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Walsh Island Inis na mBreatnach (Irish) | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Entrance to Walsh Island | |
  Walsh Island Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:53°13′51″N7°13′22″W / 53.2307°N 7.2228°W /53.2307; -7.2228 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Offaly |
| Elevation | 89 m (292 ft) |
| Population | 443 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (IST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | N518204 |
Walsh Island orWalshisland (Irish:Inis na mBreatnach)[2] is a village inCounty Offaly,Ireland. It takes its name from the surroundinghinterland which is a fertile area of land on a hill (104m) located in an area ofbogland known as theBog of Allen, (hence, "island"). The village is one kilometre west of theR400regional road which runs through the bog below. Walsh Island is 12 km from the nearest town,Portarlington. As of the2016 census, the village had a population of 443 people.[1]
Walsh Island GAA club has produced twoAll-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning captains inWillie Bryan andRichie Connor. Walsh Island'sMatt Connor was also selected in 1999 as a member of the GAA Millennium Football team. He was also the subject of aLaochra Gael television programme onTG4. The club's intermediate level team was also featured on theRTÉ programmeParkLive in 2006.[citation needed]
The localsoccer team, the Walsh Island Shamrocks, plays its home games at Carty Park. They play in the C.C.F.L League (for teams from Counties Offaly, Laois, Westmeath and Longford).[citation needed]
The village also has a smallGaelic handball alley which was restored by Walsh Island development group and officially opened in August 2015.[citation needed]
Bogland plays a role in the culture and economy of Walsh Island. Its "island" name is thought to refer to the fact that the village is surrounded by bogs - which may have flooded in centuries gone by, creating an "island". The village has one pub called 'The Hoppers', which is run by the Flint family.[citation needed]
A threshing festival is held in Walsh Island each summer to celebrate the harvest season, called the Hopper's Harvest. It is usually held in August and incorporates a vintage tractor run, traditional cooking, butter making, animal display and a dog show.[citation needed]
The Mountlucas Wind Farm, just outside the village, has a recreational walking route.[citation needed]
Walsh Island is known for the preservedblacksmith'sforge in the village centre.[citation needed]
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