ISLAND LIFE

When you tell someone that you live on Heir Island, the first question they’ll often ask is, “Why?” Indeed, what would compel someone to live on an island at the edge of Ireland, where your movements are bound by the weather or the ferry timetable, and where there is no shop, no school, and no pub?

Contrary to popular belief, island living is not that inconvenient. Yes, our lives are dictated by the weather and the ferry. Some things end up costing a bit more and the process can be slightly more laborious. However, these are not hardships, just life as it is.

Over the years, Heir Island residents have developed an organised and reliable system that facilitates the needs of everyday living. The ferry runs on time throughout the year, weather permitting. Our local supermarket delivers food to us as often as three days a week. There is a wonderful group of highly skilled builders, plumbers, electricians and carpenters from the mainland (many with Heir Island connections) who always go above and beyond to help us get things done. Then, there’s the wonderful community of residents — neighbours who will never hesitate to help you when you are in a bind.

The logistics aside, life on the island is about freedom, quiet and beauty. Have you ever had the chance to revel in absolute stillness? The fact that Heir Island doesn’t have a shop or a pub is actually the big attraction for many of us. You can live as quietly as you want, and everyone will respect that; and if you crave a more social scene, the society on the island and in nearby West Cork towns (such as Baltimore, Skibbereen, Ballydehob and Schull) is lovely and diverse, and only a short drive (or boat ride) away.

Heir Island is a place steeped in rich history, and a place where you can get away in the complete sense of the word. When you hop on the ferry, you might feel as if you are leaving many of the world’s problems behind. Heir Island is not a place where you go “to find yourself”. It is a place where you go to create, to build upon what you’ve achieved so far in life, to revel in nature, and to simply be.

For many of us, we would not want to live anywhere else.

To our visitors, thank you for taking the time to explore this website and our island. We hope that you, too, can see the beauty that we are fortunate enough to enjoy every day, and perhaps, one day you will come and see for yourself what it is like to live like an islander.

To learn more about life on Heir Island, click on Q&A!