Heir Island : Inis Uí Drisceoil

We Love Boats (at West Cork Islands) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRfNoOelB2x/?utm_medium=tumblr

Planing a visit to #HeirIsland? Summer #Ferries are running daily from #Cunnamore pier to Heir Island ⛴️ Info, Timetables, Contact details👇 https://t.co/Lieuhori1D 🌞🏖️😎 #Skibbereen #Roaringwaterbay #WestCorkIslands #WestCork #Cork #WildAtlanticWay #PureCork #KeepDiscovering (at Heir Island) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ65rQClDWj/?utm_medium=tumblr

Planing a visit to #HeirIsland? Summer #Ferries are running daily from #Cunnamore pier to Heir Island ⛴️ Info, Timetables, Contact details👇 https://t.co/Lieuhori1D 🌞🏖️😎 #Skibbereen #Roaringwaterbay #WestCorkIslands #WestCork #Cork #WildAtlanticWay #PureCork #KeepDiscovering Our Twitter: https://t.co/PLKnpCwT6d (at Heir Island) https://www.instagram.com/p/CP3BoO_FRHM/?utm_medium=tumblr

Up the road (South Reen) #HeirIsland #Skibbereen #Roaringwaterbay #WestCorkIslands #purecork #WildAtlanticWay #westcork #Cork (at Heir Island) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPNcmgfl-pO/?utm_medium=tumblr

Φιλότιμο ❤️ #LoveHeirIsland #HeirIsland #Skibbereen #Roaringwaterbay #WestCorkIslands #IslandLife #WestCork #Cork #WildAtlanticWay #EUCoolRoute #PureCork (at Heir Island) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPM6GM4FgfJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

❤️ #LoveHeirIsland #HeirIsland #Skibbereen #Roaringwaterbay #WestCorkIslands #IslandLife #WestCork #Cork #WildAtlanticWay #EUCoolRoute #PureCork (at Heir Island) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPM3YFfFoME/?utm_medium=tumblr

This book was commissioned by Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann (The Irish Islands Federation) and supported by Leader funding. Its purpose was to introduce the Irish public and visitors to Ireland, to the walking amenities of the islands off the south-west coast. All these islands are inhabited, although in some cases, only a handful of islanders still remain in full-time residence. This offshore world differs enormously from the mainland: there is little or no traffic and commerce is absent from most. The book comprises commentaries on walks on each of the seven islands. It is stoutly bound, with full colour cover, with French folds, and black-and-white maps and illustrations interleaving the text. The text is by Damien Enright, author of five other West Cork walk books and illustrations are by Christine Thery. a noted artist, who lives on one of the Roaringwater Bay islands included in the text. The islands treated are Heir, Sherkin, Cape Clear, Long Island, Whiddy, Bere Island and Dursey.

The Lobsterboats of Heir Island and Roaringwater Bay. Cormac Levis From the 1870s to the 1950s, the sailing lobsterboats of Heir Island and Roaringwater Bay in West Cork dominated the lobster fishery of the south coast of Ireland. Leading a semi-nomadic lifestyle, the lobstermen fished a stretch of coastline of over a hundred nautical miles in their small open boats. Cormac Levis has spent many years collecting folklore and memories from the older generation of seafarers, and tells for the first time the remarkable story of these boats and the men who fished them, providing a fascinating insight into a unique way of life that had been in danger of passing unrecorded into oblivion. The author also puts forward evidence of the existence of a pre-Famine lobsterfleet, and details the modernisation and eventual demise of the lobsterboats in the 1950s and 1960s. Cormac Levis, who teaches at St Fachtna's De La Salle, Skibbereen, is a native of Ballydehob. For generations, his family worked sailing sand-dredgers out of this small, tidal harbour. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he fished off the south coast at a time when many veterans of the towelsail yawls were still going to sea. Cormac is one of a nationwide team of maritime researchers involved in Traditional Boats of Ireland, a co-operative project for the publication of a major study on traditional Irish boats. He has also written comprehensively on the West Cork sandboats for the Mizen Journal and other publications. He has lectured on both the lobster-boats and sandboats at the Glandore Classic Boat Summer School and at various historical-society meetings, and has contributed to radio programmes on the subject. He is a founding committee member of the Ilen River Cruising Club.

