Achill Island

Achill Island is the largest in Ireland and you can find it on the west coast. 2700 people live on 57 square miles, or 147 square kilometres if you prefer. There are two ways to get to the island - by boat or indeed by car along the causeway. There is a swing bridge which allows small boats to pass. The first bridge was finished in 1887, and this was eventually replaced in 1949 with the one which still stands today.

Until the 17th century the island had a small, stable population but then many people moved here to escape from the difficult political and religious situation in other parts of the country. Strangely this meant that there were 2 dialects on the island, that of the native Achill and that of Ulster. Indeed, even today many settlements still have 2 names, one from each dialect.

Achill's economy is based mainly on tourism. There is some agriculture thanks to subsidies from the European Union and some fishing too, but much less than in the past.

So, what do the tourists do here? Well, firstly they come for the scenery. Achill is a beautiful place with some quite spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. The sea cliffs are the highest in Europe, but you have to walk to reach them as there is no road to take you there. This isn't a problem for the many hikers who come here for their holidays - the walking is challenging but very rewarding.

If you want to climb, go to Slievemore, the mountain in the centre of the island. It's 672 metres high and gives great views. On your way down, or up if you prefer, you can stop at the deserted village. Here there are around 100 abandoned cottages. It was a 'booley' village - this means that people lived there for only a part of the year. In Achill's case it was the shepherds who brought their animals here for the summer months and went away again for the winter.

Most tourists at some stage find themselves on The Atlantic Drive - the name given to the road which follows the coast and gives seome of the best views in Ireland. You'll see where the artist Paul Henry found inspiration for some of his best paintings and also the former home of Sir Robert Peel, the man who started the British Police Force - the 'bobbies'.