Ruth Kirkpatrick will never forget her first journey to the island’s storytelling festival, which begins its 25th edition today, writes Richard Fitzpatrick.

They always say that we Irish would do anything for a good yarn — and tomorrow hundreds of people are scheduled to sail to a West Cork island for a weekend of storytelling.

The Cape Clear Island International Storytelling Festival, which begins next week, is 20 years old.

WITH landscapes and dramatic views that stir the soul and comfort camping that feels like home, a trip to Cape Clear island off the coast of west Cork is escapism at its finest.