Cape Clear Museum is housed in a restored old schoolhouse on the island and it tells great stories of island life.
You'll see several hundred artefacts that cast light on island life, Cape Clear's maritime heritage, local shipwrecks and stories from the past.
The small heritage centre features a multimedia display on the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse. Cape Clear Island is the closest landmark to the Fastnet and has a shared history, with the first lighthouse having been based on the Island itself. Local Fastnet day tours combine a boat trip to the lighthouse with the chance to visit the island itself.
Cape Clear Island was one of the last O’Driscoll strongholds and the Heritage Centre has, throughout its lifetime, carried out meticulous research into the clan’s history leading to the publication of the definitive clan history listed: its O’Driscoll archives alone contain over 12 volumes with over 1,000 pages of family histories, stories, genealogies, obituaries, and articles.
The Cape Clear Island Museum is open daily from June to early September. Between September and May 31st, visits to the Museum can only be made by making prior arrangements.
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