Islands of Ireland: If you ever posted a letter in the 1980s you'll be familiar with Macdara's Island

There's a pilgrimage to this Galway island on Saturday, July 16

Macdara's Island off Galway featured on the 29p stamp in the 1980s

On Saturday, July 16, hundreds of pilgrims will cram onto a flotilla of currachs, pleasure craft and fishing boats at the several inlets and piers of Mace Head in Connemara to cross about 2km of sea to honour the memory of a sixth-century saint. Not a lot is known about St Macdara but his legacy has lasted more than 1,500 years from when he chose this barren island to establish his church.

As my kayak glides onto the beach on the southwestern shore on a bright and breezy day the imposing sight of his church stands out like a beacon. This trip is two weeks before the pilgrimage and, of course, no multitudes are in evidence. It is the calm before the storm when hundreds of people will disembark into the shallows, (there is no pier and clement weather is much sought-after) to attend a mass in honour of the saint’s feast day.