Native name: Inis Oírr | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
 | |
  Inisheer | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 53°03′29″N9°31′39″W / 53.05806°N 9.52750°W /53.05806; -9.52750 |
| Area | 1,448 acres (586 ha)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 62 m (203 ft)[1] |
| Administration | |
Ireland | |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | Galway |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 343 (2022)[2] |
| Pop. density | 48/km2 (124/sq mi) |
Inisheer (Irish:Inis Oírr[ˈɪnʲɪʃiːɾˠ],Inis Thiar[ˈɪnʲɪʃhiəɾˠ] orInis Oirthir[ˈɪnʲɪʃˈɛɾʲhəɾʲ]) is the smallest and most easterly of the threeAran Islands inGalway Bay, Ireland. With 343 residents as of the2022 census,[2] it is second-most populous of the Arans.Caomhán of Inis Oírr is the island'spatron saint. There are five small settlements: Baile Thiar, Chapeltown (Baile an tSéipéil), Castle Village (Baile an Chaisleáin), Baile an Fhormna and Baile an Lorgain. The island is in acivil parish of the same name.[3]
The island was originally calledÁrainn Airthir, and laterInis Oirthir, which are thought to mean "eastern Aran" and "eastern island" respectively.[3] The second element is also found in the namesInishsirrer andOrior. According to Séamas Ó Murchú, the current official name,Inis Oírr, was brought into use by theOrdnance Survey Ireland. He says it may be a compromise betweenInis Oirthir and the traditional local nameInis Thiar.[4]
The island is geologically an extension ofThe Burren. The terrain of the island is composed oflimestone pavements with crisscrossing cracks known as "grikes", leaving isolated rocks called "clints".
The limestones date from theViséan period (Lower Carboniferous), formed as sediments in a tropical sea approximately 350 million years ago, and compressed into horizontal strata with fossilcorals,crinoids,sea urchins andammonites.
Glaciation following theNamurian phase facilitated greater denudation. The result is that Inisheer is one of the finest examples of a Glacio-Karst landscape in the world.[citation needed] The effects of thelast glacial period (the Midlandian) are most in evidence, with the island overrun by ice during this glaciation. The impact of earlierKarstification (solutional erosion) has been eliminated by the last glacial period, so any Karstification now seen dates from approximately 10,000 years ago and the island Karst is thus recent.[citation needed]
Solutional processes have widened and deepened the limestone pavement. Pre-existing lines of weakness in the rock (vertical joints) contribute to the formation of extensive fissures separated by clints (flat pavement-like slabs). The rock karstification facilitates the formation of subterranean drainage.
The island has a temperate climate. Average air temperatures range from 15 °C (59 °F) in July to 6 °C (43 °F) in January. The soil temperature does not usually drop below 6 °C (43 °F). Since grass will grow once the temperature rises above 6 °C (43 °F), this means that the island (like the neighbouringBurren) has one of the longest growing seasons in Ireland, and supports diverse and rich plant growth.
Late May is the sunniest time,[5] and also likely the best time to view flowers, with the gentians and avens peaking (but orchid species blooming later).[original research?]
The island supportsarctic,Mediterranean andalpine plants side-by-side, due to the unusual environment. Like the Burren, the Aran islands are known for their remarkable assemblage of plants and animals.[6] The grikes (crevices) provide moist shelter, thus supporting a wide range of plants including dwarf shrubs. Where the surface of the pavement is shattered into gravel, many of the hardier Arctic or alpine plants can be found. But when the limestone pavement is covered by a thin layer of soil, patches of grass are seen, interspersed with plants like the gentian and orchids.
Notable insects present include the butterfly thepearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne),brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae),marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) andwood white (Leptidea sinapis); the moths, theburren green (Calamia tridens),Irish annulet (Gnophos dumetata) andtransparent burnet (Zygaena purpuralis); and the hoverflyDoros profuges.
_Inisheer_by_CFM_-_20220707_-_02.jpg)
In 1885 a burial site calledCnoc Raithní was discovered which dates back to 1500 BC. This is the earliest evidence of human settlement of the island.[7]
Saint Caomhán, the patron saint of Inisheer, according to some traditions, was the elder brother ofKevin of Glendalough. The ruins ofTeampall Chaomháin in Inisheer cemetery have to be uncovered annually as the floor of it is well below the level of the sand. In the Middle Ages, the island was ruled by theO'Brien dynasty who provided most of theKings of Thomond. This rule was exercised before theAnglo-Irish settled inConnacht in the 1230s.[citation needed]
The Tribes of Galway paid the O'Briens an annual tribute of twelve tuns ofwine "in consideration of their protection and expenses in guarding the bay and harbour of Galway against pirates and coast plunderers." The remains of the 14th-century 'O'Brien's Castle' are sited near the island's highest point. In 1582 theO'Flahertys ofConnemara captured it. Today O'Flahertys still live on the island. In 1652 it was given to the Cromwellian invasion force and the O'Flahertys were defeated. They saw no use for it and the castle was partially dismantled, it has been unoccupied since.[8][9]
The cargo vesselMVPlassy, which was shipwrecked off Inis Oírr on 8 March 1960,[10] has since been thrown above the high tide mark atCarraig na Finise on the island by strongAtlantic waves. The wreck features in the opening credits of the TV showFather Ted.[10] On the night of the wrecking, a young boy on the island spotted the grounded ship and ran to the village, where the alarm was raised.[11] Approximately sixty islanders, including theInisheer Rocket Crew,[12] rescued the entire crew from the stricken vessel using abreeches buoy;[11] an event captured in a pictorial display at theNational Maritime Museum inDún Laoghaire.
.jpg)
The following sites on the island are designated asNational Monuments:
The table below reports data on Inis Oírr's population taken fromDiscover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and theCensus of Ireland. Census data in Ireland before 1841 are not considered complete and/or reliable.
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source:Central Statistics Office."CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year".CSO.ie. Retrieved12 October 2016. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The island is reached by ferry fromRossaveal inConnemara andDoolin inCounty Clare as well as from the other Aran Islands. There is also a regional airport on each island which is served from Connemara Regional Airport by AerArann. A pier was opened in Doolin in June 2015 for commercial ferries serving the island.[13] Islanders travel by foot or car around the island. Tourists can avail of tours/taxi trips by horse and trap.[citation needed]
Irish is still today the daily language of the approximately 260 permanent residents.[citation needed] In addition, many school pupils from the mainland come to the island to learn Irish in an environment where it is a living language in the local college, Coláiste Laichtín during the months of June, July and August.
Some of the limestone sea cliffs have attracted interest fromrock-climbers,[14] though the bigger islands ofInis Mór andInis Meáin are more popular. Diving is possible.[15]
The island, including shots of the wreckedMVPlassy, is used to represent the fictionalCraggy Island in theopening credits of the 1990ssitcomFather Ted.[16]
Inisheer is also the name of a well-knownslow air written by Thomas Walsh from Dublin, after a visit to the island in the 1970s.[17][18][19]
Inis Oírr was discussed at length in the work ofcultural anthropologist John Cowan Messenger under the nameInis Beag.[20][21]
Inis Beag – a fictional name for Inisheer
inis beag inisheer -wikipedia.
Inis Oírr travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
