Allihies

Allihies – with two shops, a post office and four public houses – is typical of the type of self-contained Irish village that was once found throughout the country. These villages are becoming rarer as the country’s rapid urbanisation continues, however, with more and more people moving to suburban dormitories.

Indeed, Allihies (population: 650) has done well to survive, as it has suffered more than most villages: during the 1800s it was a thriving copper mining region, an activity that has long since declined.

Allihies resilience is probably due to its extraordinary scenery, located on the Ring of Beara and overlooking Ballydonegan Bay, a seaport from where the copper ore was once exported. As well as farming and fishing, the region is now sustained by tourism, and by the lively arts culture it has developed -- many artists and writers, inspired by the rugged beauty, have made Allihies their home.

The Allihies Languages and Arts Centre, located in a former schoolhouse, runs courses and holds events throughout the year.