island by heading for Ross, between Westport and Newport. Park at the jetty, where a boat will pick you up.
- islandsofireland.com