sailingcrosher

We set off on a Saturday for the Blasket Islands – in particular, An Tearaght with the spectacular lighthouse and archway through the island.  You can’t see these from the land and only a few fishermen and people with boats have seen it. Even though Great Blasket was the “inhabited” island who’s people produced books galore before it was depopulated in the 1950’s.  An Tearaght had a sort of English speaking village on it – families, school as well as the actual lighthouse keepers.  This community has not, as far as I know, been written about anything like as extensively – perhaps the people simply didn’t write so profusely.  Anyway, it’s a beautiful place to visit.

When we had seen that and “Charlie’s Island” as Inish Mhicileán is called, after Charles Heaghey, Taoiseach  in the 90’s who built a house there, we set sail for Valentia.

It was only a few miles across the bay and we were on the lookout for whales on the way.  Earlier in the year we had seen quite a few Minke whales here and it being autumn, there were some Fin whales about – but no luck this time.