Achill Island

(Local Name: Oiléan Acaill) Achill Island lies off the republic's western coast, separated from the mainland by the narrow Achill Sound (spanned by a swing bridge). With an area of 55 sq. mi/142 sq. km, it is the largest of Ireland's offshore islands. Hilly and L-shaped, Achill is almost entirely covered by heath and bog, with cultivated land only in valleys and near the coast. The hills on the north and west coasts rise to 2,200ft/671m, dropping down to the sea in magnificent cliffs.