The Irish Island of Arranmore Wants Americans and Australians to Move There

June 14, 2019

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4 min read

The Irish Island of Arranmore Wants Americans and Australians to Move There

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We've all fantasized about it before. You know, ditching the rat race and relocating to a remote, picturesque European island in the middle of nowhere.

Well, it turns out, it might be easier to make like Diane Lane in "Under the Tuscan Sun" than you thought, because Arranmore — a small island off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland — wants you to move there.

Occupancy on the island has been, according to CNN, waning since the 19th century. So, with a current population of 469 residents, Arranmore (or Árainn Mhór in Gaelic) has been writing open letters to the people of the United States and Australia in hopes of bolstering their community.

In the open letters, Arranmore boasts about the many perks that come with living on the island three miles off the coast. While the weather is unmistakably Irish (warm and cold showers; misty with brief spots of sun here and there) they do have towering clifftops, clean, quiet beaches, a community of close-knit people and — here's the kicker — high-speed internet.

IRELAND - CIRCA 2004: Arranmore Island, Ireland in 2004 - Nothing much happens on the Island : the sea, depleted of all its wealth by overfishing, is nearly bare of fishes ; only a handful of locals are still fishing, mainly seasonally and in small punt ; a lot of the bigger boats are rotting on the island ; Aranmore people have always immigratedto Scotland or the North of England ; a lot of them come back to build a new house or to repair the ancestral home ; they are an incredibly friendly people ; during the famine three hundred of them were evicted by the landlord and deported to Canada ; they left on the 24th of April 1851 and arrived in Quebec on June 5th of the same year ; none of them died in transit ; in the summer of 1856 , most of the settled in Beaver island on lake Michigan ; in March 2003, a hundred inhabitants of Beaver island came back to Aranmore for the first time for the twinning of the two islands - It was very emotional. (Photo by NUTAN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) — Arranmore Island in 2004 (Photo by NUTAN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Adrian Begley, of the Arranmore Island Community Council, even told CNN that Arranmore is "the most-connected island in the world," in an effort to attract remote workers. "Traditional industries such as fishing and farming just aren't enough of a draw to keep young people here anymore," reads one of the open letters. "It's been a challenge for people to work here. Until now."

The island also offers rock climbing, boating, sea safaris and Irish language lessons as well a traditional bar scene known around the island for providing legendary music and, of course, a good serving of craic. That, and a pint of Guinness that will "blow them out of the water," according to the Arranmore website.“Your commute, no matter where you are, will only ever be five minutes. You’ll have the best diving in Ireland on your doorstep and seafood to rival the tastiest New England chowder," reads the letter. “There are fewer people here than would fit in a couple of Amtrak carriages, but enough musicians and good Irish whiskey to keep the party going well into the night.”