Overview
The last families left Achillbeg in 1965, and no one has lived here since. Acaill Bheag – ‘Little Achill’ – is an island of about 150 hectares off the southern tip of Achill Island in County Mayo. What remains is a landscape of grassy hills, drystone field walls, roofless cottages and the squat concrete tower of the lighthouse. The old village, field walls and lighthouse give a sense of how people lived and worked here. Treat the shore and the old ruins with care, and follow the boat operator’s directions for access.
History and community life
Human presence here goes back over 3,000 years. For centuries the island held a community that lived on fishing, farming and seasonal migration: many islanders left each summer to pick potatoes in Scotland, returning in the autumn to face the Atlantic winter.
In the early 1900s the island school was run by a teacher named Francis Hugh Power, known locally as An Paorach. He taught the children music, chess and backgammon, and the memory of him survives in the island’s oral history. By then the population was already falling to emigration and the plain difficulty of island life, and in 1965 the last families were resettled on Achill and the mainland.
If you want the fuller story, Jonathan Beaumont’s Achillbeg: The Life of an Island and Pete Hogan’s The Artist on the Island both cover life before the evacuation.
The Johnny Kilbane connection
World featherweight boxing champion John Patrick Kilbane was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but his father’s people came from Achillbeg. Kilbane held the featherweight title from 1912 to 1923. A plaque near the pier, unveiled in 2012 for his centenary, marks the link.
The forts
Achillbeg has three Iron Age promontory forts: Dún Kilmore, Dún Beag and Dún Gurrough. The earthworks guard the western and southern cliffs above the Blind Sound. Dún Kilmore holds a stone altar, a holy-water font and a small burial ground (cillín), with a drystone gatehouse and surrounding fosse added when the walls were reinforced in the late medieval period. A nearby early-medieval hillside enclosure contains a crude cross of the kind found on St Columcille’s stone on Iona. The Achill Archaeological Field School has recorded the sites in detail. The forts stand on exposed cliff edges, so keep well back from the drop.
The lighthouse
The lighthouse went up to fix a problem: the Clare Island light sat too low and was often lost in fog. Work began in May 1964, with materials landed by service tender. A tractor was floated over on a raft built by a local tradesman, and islanders lent donkeys to haul the loads up to the site, where the Commissioners of Irish Lights’ workforce and local men raised the square concrete tower.
Irish Lights established Achillbeg Lighthouse on 28 September 1965, the day the Clare Island light was put out. It was inaugurated by Ernest Benson, Chairman of the Commissioners of Irish Lights. The tower stands 9 metres tall, with the lantern 56 metres above mean high water, flashing every five seconds. The light is sectored red and white to warn of hazards such as Bills Rock. Since 1991 it has been unmanned, monitored remotely from Dún Laoghaire. See the lighthouse from outside and keep away from exposed edges.
Wildlife and landscape
The ground is heathland, grassy slope and low cliff, grazed by sheep. With no one to disturb them, gulls, razorbills and guillemots work the rocky shore, and the shifting Atlantic light draws landscape photographers.
What to see and do
The roofless village sits in the centre, between two low hills, and the lanes and field walls still read clearly enough to show how people lived. It is the most affecting part of a visit. The wider island offers views across the Blind Sound to Achill, and out to Clare Island and the open sea. The Kilbane plaque is near the pier. Ask the operator before you go which parts of the island you can walk and how long the boat will wait.
Practical information
Getting there
- Achill Tourism lists an Achillbeg boat trip, with sailings from Cloghmore (Cé Mhór) on Achill’s southern tip.
- Check directly with the operator for sailings, the landing, what to bring and the return arrangement. Conditions can change, and booking ahead is sensible, particularly in summer and at weekends.
- By road, take the R319 off the N59 towards Achill Sound and on to Cloghmore. Ask the operator where to park.
Tips for visitors
- Allow about two hours to take in the village and the island, but follow the operator’s timings for the return.
- Bring waterproofs, a windproof layer and boots. There are no paved paths and the weather turns fast.
- The terrain is uneven, with steps at the landing and rough ground throughout. Ask about boarding and the island ground if access is important to your group.
- Carry your own food and water, as you should not expect any facilities on the island.
- Experienced kayakers paddle the Blind Sound, but currents run strong and unpredictable; attempt it only in calm conditions with proper safety gear.