Clew Bay of Westport

According to tradition Clew Bay has 365 islands, one for each day of the year. It’s swarm of little Islands are unlike anything else found in western Europe. These small islands are called ‘sunken drumlins’. They are elongated steep-sided hills (sometimes described as whale-backed) that were formed during our last ice age 12,000 years ago, when the glaciers started to melt & slide into the sea. They carved up & pushed the rocky sediment off the landscape which gathered in wave like patterned mounds on the mouth of Clew Bay creating these unique islands

Clare island guards the entrance to the sheltered bay & today is home to 130 people. Most of the others smaller islands in the bay are mainly uninhabited. Although a few brave folk still cling to the age-old tradition of living on a small island all year round. Can you just imagine living off the grid & alone on one of these islands? Bliss!