C O L L A N M O RE

GLENAN’S ISLAND ADVENTURES - Kyra McKenna

Glenan’s base in Collanmore offers the most unique sailing adventure in Ireland. A chance to navigate your way
through hundreds of islands from beautiful beaches, historic churches, Grace O’Malley’s castles. Also worth a visit is an
island that was once the center of Yogic Flying and another owned by John Lennon.
It’s been a while since I was last on Collanmore, so I thought I’d go back down recently to checkout some of the places
I had visited aboard a Glenan’s catamaran...I really had forgotten how stunning the place actually is. So this is just a
reminder of some of the sailing trips you might like to plan next time you’re down in Clew Bay

Inishrarher
In 2005, Inishrarher
became the
“Maharishi
Capital of
G l o b a l
Peace”. The
aim was to
set up an
International Peace Center
to promote transcendental
meditation involving a form
of yogic flying! Perhaps it
was fortunate that a center
was never built as the island
retains it’s idyllic charms as
an isolated mini paradise. It
also contains one of the most
perfect pure white shell
beach in the area. A seal
colony nearby also provides
plenty of amusement. A
perfect lunch spot and not
too far from Collanmore!
Collanmore Base
Dornish
This is probably the best
known of
the islands
in recent
years. Two
islands,
( o n e
underwater
at high tide) were bought by
John Lennon in 1967 for
£1,700 while on an alleged
LSD bout. He had a
psychedelic caravan with a
Sergeant Pepper logo ferried
out, but actually never stayed
on the island. He later gave it
to a group of hippies called
“Emily’s Family” who were
hanging out in the Apple
Corps studios in London. In
an effort to get rid of them
he offered them the island to
set up a community there.
S A ILIN G
Pancake - the baby seal pup
Anyone remember the seal pup
who rocked up in Collanmore a
few years ago? Aptly named by
the person who found him, when
he nearly came a cropper by a
a Glenan’s student coming in
from an evening sail. He spent
the week with us living on milk
and sardines and seemed most
at home in Collanmore.
Collanmore Island Trips
Collanmore sailors enjoying a
well earned pub rest on the
Westport Quay trip on ‘cats’.
But the hippies and the locals fell out
causing the Connaught Tribune splash
“After a year of seething anger, Westport
has declared war on the Republic of
Dornish”. Today you can still see the
fortifications made by the hippies as they
tried to battle the cold Atlantic winter
using only teepee like tents. A fast ‘trip’
from Collanmore!
Rockfleet
A tower castle, stronghold of the
“Pirate Queen”
G r a c e
O’Malley and
her husband
Richard Burke
who lived there
from 1566.
From this place
G r a c e
controlled most of the west coast of
Ireland, defeating British seaborne
expeditions sent against her in 1574 and
1579. However, in 1588 after she
captured ships of the dispersed Spanish
Armada and mercilessly killed the crews,
Elisabeth I decided she wasn’t such an
enemy after all and invited her over to
London for a mutual agreement. Sailing
to this castle is one of the longer sailing
trips from Collanmore but for the
scenery alone, it’s well worth a visit.
Westport Quay
A trip to the Quay is one of the best
as you have the luxury of a ton of
restaurants and a lovely pub! But the
approach can
be tricky. It’s
best done on an
incoming tide so
it’s easier to tie
up along the
quay side. A
paddle might
just make the
outgoing journey easier too!
Burrishoole Abbey
One of the most enchanting trips to
take is the one to Burrishoole Abbey. As
you navigate through wooded islands and
hidden narrow inlets, you come to the
hauntingly
beautiful
ruin of the
A b b e y. I t
was founded
in 1470 by
Richard de
Burgo of
Turlough. It
was built for
the Dominican Black Friars order, who
were known then as a group of
independently minded, well educated
men and for their community
involvement and preaching style. They
had apparently forgotten to ask
permission from the Pope to set up at
Burrishoole and it was 16 years before he
finally forgave them and granted further
permission to construct the buildings
which you see today. This again is a
beautiful visit from Collanmore and a
great test of your navigational skills.
Pico Races
The daily races round the islands