A look at island life.

Quiet and peaceful with beautiful scenery, Rathlin Island lies just off the North East corner of Northern Ireland, 7 miles from Ballycastle. But separation from the mainland also brings isolation and practical difficulties, which are intensified when the weather is bad.

In 1978 islanders were urgently seeking improvements to their harbour to give them a safe place of refuge. In "So Near and Yet So Far" Cyril Troy visited Rathlin to find out whether islanders were hopeful for the future of their island or whether fears of depopulation were justified.
Listen to "So Near and Yet So Far" . (This programme was broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster on 28.02.1978)

Photographs of Rathlin Island are featured in the "Sense of Place" Picture Gallery. Click here to have a look.