why you'll never forget your haunting visit to the island of inishark

Why You’ll Never Forget Your Haunting Visit to the Island ofInishark

monkeysandmountains.com /inishark-deserted-island-ireland

Inishark is the most haunting island I’ve ever visited.

You’ll find Inishark 11 km off the Connemara coast. It’s a short boat ride from Inishbofin, the most western inhabitedisland in Ireland with just 160 people. That may seem like a tiny population but it’s huge when you compare it towhat Inishark’s was – 23.

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I use the word was, because the last 23 inhabitants were evacuated by the government in 1960. The evacuationwas non-negotiable and welcome. Islanders sometimes couldn’t leave the island for months during the winter. Theyhad to severely ration food supplies during these times. It also put them in great danger if they needed medicalservices. Two years before the evacuation a man died from appendicitis because they couldn’t get the word out. Theisland was already on shaking ground to survive and this tragedy sealed its fate. The only other alternative was tobuild an expensive pier.

The inhabitants welcomed the evacuation and were looking forward to life on the mainland. They would begin theirnew lives in a government built new bungalow by the sea with rights to grazing land for their sheep. I’ll not begrieving for it. I’ve wanted to leave for years. This island has had its share of my life. I was born here. I built thishouse with my own hands. said Thomas 73. It gave me only poverty and it took two of my sons , he reported to theDaily Mirror.

Despite the fact that Inishark has been uninhabited for over 50 years, I felt like I wastrespassing.

Most of the buildings have caved in roofs and are in shambles. Although everyone being long gone there remains asad energy. I’ve never experienced anywhere like it.

You’ll likely visit Inishark for its history but you’ll also appreciate the beauty of the island. Sheep dot green pastureslooking at you curiously as you pass by and make your way to the cliffs that plunge straight into the sea. You’ll evenfind several alcoves revealing beaches if you get close enough to the edge to peer over. People have lived here forthousands of years. Historians have found artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age. It’s easy to see why peoplechose to live here. As the wind picks up and whips my hair around I feel a chill even though it’s a relatively warm dayfor April. Despite its beauty, life was very tough on Inishark. Looks can be deceiving.

Take a look at these photos from Inishark and you’ll see what I mean:

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I highly recommend a visit to Inishark. It’s one of the most interesting and uniqueplaces that I’ve ever had the opportunity to visit.

I visited it during the Inishbofin Walking Festival which takes place in April every year. This is such a fabulous event!

How to Get to Inishark:

It’s a short boat ride from Inishbofin. You’re free to explore on your own or hire a guide if you’re interested inlearning about the Bronze Age sites which date back thousands of years.

Note: Thank you to Inishbofin Tourism, Ecotourism Ireland and Tourism Ireland for making my visit possible. Asalways, all opinions expressed are my own.

LaurelLaurel Robbins is the founder of Monkeys and Mountains, an adventure travel blog andcompany that helps people plan their active holidays in a sustainable way. Although Canadian,she lives in Germany. You can find her in the mountains on most weekends.http://monkeysandmountains.com

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