Ireland's islands uncovered: I stayed in a 200-year-old lighthouse on Clare Island

From a pirate queen’s castle to an iconic lighthouse, mysterious dragons and a medieval abbey, Cían Byrne makes good on a deal to return to hypnotic Clare Island

The cliffs of Clare Island, Co Mayo.

“That’s where I’ll be going,” Carl O’Grady says as he brushes one hand through his grey beard and gestures his other hand towards a family grave outside Clare Island Abbey. “In on top of my mam.”

I notice a sizeable proportion of the graves that overlook the sea carry the O’Grady name and I ask Carl how he feels about knowing his final destination.