Oileán Chléire, or Cape Clear Island (as bearla), is actively looking for new residents to join its small active community, that would love to have more families move there to live and work.
Have you ever thought of ‘Beatha Oileánach’ and what it might offer? It you have, this may be the opportunity.
As part of the government’s 10-year strategy aimed at creating thriving flourishing communities on Ireland’s offshore islands, the local community development organisation, Comharchumann Chléire Teo, are working with a couple of house owners availing of the ’Croí Cónaithe’ housing grant to make two houses available for affordable long-term rental to families with children of primary school age from August 2025.
Young families with a competency in Irish will be considered favourably.
Comharchumann Chléire Teo’s main objective is to preserve the viability of Island living.
Over the years, it has run a number of campaigns to attract and support new families to the island to help offset the declining population and prevent the closure of the primary school.
The current manager of the development organisation, Kevin McCann, moved to the island in the 1990’s with his family through one such campaign.
Oileán Chléire, Ireland’s southernmost Gaeltacht Island, is home to a diverse population of around 100 people that grows in the summer months with the arrival of Irish language college students and visitors from all over Ireland and the world.
A beautiful 45-minute ferry ride from the town of Baltimore, there are two daily return sailings all year, increasing to four per day during the summer season.
Oileán Chléíre has a good number of year-round amenities and services which include a primary school with two teachers, a daily local bus service with two electric buses, a public library, public health nurse, a small grocery shop with attached café, two pubs, an Irish summer college, and a three-day-a-week grocery delivery service via online ordering from the SuperValu supermarket in Skibbereen.
There are also recycling and waste services, solid fuel delivery and a postal service.
There are various employment opportunities available, and there is a gTEIC (digital hub) with a stable broadband connection allowing for remote and hybrid working.
The island generally has good 4G coverage.
Other industries and business opportunities on the island incorporate hospitality tourism and horticulture, farming, fishing, a distillery and a variety of craft makers and artists.
So, if you and your family are keen to try the island way of life, interested in living close to nature and contributing to positive change for this community, please contact the organisation for further information at [email protected].
