Beara Adventure 2: Dursey Island cable car

The only cable car in Ireland, this tiny metal box glides across Dursey sound, a treacherous whirling bit of water, and connects Dursey Island with the mainland. Until the car was modernised in the last year or so, it could hold 6 humans or 2 catlle or 4 sheep!!! Rather boringly 'elf and safety has stepped in and now just humans are allowed. We did the 10 minute journey, smoother than it looked, and had the most amazing day on this remote and treeless island. The sun shone, we walked all the way to the end, ate cheese and apples overlooking the end of the world then came back over the mountain. Breath-taking though tinged with melancholy. Once a populous island with three small villages it is now is home to only 6 people - I managed to upset one sixth of the population by taking a photo of his house and received a torrent of abuse and was told explicitly where I could put my camera. I was shocked but slightly sympathetic as endless nosy tourists must taked endless nosy photos. However, we discovered that that seemed to be the way he treated everyone as we met him again later where 5 unfortunate people had to share the cable car with him and were regaled to a tirade.