If it's a back-to-the-wilds holiday you want, then look no further than thedozens of islands around the coast, writes Róisín Ingle
As Noelle Uí Dhubhoin lists some of the natural delights that draw tourists to remote corners of Ireland, a corncrake takes his cue and skips across her garden on Tory Island, off Co Donegal. "There are people who come here just for the corncrake, because this is one of the few places where they can still be heard," she says.
The island has one of the highest concentrations of calling birds in the country. For some, the anticipation of hearing this rare bird's call is well worth the nine-mile, 50-minute ferry journey across seas that, as the Cabin Fever crew discovered, can be treacherous even in summer.
Some recent American visitors were thrilled not only to hear a corncrake but also to see a flock of them, a noteworthy enough occurrence, when they toured the island. But birdwatching is only one of the attractions cited by people who return year after year to some of the more than 30 islands around the coast.
Jim Hunter, who works at the University of Ulster in Coleraine, has spent many happy summers on Tory and other islands, including the sparsely populated Rathlin, off Co Antrim. The famous puffin colony there is noisier than a parkful of Robbie Williams fans, he says.
Island life is different, and that's why people like Hunter keep coming back. He talks passionately about island folklore, the tales of banshees and fairies, and points to the folk music and dancing.
"Most islands have stunning natural features and a deep attachment to their history. What else can one hope for in a holiday? You find all these things to a greater or lesser extent in all the islands."
Eamon Ryan, the Green Party TD, and his wife, Victoria White, a former Irish Times journalist, were determined to have an island holiday this year, having enjoyed visits to other islands. They booked a cottage on Sherkin Island, off Co Cork, for their two-week break with their four young children.
"You feel like you are leaving your cares on the mainland even though you are just a 10-minute ferry away," he says. "Another great attraction is not having to drive. It was lovely to get away from all the city traffic. Because we didn't need the car we got a train down, and then the bus, so that made a change."
They enjoyed the simple pleasures of a relaxing holiday with few complications. "The nearest shop is a mile and a half down the road, so you make sure you don't forget the milk or you have to trudge all the way back," he says. "I got the last chicken in the shop one day, and I felt like a real hunter-gatherer."
Dubliners Finola Morgan and her husband, Brian, have been going to Inishere, off the Co Galway coast, with their seven children for 11 years. They say they enjoy the "back to the wilds" nature of an island holiday.
"My husband puts on the wetsuit and goes off and gets the dinner. The pollack and mackerel he catches are still flapping in the sink when he gets back. We get crab claws from the next-door neighbour and potatoes from another," she says.
"The children have grown up here; they go swimming every day. We love it because there are no distractions, such as slot machines or a cinema. They are just down on the beach all day."
The domestic market provides the backbone of island tourism, with Americans more likely to take day trips and Europeans staying for a few days at a time. Much tourism on the Gaeltacht islands comes from adults who attended Irish college as children and fell in love with the way of life. "It's a big attraction for people to be able to get out of their cars and leave everything behind. After an exciting boat journey you land in a completely different environment," says Máiréad O'Reilly of Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, the representative body for Ireland's inhabited islands.
Largely because of the weather, the holiday season tends to be much shorter on the islands, beginning with a trickle of visitors after Easter and picking up strongly only in July. Then and in August, however, it's almost impossible to book a house, as many families return to the same spots each year. Then at the end of August the tourism dries up, with a few stragglers braving unkinder weather. The short season is a main factor militating against the industry, but many on the islands reported a good season this year despite an overall national decline.
Some people are diversifying by offering more unusual island holidays. On Clare Island, off Co Mayo, Frenchman Christophe Mouze runs yoga holidays. He is building a yoga centre on the island for next season. "It's like you leave all your troubles on the mainland," says Sean Murphy, a Dubliner on his third yoga island holiday. "The further I get from Dublin the less I think about the stresses of life."
One of the key factors bringing people such as Murphy and Jim Hunter back for island holidays is the timelessness of the experience. A group of musicians recently came from the mainland to entertain on Tory, and Hunter and his group turned up to hear them play at 10 p.m., as advertised.
"The group eventually started playing at 1.30 a.m. and finished at about five in the morning," he recalls. "There is a sense that there is not the same pressure to conform as there is on the mainland. Time is meaningless. It's the rising or setting of sun that dictates life, and you can't help but get into a different time frame yourself."
- On Tuesday: renting a cottage
You'll enjoy it if . . . . . . you want to get away from it all
Where should you go? You have a choice of more than 30 islands, the most popular being the Aran Islands.
The good news? The slower pace of life will leave you refreshed.
The bad news? There isn't much to do if you're not a fan of swimming, walking or birdwatching.
Who will you meet? Irish families, islanders and nature lovers.
What should you pack? Rain gear, fishing rod and binoculars.
What's the damage? A family-sized island cottage can cost from 350 a week, but once the ferry, food and accommodation are paid for there's little else to spend your money on.
