Innishkea South: Abandoned Houses

Abandoned houses on Innishkea Island South off the Mayo coast. 16.08.2015.
The Inishkea Islands (Goose Islands, Irish: Inis Gé) are situated off the coast of the Mullet peninsula in Ireland. There are two main islands - Inishkea North and Inishkea South. The islands lie between Inishglora to their north and Duvillaun to their south, off the Mullet's west coast, and offer some protection to the mainland coast from the power of the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The underlying rock of the Inishkea Island is that of gneiss and schist, the same as that on the Mullet. The islands are relatively low lying and are covered in machair. Fine white sand is found everywhere, often blown into drifts by the strong winds especially along the beach beside the harbour where it fills the houses of the abandoned village. The sea surrounding the islands is crystal clear. The inhabitants of both Inishkea North and South left the islands in the 1930s after most of their young men died at sea in a storm.