Islands of Ireland: Darragh Island — where a row over the seaweed harvest ended up in court

The 19-acre island is carpeted in colourful meadows in the summer

Darragh Island, Strangford Lough, Co Down. Picture: Dan MacCarthy

Darragh Island, County Down

To paddle among the low-slung islands of the western shores of Strangford Lough in County Down is to trace the route once taken by Ireland’s greatest naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger. The botanist/writer/librarian (other strings to his bow) was born in Hollywood, County Down and turned over practically every rock and blade of grass in Ireland in his research.