St. Patricks Land       |       Irish Cottages       |       lrish Gifts       |       Dublin Hotels

Arranmore Island

Donegal cottages Donegal cottage Ireland cottages Cottages in Donegal

Arranmore Island is the largest of the off-shore island of Ireland. It lies off-shore from Burtonport and has a population of about 700. It is serviced from Burtonport by a regular ferry which can also take cars. However the island is best explored on foot or by bicycle. For those who like walking the views from the lighthouse on the extreme north east end of the island are spectacular. Arranmore boasts an hotel, a restaurant and a youth hostel. Most of the houses are located on the lea side of the prevailing winds and are sheltered from the worst of the winter storms by a 700 foot high peak. Half of the island is English speaking and the other half is Irish speaking. The BNLI lifeboat is stationed on Arranmore and performs an invaluable service for the entire northwest region. Because of its size and the fact that it is accessible in all but the very worst gales Arranmore is thriving and its population increasing. Today there is both a first and second level school on the island and a vigorous local co-operative. However, as on all off-shore islands life has its own hardships, but the sense of community remains much stronger than on the mainland.

Tel. 074 9520532

Irish thatched cottages Irish thatched cottage Donegal self catering