{"id":3734,"date":"2026-10-20T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=3734"},"modified":"2026-10-11T17:14:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-11T16:14:01","slug":"a-ferry-crewman-who-has-crossed-to-every-inhabited-irish-island-ranks-the-five-worth-a-winter-visit-and-his-first-pick-has-no-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/a-ferry-crewman-who-has-crossed-to-every-inhabited-irish-island-ranks-the-five-worth-a-winter-visit-and-his-first-pick-has-no-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"A ferry crewman who has crossed to every inhabited Irish island ranks the five worth a winter visit and his first pick has no hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"

He has salt in his eyebrows and Atlantic<\/strong> in his bones. After two decades crewing ferries to every inhabited<\/strong> island off Ireland, Mick Hanrahan keeps a quiet ledger of places that shine when the thermometer<\/strong> drops. \u201cSummer sells the views,\u201d he says, \u201cbut winter sells the soul<\/strong>.\u201d Here are the five islands he swears are worth the crossing<\/strong>, ranked from first to fifth, with the top spot going to a place with no hotel<\/strong> at all.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1) Inishbiggle, Co. Mayo \u2014 bring a flask, not a reservation<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

No promenade, no spa, no bright signage<\/strong>. Inishbiggle is a slip of turf in the sound between Achill<\/strong> and the mainland, and it has exactly zero hotels<\/strong>. \u201cThat\u2019s the point<\/strong>,\u201d Mick says. \u201cWhen the wind is in the north<\/strong>, you hear your own heartbeat<\/strong>.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In winter the ferry is weather-dependent<\/strong>, and visitors need to plan with a light touch<\/strong>. You come for the low light<\/strong>, for the silent fields where rushes hold pearls of rain<\/strong>, and for the way the sea makes a dark mirror<\/strong> of the sky. Stay on Achill or in Ballycroy and day-trip when the tide<\/strong> and forecast shake hands, or pre-arrange a rare homestay<\/strong> if one is offered. On the pier, gulls tilt like loose paper<\/strong>, and the only rush hour is sheep shuffling a lane<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople ask what\u2019s to do<\/strong>,\u201d Mick shrugs, smiling. \u201cWalk, listen, and let your shoulders drop<\/strong>.\u201d When you leave, you carry the stillness<\/strong> like a warm stone<\/strong> in your pocket.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2) Cape Clear (Oile\u00e1n Chl\u00e9ire), Co. Cork \u2014 night skies, bright stories<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Far south, this Irish-speaking island<\/strong> watches Fastnet light blink a Morse of old<\/strong> sea-lore. Winter strips the scene to bone and beauty<\/strong>: gorse fumes gold in the wind<\/strong>, choughs turn cartwheels over cliff edges<\/strong>, and the lanes are yours<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pub fire has its own tide<\/strong>,\u201d Mick says. \u201cSongs move in and out<\/strong>.\u201d Birders slip along hedges for winter thrushes<\/strong>, and the sea throws up driftwood the size of small myths<\/strong>. Accommodation thins to a few B&Bs and self-catering boltholes<\/strong>, so call ahead, book early<\/strong>, and keep plans flexible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

3) Tory Island (Toraigh), Co. Donegal \u2014 waves like cathedrals<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Here, the horizon feels closer<\/strong>, as if the map leaned to hear its own story<\/strong>. The ferry, when it runs<\/strong>, noses through Atlantic muscle<\/strong>; ashore, the village paints winter in primary colours<\/strong>. \u201cTory hums even when it\u2019s quiet<\/strong>,\u201d Mick says. \u201cYou\u2019ll meet a painter by the shop<\/strong>, a fiddler by the wall<\/strong>.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Storm swells boom beneath cliff galleries<\/strong>, and sea spray arrives like blown glass<\/strong>. Simple guesthouses sometimes keep a weekend light<\/strong> on; ring before you bank<\/strong> on it. Wrap a scarf, follow the road until it ends<\/strong>, then keep going with your eyes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

4) Inis Me\u00e1in, Aran Islands \u2014 limestone, knit, hush<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

The middle Aran island is winter\u2019s great editor<\/strong>, cutting every sentence to strong nouns<\/strong>: stone, sky, sea, silence<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s a whispering place,\u201d Mick murmurs<\/strong>. Dry-stone walls run like script<\/strong>, and Synge\u2019s Chair frames a stern theatre<\/strong> of waves. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Boutique suites may close for the season<\/strong>, but a handful of rooms and family houses<\/strong> welcome the persistent and the polite<\/strong>. Pack wool you can trust<\/strong>, walk the boreens, and let the language of weather<\/strong> and limestone slow your breath<\/strong>. One shop, one pub, and a lot of room<\/strong> to think.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5) Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim \u2014 lighthouses and seal-weather<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Just off Ballycastle, the crossing feels like a well-kept secret<\/strong> in a sea of loud plans<\/strong>. Winter suits Rathlin\u2019s clean lines<\/strong>: basalt ribs, white cottages, a harbor where ropes slap masts<\/strong> in a sleepy metre<\/strong>. \u201cI\u2019ve watched seals raise their heads<\/strong> like commas,\u201d Mick says, \u201cas if the story wasn\u2019t over<\/strong>.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The West Light\u2019s seabird crowds are summer business<\/strong>, but winter lends bare drama<\/strong>\u2014steel water, low sun<\/strong>, and a lighthouse glowing like bottled daylight<\/strong>. A couple of places open their doors<\/strong> most weekends; call, confirm, and savour the soft dark<\/strong> between stars.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

How to ride the winter rhythm<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Travel smart, keep promises lightly held<\/strong>, and give weather the last word<\/strong>. Mick\u2019s short list is as practical as it is earned<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • Check sailings on the morning of departure<\/strong>, phone rather than rely on stale links<\/strong>, pack spare layers<\/strong>, respect pier crews, carry cash for tiny shops<\/strong>, and have a warm Plan B<\/strong> on the mainland.<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Mick\u2019s final advice is not a rule so much as a blessing<\/strong>. \u201cGo to be a guest<\/strong>, not a consumer,\u201d he says. \u201cTake your time, fold into the day<\/strong>, and leave fewer footprints than stories<\/strong>.\u201d Winter, on these edges, is a teacher both strict<\/strong> and kind, and the lesson is simple: small places grow larger<\/strong> when you move more slowly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3734"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3766,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3734\/revisions\/3766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}