Free from Covid-19: Life springs eternal on Heir

If the virus is not there now then it’s not getting there: Simple as that. Only four of Carbery’s Hundred Isles can claim to be populated, with Heir Island off Cunnamore Head one of them.

Mon, 27 Apr, 2020 - 18:22

Dan MacCarthy

Heir Island’s 24 residents are free of coronavirus and like all the other islands consider themselves fortunate to be cut off from the mainland at this time.

If the virus is not there now then it’s not getting there: Simple as that. Only four of Carbery’s Hundred Isles can claim to be populated, with Heir Island off Cunnamore Head one of them.

The numbers living on Heir, or Inis Ui Drisceoil, are far exceeded by Cape Clear and Sherkin Island but its number surpasses that of neighbouring Long Island where just 10 people live.

Kevin McCormack, originally from Dublin, has been living on Heir Island with his Thai wife for the last five years. Their son Finn, 3, is only the second child to have been born on the island in the last 50 years.

Quite apart from coronavirus, this is a positive sign for the future and one which may make other people realise that living on an island is not just a manageable notion but an entirely feasible prospect.

Kevin says Finn is missing his friends at playschool on the mainland but they hope it is not for too long.

When Kevin moved to the island for the first time to run the Heir Island Sailing School, his friends in Dublin though he was a bit mad. Now though, with coronavirus rampant in the country, they think he is lucky. He is also a member of the West Cork Islands Community Council which meets regularly to develop ideas on improving life on the islands.

One of their current aims is to make available a house on the island where people who may be interested in living on Heir can come and live for a year without paying holiday home rates.

With very little or no accommodation available, this initiative could be vital for the future of the island, they believe.

In the winter, Heir is very quiet, but in the summer things start to kick off with (usually) many people visiting. An awardwinning restaurant, Island Cottage, runs from June to September. A breadmaking school is also popular.

There is even a Heir Island Olympics where children compete in a variety of events on the beaches.

There is a lovely meandering walk that runs the length of the island from the pier through the townland of Paris to the west side of the island where out beyond Cape Clear the Fastnet Rock stands like a sentinel guiding ships to safety.

Its lighthouse beam flashes white every five seconds, to a distance of 27 nautical miles or 50km.

In addition to running the sailing school Kevin operates the island’s ferry which takes only four minutes to reach the mainland at Cunnamore. The timetable has seen a reduction in the frequency of trips with only essential work allowed: This could be ESB work or plumbing emergencies, says Kevin.

Heir is off limits to the general public until such time as the restrictions on travel are lifted.

The sailing school is usually up and running by now with at least six good months of weather for people to learn about winds, tides and mainsails as well as explore the peerless beauty of the islands in West Cork.

Kevin says he is still hopeful that with social distancing measures he will be able to run the sailing courses soon.

In common with many of our other populated islands the age profile on Heir is older. Where people do come out for daily walks or to check on neighbours they are at all times observing the social distancing rules and etiquette.

Like on neighbouring Sherkin, the islanders can get their shopping delivered from Fields Supermarket in Skibbereen to Cunnamore Pier.

Prescriptions from the chemists are added in to deliveries where necessary and the shopping parcels are then delivered around the island.

Measuring only 2.5km by 1.5km, this doesn’t take very long on Heir Island, but nonetheless is an example of neighbourliness in a time of crisis where people pull together for the benefit of all.

How to get there: Reduced ferry schedule for residents only: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at 9am, 12pm and 2pm.

Other: heirisland.ie; heirislandsailingschool.com; westcorkislands.com; thefirehouse.ie/bread-school.html; islandcottage.com;