Located about an hour's drive west of Glengarriff lies the most westerly of
West Cork's inhabited islands – Dursey Island. With only twelve or so permanent
winter time residents, the island is described as one of the quietest of the area
with no pubs, shops or restaurants to be found.
Despite this however, visitors flock every summer to this largely deserted
island which guarantees relaxation, solitude, peace and tranquility and the chance
to try out Ireland's only cable-car service, itself an interesting and worthwhile
experience, which connects the islanders to the mainland. Dursey, which is only
6.5km long and 1.5km wide provides the tourist with some lovely walks and breathtaking
views of the nearby West Cork coastline.
Thirty years ago following the collapse of the fishing industry the government
initiated a scheme to relocate the islanders to the mainland, promising a better
standard of living. The remains of the island's three villages are waiting to
be explored, giving the visitor an insight into the way the people lived and worked.
The island is famous for it's magnificent selection of bird species and is a birdwatchers'
heaven.
There is no accommodation on the island and so Dursey should probably be a
‘day-trip’ experience although for the more adventurous it is easy to find somewhere
to camp.