Eugene Daly  is a retired teacher who lives in West Cork. He wrote Heir Island: its History and People (2004, Heron’s Way Press), a book built out of five years of personal interviews with Heir Islanders as well as extensive archival research. He is also the author of Leap and Glandore: Fact and Folklore (2006). His interest in local history and Heir Island, where he spent his early life, extends to several of his poems. He has contributed to the Mizen Journal, The Southern Star, and Rosscarbery Past and Present.

Oil Paintings by Percy Hall, who works on Heir Island and abroad. Percy 's Paintings echo the west cork coastline and nature. If you make a stop in Heir Island , don't forget to drop in his wonderful Studio.

About: Heir Island on the map it is written as Hare Island but is more locally known as Heir Island or Inis Uí Drisceoil, meaning “Ó Driscol’s island”. The island is situated within Roaringwater Bay between Sherkin Island and the east & west Skeam Islands off the coast of West Cork, Ireland. Heir Island / Hare Island is a 5 minute boat journey from Cunnamore and is a 20 minute boat journey from the coastal village of Baltimore in West Cork. Heir Island is undoubtedly a great place to get away from it all and is an Island that is easily walked or cycled. There are a lot of safe and sandy beaches, ideal for sailing, windsurfing, swimming and diving. With it’s B&B & many Holiday Cottages, Bread School & Pizzeria, Sailing School, Shop & Public Toilets, Arts & Crafts, Holistics, Galleries, an Evening Restaurant, Angling Boats & Sightseeing, Photography / Eco Tours. Towards the area south of the island known as the “Reen” there is a vibrant reed bed where you will find many unusual birds as well as over 200 varieties of wild flowers scattered all over the island. Beautifully located to the west of the isle of Heir over the bridge of Paris is the area known as the “Doon’s” (An Dúin). With panoramic views, surrounded by Sherkin, Cape Clear, the east & west Skeams and the Calf Islands. While further to the north with the breathtaking view of Mount Gabriel are the Islands of Horse, Castle, Carthies and Long. A characteristic above most other Islands is that its houses are of traditional cottage design, which dates back to the 1920’s and more recent builds maintain this cottage look. Heir Island also boasts in being home to many well known artists, who were drawn to the island because of its picturesque landscape and peaceful atmosphere. Food lovers are also drawn far and wide to the island to get a table at an evening Restaurant, though no pubs, Heir has a quality B&B and Bord Fáilte approved Self Catering Homes. Historically the island formed part of the O’Driscoll Clan’s territory and was known as Inis Ui Drisceoil or Inis an Oidhre. Hence the name which means “O’Driscoll’s Island” or “Heir” island. The English version of the name has been traditionally misspelt as “Hare” since 1694 at least. It is widely believed that one of the O’Driscoll castles was sited on “An Dún” (now called the Doon) at the most westerly point of Heir Island. Other O’Driscoll castles were Dún an Óir (Fort of the Gold) on Cape Clear, Dún na Séad (Fort of the Jewels) in Baltimore, Dún na Long (Fort of the Ships) in Sherkin and several others on Ringarogy and Inisbeg Islands, near Loch Hyne, Oldcourt and Castlehaven.

Born Hertfordshire, 1956 Studied, Berkshire College of Art and Design (1973-1975) BA (Hons) Painting Exeter College of Fine Artt and Design (1976-1979) Lives and works on Heir Island, West Cork, Ireland. His current work is a direct response to living on the coastline of West Cork, Ireland. Sea, sky, tide, the changeable and vibrant weather and light, space and paint are the timeless elements that are the essence of my paintings.