I have a rather vivid personal memory of an overnight stay on Clare Island a few years ago, when our scheduled return trip to County Mayo was cancelled because of extremely unfavourable conditions. Four hours later, the captain decided to travel. The return journey to the pier on the mainland was something out of the ordinary. It would be putting it rather mildly to describe it as a harrowing experience for me, my brother and our wives. That experience has given me some perspective and understanding of what people had to endure over previous generations. Although my family group had the benefit of a modern vessel, with the best captain available today, or so I am reliably informed by the locals, I am very conscious of what we experienced during that trip. I cannot even begin to imagine what previous generations would have endured under such conditions.