Dorinish Island in Clew Bay off the west coast of Ireland, also known as ‘Beatle Island’ has been listed on sale for €300,000 ($384,000). It was bought by John Lennon from the Westport Harbour Board, in 1967 for just £1,700 ($2,700) in a local auction. Dorinish Island was uninhabited when John bought it, so the world famous singer and composer was planning to relocate and revive the island. This island became a getaway for John and his family, who visited it quite often.
Ono has said that: “We often discussed the idea of building a cottage there. It was so beautiful, so tranquil, yet so isolated; it seemed a perfect place to get away from it all”. But in 1984, four years after Lennon’s death, Yoko Ono sold the island to its current owners for almost £30,000 ($48,100).
Dorinish is made up of two small islands, Dorinish Beg and Dorinish More, joined by a natural stone causeway and measures 19 acres approximately. One of the most westerly of Clew Bay’s reputed 365 islands, Dorinish island provides the most exceptional views from every aspect. To the west is the dramatic silhouette of Clare Island with the Atlantic Ocean extending beyond, to the north are Inishgort Lighthouse and the Nephin Mountains, to the east across the many drumlin islands Westport Quay can be glimpsed in the distance and overlooking the island to the south is Croagh Patrick Mountain.
Dorinish or Beatle Island, currently used for grazing sheep who share the island with a wide variety of sea birds including puffins, cormorants and terns. Although is related to Beatles, and we know that everything connected to Beatles is also most wanted, the collapse of the property market in Ireland unfortunately applies to Dorinish Island which has been on sale since mid-July. According to Bloomberg, one of the main reasons the island was put up for sale is worry from the local farmers that the older they get the more difficult it is for them to look after the livestock who graze there.
