A Little bit of Background

In medieval times, Achill was a penal settlement of the O'Donnell clan of Donegal, later it was under control of the Amazon warrior, Grace O'Malley, of Clare Island and in modern times it was was the scene of intensive attempts at reform and protestant proselytising.

Today the landscape is a mecca for artists, both painters and photographers. The glorious scenery of mountain, sea and cliffs with their exquisite colouring forms a combination which made many artists famous. The Island Trust played its part in the growth of the artist colony as did the then Minister for the Gaeltacht Mr Michael D. Higgins.

Achill is responsible for adding a new word - boycott - to the English language. Captain Boycott lived in a lodge some distance beyond the town of Keel.

A medieval castle was built by Grace O'Malley to guard the passage of the Achill Sound in Elizabethan times.

Visitors to the island must see Dugort village and its lovely strand nestling under Slievemore mountain and to the west Keem bay, surrounded by cliffs and remarkable for the equisite colour of its water. The entrance to the harbour is marked by a concrete pillar, bearing on the summit a cross. It is a lovely idea that the symbol of salvation of the soul should also be used as a beacon to guide the body into the safety of the harbour.