Oileán Cléire (Clear Island/Cape Clear)

 island, birdwatching area

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Clear Island known locally as Cape Clear, lies south west of County Cork in the Republic of Ireland. It is the southernmost inhabited part of the Republic and has a population of over 100 people. It forms part of the Gaeltacht, meaning that it is one of the few places in Ireland where Irish is still the spoken language.

Cape Clear is one of the best birding sites in Ireland and Western Europe, hosting a Bird Observatory from March to November. The most interesting period is from September to November when large numbers of seabirds pass offshore and vagrants from North America and Siberia are a distinct possibility. Notable highlights include Europe's first Blue-winged Warbler (2003), as well as Ireland's first Little Swift. The 26th and 27th of August 2008 saw the unprecedented arrival of three Nearctic vagrants: Solitary Sandpiper, Yellow Warbler and Northern Waterthrush.

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