Inishkeel (Irish: Inis Caoil)[3] is a small tidal island and townland[1] off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland. The closest village on the mainland is Narin. The island is in a civil parish of the same name.[4]
Geography
The island is located in Gweebarra Bay around 250 m from the coast. A sandy tidal bank connects, with low tide, the island with the mainland.[3]
History
During the 6th century A.D. a small community of monks settled on the island.[5] Their religious leader was Saint Conall Cael, from whom the island later derived its name. During the following centuries Inishkeel was a traditional destination of pilgrimages. Remains of the church and the connected buildings as well as some carved stones can be seen on the island.[6] For its artistical and archeological importance the island was declared National Monument (code: DG064-003).[7] A bell known as St Conall Cael's Bell remained on Inishkeel up to the 19th century and was then acquired by the British Museum.[8]
Demography
A small community used to live on Inishkeel in the past, and in year 1841 23 inhabitants were registered on the island.[9] The island was later abandoned and in 2011 census had no inhabitants.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Inishkeel Townland, Co. Donegal". www.townlands.ie. Cóipcheart Townlands.ie. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ a b Population (Number) by Off Shore Island, Year and Sex Central Statistics Office
- ^ a b Liam Ronayne (2000). Donegal: South of the Gap. Dundurn. ISBN 9781900935159. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ "Inis Caoil/Inishkeel". Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
- ^ Meehan, Cary (2004). Sacred Ireland. Somerset: Gothic Image Publications. p. 116. ISBN 0 906362 43 1.
- ^ "Inishkeel Monastic Site". www.megalithicireland.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ National Monuments in State Care: Ownership & Guardianship (PDF). National Monuments Service / Seirbhís na Séadcomharthaí Náisiúnta. 2009. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ Rowena Loverance (2007). Christian Art. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674024793. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ Commissioners 4th Rpt, p.15 Newport West E Division
See also
Media related to Inishkeel at Wikimedia Commons
