Instant Calm to the Soul: the magic of Cape Clear, Ireland

19 May 2019

Anne Griffin, The Guardian

Whether in search of peace, or adventure, this tiny County Cork island is a haven for escapists.

Cape Clear, Ireland’s most southerly island, has been my getaway for almost 30 years. It is the place where I forget which day of the week it is. It’s where I go to imagine a world without Brexit and Trump. The island has a spirit that brings instant calm to the soul. I once had the good fortune to live there for four months. It was then that I first began to write, finding the serenity to hone the craft that would eventually lead to my first novel.

Cape is an Irish-speaking island. It has a population of 130 in the winter but that triples in the summer. Recently, the community bought 40 acres of land on one of its southerly cliffs to lay down a marked walking trail. The view never fails to take my breath away as you look out on the Atlantic below, stretching to a hazy skyline.

Sea views … a stone cottage on the island’s coast. Photograph: Jackie Ellis/Alamy

Cycling is a perfect way to get around – as long as the gears are good. The island is hilly, making for great views – and strong calf muscles. But if you don’t wish to walk or cycle, there is a decent bus service, too.

Up at the top of the hill at North Harbour, there’s Cléire Goat Farm, where you can milk the goats and taste the homemade ice cream. Southward, there is Mara Farm, where visitors can pet Kerry Bog ponies and Tamworth pigs. Back down in the harbour, the craft shop is worth a detour for its paintings and pottery by local artists.

Four legs good … goats on Cléire Farm, run by Ed Harper (with guide dog Izzy). Photograph: Conor McCabe

Last year a marina was built in Cape’s North Harbour for any yachts that might wish to berth. A short walk around to South Harbour will bring you to a safe, enclosed bay where you can canoe through sea arches and discover caves that echo your voice, the walls glimmering with water dripping from the land above.

Next stop, America … boats at Schull Harbour. Photograph: Andy Gibson/Alamy

Accommodation options are diverse. There’s Chléire Haven campsite – pitch your tent alongside the yurts and bell tents that look out over South Harbour. There are B&Bs that will serve you a full Irish breakfast, holiday-home lets, Airbnb apartments and rooms, and a hostel. There’s even a bird observatorywhere you can stay. The ideal perch if you are a birdwatcher spotting Siberian and American rarities on their transatlantic flights.

Seán Rua’s restaurant in North Harbour specialises in seafood and has a cracking Friday night pizza, after which you can pop upstairs to the Club, where local musicians play into the small hours. There’s a shop attached to the restaurant and you can buy freshly baked brown bread. For a pint of Guinness, soup, sandwich lunches or evening meals, try Cotter’s Bar, a traditional Irish pub with pretty views across the harbour.

Cape is a place I will always escape to. It fulfils all our family’s getaway needs. My son has his adventures in a safe place, my husband has his music and swimming and I have the silence I crave as a writer. We are at peace here, contented on this hidden Irish gem.

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