After a blaze of press coverage, the Irish government has had to deny it's paying people to simply move to an island
One of these outposts is Clare Island, in the North Atlantic off the Co Mayo coast, and famous as the home of Ireland's 16th-century"Pirate Queen" Grace O'Malley."I don't think in its present form it's very financially viable for anyone to take up," he says, as he navigates the island's only"taxi", a private Ford Transit van, down a narrow road lined with stone walls and grazing sheep.
"We've about 120 people here now [the official figure is 160], and it's coming to a point where it's not healthy. A critical mass here is around 400 people," he adds. It's a source of frustration for Joanne, who says her small office isn't equipped to help people find and purchase vacant properties. "In some instances we have noticed some misleading information in international media in relation to the vacant homes refurbishment grant for the islands" a spokesperson says."Where we have been made aware of misleading articles, we have contacted the organisation concerned and requested a correction."Thanks to the Common Travel Area , Britons do not need a visa or permit to live and work in Ireland. Nor do citizens of the European Union.
There is no doctor on Clare Island. Local GP Noreen Lineen-Curtis lives on another island, Achill, made famous by the BAFTA-winning film The Banshees Of Inisherin.
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