Inistearaght: The Blasket that looks like a Skellig

FOR much longer than millennia, islands have been a source of intrigue, writes Dan MacCarthy. Someone gazes out from the mainland wondering: “What is out there?”

In many cases, there are modern ferries to carry you over the waves to explore to your heart’s content.

For centuries, islanders braved the sea in currachs as a means to reach the mainland. In Co Donegal, fisherman used a boat called a drontheim to eke out a living. In many cases, there are no ferries and the islandhopper is left to puzzle out a route to their desired island.