Ireland Guide
Cork
Clear Island
Ireland's most southerly inhabited point, Clear Island (Oileán Chléire, also known as Cape Clear; 
www.oilean-chleire.ie ) is an isolated outpost of the Gaeltacht, which welcomes teenagers from all over the country to two Irish colleges during the summer, and generally reaches out to visitors, with plenty of facilities and information available. The island also holds a traditional story-telling festival, with concerts, workshops and plenty of music ( 
028/39116, www.capeclearstorytelling.com ), on the first weekend of September.
Clear describes a very rough figure-of-eight, just six kilometres square, with North Harbour, where ferries dock, and cliff-girt South Harbour, where kayaks and snorkels can be rented, almost meeting in the middle. Its landscape of steep, rolling hills of heather and pasture is crossed by narrow, hedge-lined roads and paths, affording fine views of Roaringwater Bay and of Fastnet Rock to the west. The island is most famous as one of the best seabird-watching sites in Europe, with breeding colonies of black guillemots, choughs and rock doves and an important bird observatory at North Harbour ( 028/39181). Late spring and October are the best times for twitchers.
The island is reputed to have been the sixth-century birthplace of St Ciarán of Saighir (not to be confused with Ciarán of Clonmacnois), who is (spuriously) claimed to have brought Christianity to Ireland thirty years before St Patrick. According to legend, he ended his days in Cornwall, where he was known as St Piran and credited with the discovery of tin. His twelfth-century church, graveyard and holy well lie on the west side of North Harbour. Much more impressive is the fifteenth-century Dún an Óir ("Fort of Gold") to the west, a ruined O'Driscoll stronghold on an isolated and now inaccessible rocky outcrop. Up the steep bank to the east of North Harbour, visitors are welcome at Cleire Goat Farm ( 028/39126, www.emara.com ), which produces ice cream, cheese and sausages. In the mornings, you can watch milking, at other times, walk down the steeply sloping pastures to see the animals – or you could sign up for a goat husbandry course. A short walk further along the same road, by the church, the tiny heritage centre (June– Aug Mon– Sat noon–5pm, sometimes closed for lunch; €4) hosts some detailed and interesting displays, especially on maritime history and archeology.
Practicalities
As well as summertime ferries from Schull, the Naomh Ciarán II and Spirit of the Isles (both 087 268 0760, 087 282 4008 or 028/39153, www.capeclearferry.com ; summer 4–5 daily; winter 1–3 daily; €12 return) and the Cailín Óir ( 086 346 5110, www.islandtripper.com ; summer 2–5 daily; €14 return, with guided commentary and a short tour around the intervening islands) sail from Baltimore (45min). In summer, the first two boats also do daily trips from Clear Island to Fastnet, while the Cailín Óir sails on from Clear to Crookhaven one or two days a week; Baltimore– Clear return tickets with the Cailín Óir are accepted on the Clear– Schull Karycraft ferry.
The crafts shop at North Harbour dispenses tourist information, and Chuck Kruger leads historical and archeological guided walks ( 028/39157). In the summer, the island minibus ( 028/39119 or 086 383 6759; €5 per person) runs hour-long tours of the island, hourly from noon. As the island can get busy in high summer, it's best to book accommodation before you come. B&Bs include the good-value and friendly Cluain Mara, attached to Ciaran Danny Mike's pub ( 028/39153, www.capeclearisland.com ; self-catering cottages also available; Price: €60-90); and the welcoming Ard na Gaoithe, in a renovated nineteenth-century house up behind the youth hostel along a steep lane ( 028/39160, 
ardnagaoithe@hotmail.com; Price: €60-90); both offer particularly good rates for single rooms. The basic An Óige hostel occupies the old coastguard station at South Harbour ( 028/41968, www.anoige.fenlon.net ; closed Oct– Feb; dorms €16), while camping is possible on a terraced site on the opposite side of the harbour ( 028/39119; June– Sept).
The island has two pubs, both on the road between the two harbours. Cotter's Bar offers tasty food during the day a short walk from North Harbour, while Ciaran Danny Mike's, overlooking South Harbour from the hill, is popular for both lunch and dinner. Club Cléire, the social and cultural centre beside North Harbour, hosts traditional music on summer weekends, and An Siopa Beag in the same building is the island's grocery store, with Internet access and a café serving sandwiches, salads and pizzas.