Ireland- Omey Island Travel Postcard

If there were ever a ghost tour on horseback, it would have to be on Omey Island. Riding on this remote island off of the coast of Connemara, I felt a mixture of spine tingling chills and the spiritual calm of this revered place.

Siobhan Cazabon of Cleggan Riding Centre and I were the only riders on the island. In fact, we were the only people on the island, besides a pair of hikers and the one lone man who still lives here.  Much of Omey was abandoned during the potato famine. We crossed a sand bridge to get to Omey and had to watch the time. Omey is a tidal island. Twice a day, the sea floods the bridge with water, which rises up to a horse’s withers.

There’s a holy well on the island that is believed to cure ailments. We rode there and made an offering, a piece of Siobhan’s Connemara pony’s mane. I stared at the crosses, painted rocks and handmade trinkets that people had left in offering and wondered if anyone had gotten better after visiting this special place. 
 

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