Most southerly pub floated on the market

A ferry business move from one far-flung island corner of Ireland to the other brings the country’s most southerly pub and restaurant up for sale, on a hugely-popular tourist island, with a €250,000 asking price.

Seasoned and entrepreneurial Cape Clear islanders Ciarán and Mary O’Driscoll are selling their 1997 purpose-built bar and restaurant O Drisceoil’s, on the island, along with self-catering houses. The sale is due to their new business venture, running ferries (a Ro-Ro one for cars, plus 10 fast ferries daily, employing 18) to Rathlin Island, off the Antrim Coast, within view of the Giant’s Causeway.

In an even bigger leap, they are also due to start a second ferry business in Torquay, England, in November. The couple, who ran the Cape Clear ferry from 2006-2008, have several tourism businesses on Cape Clear, and will retain links and a home there, but have opted to sell their stand-alone bar/restautant, as their twin sons Aidan and David aged 32 are working elsewhere.