Insularity and Accessibility: the Small Island Communities of Western Ireland

Small offshore islands have a high dependence on external transport linkages. The standard of service provided by sea ferries and other forms of communication is expected to play a crucial role in influencing the islands’ population levels, economy and quality of life. Nine small islands off the west coast of Ireland were surveyed in the early 1990s, with particular attention paid to service provision and transport facilities. These varied widely, as also did accessibility scores derived from suitable indicators. Detailed analysis of questionnaire data was conducted to ascertain how travel behaviour was affected by limited transport to the mainland. Contrary to assumptions about declining peripheral areas, there is great diversity among the islands with respect to population trends and economic well-being. A secondary objective therefore was to test to what extent variations in ‘population stability’ and community satisfaction could be explained by accessibility and other transport-related factors.