#COASTGUARD - Mayo's mountain rescue unit has reported its busiest ever period with an "unprecedented" 14 call-outs in just six weeks, according to The Irish Times.

Irish Coast Guard personnel assisted Mayo Mountain Rescue on four of the total, helping to winch people who had fallen while descending Croagh Patrick on the south side of Clew Bay.

The injury toll on the mountain - accounting for 10 of the 14 recovery efforts - has prompted Mayo County Council to seek planning permission for a helicopter landing pad higher up the 2,500-foot peak.

The news comes just after Enniskillen RNLI was names the busiest lifeboat station in the island of Ireland, with 23 launches between its two inshore lifeboats and two rescue water craft over the summer months.

Three private islands off Ireland's west coast are now up for sale - with the cheapest being a snip at just €150,000.

Irish Central reports that the three islands are currently offered via the website privateislandonline.com which aims at the rich-and-famous market.

Mannions Island, in west Cork's Dunmanus Bay, is priced less than the average family home in Dublin. For €150,000 the buyer gets a four-acre island that's 60% fertile just 200m from the shore (the catch is that there are no buildings).

Further up the coast at Clew Bay in Co Mayo is Island Mor, a 70-acre gem with views of the Inish Gort lighthouse and Croagh Patrick, which is going for €902,000. The location is a popular one for celebs - John Lennon was once an owner in Clew Bay.

Last but not least is Mutton Island, a mile from Seafield Harbour in Co Clare and just 20 miles south of the Aran Islands. The largest of the three at 185 acres, it also has a storied history, with the first recorded human settlement in 548 AD. Price is available on request.