Inishturk, my favourite island to visit, and an impromptu stopover for the ICC

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Off the coast of Mayo lies a very special island, Inishturk. It has little tourism and is thus reflective of real life on the islands. 

But the real allure of Inishturk is its spectacular walking trails. There is a lovely loop walk through the middle with a side shoot to the end of the island. Across commonage, past a lake, deep gorges and precipices, past a striking memorial to past residents and names of clans, a Napoleonic Martello tower, a kitchen midden, a GAA pitch, and just striking views in all directions. Benches along the way let visitors relax and contemplate the scenery or the marvel of life itself. At only 5 km by 2.5 km, it is easily walkable in its entirety. It is a stunning island, but the best part is the welcoming inhabitants. There are three children in the school at the moment. 

We decided that Aleria would stop there on our lay day after Clare Island. We had not been in several years. As it happened, all the other boats decided to join us, so our fleet descended on Inishturk.  We booked into the Community Centre Restaurant for dinner and they could not have been more accommodating. Jarlath and John decided to head home from there to Clew Bay, but all the others stayed on for dinner at the lovely community centre with stunning views over Connemara. 

The dinner was well prepared and beautifully served with great welcome by the staff. We couldn't have been happier and all walked contentedly down to the pier. Sadly, we did not hear the corncrake calling. 

Inishturk is one of our favourite islands. It is populated by full-time residents with very little tourism. There is an extraordinary community centre with views out over Connemara and Mayo and exquisite food. The locals are very welcoming and a cafe near the pier offers another option for refreshments. 

Thank you for the grand welcome, Inishturk! 



















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