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Displaying items by tag: Dilleen

#Rowing: Ireland’s women’s double and lightweight single sculler Denise Walsh finished their campaigns at the World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette in France with good performances. Walsh took second in her C Final, 14th overall. She sprinted to the line and almost caught winner, Kate Johnstone of South Africa. Helen Hannigan and Lisa Dilleen won their D final, pushing Italy into second. The Ireland crew places 19th overall.

World Rowing Championships, Aiguebelette, France – Day Six (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Four – Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final): 4

Britain (2 P Chambers) 6:58.68.  

Lightweight Pair – A Final: 1 Britain (J Cassells, S Scrimgeour) 6:29.40. B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:46.44, 2 Spain 6:46.59, 3 Czech Republic 6:47.54.

Single Sculls – Semi-Final Two: 5 Britain (A Campbell) 6:51.24.

Women

Four – A Final: 1 United States 6:25.22, 2 Britain 6:31.52, 3 China 6:35.56; 5 Ireland (A Keogh, M Dukarska, L Kennedy, B O’Brien)  6:43.49.

Double Sculls – D Final (Places 19 to 24): 1 Ireland (H Hannigan, L Dilleen) 7:17.04, 2 Italy 7:18.38, 3 Ukraine 7:21.82.

Single Sculls – Semi-Final (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 China 7:24.41, 2 Czech Republic 7:26.48, 3 United States 7:27.39; 5 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:33.94.

Lightweight Single Sculls – C Final (Places 13 to 18): 1 South Africa 8:07.16, 2 Ireland (D Walsh) 8:07.96.

Published in Rowing

#Rowing: The Ireland women’s double of Lisa Dilleen and Helen Hannigan finished fifth in their semi-final at the World Cup regatta in Lucerne today. Belarus and Germany took control of the race, with Greece moving in the third quarter to secure their place in the top three and nail down a place in the A Final. Italy could not progress beyond fourth and Ireland could not improve on their fifth place.

World Cup Regatta, Lucerne – Day One (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Pair – Repechage (First Four to A Final): 4 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:50.28.

Women

Double Sculls – A/B Semi-Final (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Belarus 7:14.98, 2 Germany 7:17.52, 3 Greece 7:19.13; 5 Ireland (H Hannigan, L Dilleen) 7:26.75.

Lightweight Double – A/B Semi-Final (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 South Africa 7:35.26, 2 US 7:36.79, 3 Germany 7:39.14; 5 Ireland (C Lambe, S Jennings) 7:44.11

Lightweight Single – Repechage One (Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 3 Ireland (D Walsh) 8:11.47.

Published in Rowing

# Rowing: Helen Hannigan and Lisa Dilleen showed fighting spirit in their heat of the double sculls at the World Cup Regatta in Lucerne in Switzerland. There were just two direct qualification places on offer in their heat: New Zealand and Greece zipped into the lead and held off all the challengers. Ireland and Austria chased them, but only Dilleen and Hannigan kept up the fight. They finished third, 3.25 seconds behind Greece, and are now set to compete in a repechage. 

World Cup Regatta, Lucerne – Day One (Irish interest; selected results)

Men

Lightweight Pair – Heat One (First Directly to A Final; rest to repechages): 1 France 6:45.55; 2 Ireland (M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll) 6:56.04

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Five (First Three Directly to Quarter-Finals): 1 Norway 6:17.32, 2 Ireland (G O’Donovan, P O’Driscoll) 6:20.20, 3 Portugal 6:21.09.

Women

Pair – Heat Three (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to repechages): 1 Denmark 7:09.27, 2 South Africa 7:16.71; 6 Ireland (L Kennedy, M Dukarska) 7:44.68

Double Sculls – Heat Two (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to repechage): 1 New Zealand 6:51.71, 2 Greece 6:53.20, 3 Ireland (H Hannigan, L Dilleen) 6:56.65

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat One (First directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to repechages): 1 South Africa 6:54.01; 2 Ireland (C Lambe, S Jennings) 6:57.98

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Helen Hannigan and Lisa Dilleen took second in their C Final, 14th overall, in the women’s double sculls at the European Rowing Championships in Poznan in Poland. In a three-boat race, Romania were the first to make a move and they led at halfway. Ireland took over, and led coming up to the line, only for Finland’s Ulla Varvio and Eeva Karppinen to catch and pass them. The winning margin was 1.4 seconds.

European Rowing Championships, Poznan, Day Two (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Double Sculls – A/B Semi-Final One (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Britain (R Chambers, W Fletcher) 6:16.83, 2 Norway 6:21.02, 3 Ireland (P O’Donovan, G O’Donovan) 6:22.89; 4 Czech Republic 6:27.58, 5 Austria 6:31.75, 6 Greece 6:41.41.

Women

Pair – A/B Semi-Final One (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Netherlands 7:05.80, 2 Romania 7:09.40,3 France 7:13.10; 4 Czech Republic 7:14.97, 5 Ireland (L Kennedy, M Dukarska) 7:30.00, 6 Germany 7:34.45.

Double Sculls – C Final (Places 13 to 15): 1 Finland 7:01.27, 2 Ireland (H Hannigan, L Dilleen) 7:02.31, 3 Romania 7:04.02.

Lightweight Double Sculls – A/B Semi-Final One (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Poland 6:58.39, 2 Denmark 7:02.24, 3 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:02.82; 4 Russia 7:02.99, 5 Romania 7:03.82, 6 Czech Republic 7:17.73.

Single Sculls – Repechage (First Two to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Belarus 7:32.81, 2 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:36.20; 3 Germany 7:40.65, 4 Belgium 7:47.19.

Lightweight Single Sculls – A/B Semi-Final One (Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Russia 7:42.99, 2 Lithuania 7:44.09, 3 Britain (I Walsh) 7:44.62; 4 Ireland (S Jennings) 7:45.99, 5 Austria 7:58.39, 6 Latvia 8:02.81.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Ireland’s Lisa Dilleen and Helen Hannigan missed out on a place in the semi-finals of the European Rowing Championships when they finished fourth in their repechage of the women’s double sculls. The Ireland crew looked well-placed behind winners Denmark at 1500 metres, but were ousted from the crucial top three by Sweden and France. The men’s lightweight four performed competitively in the early stages of their repechage and showed some form late on, but they finished outside the qualifying spots, in fourth.

European Rowing Championships, Poznan, Day One (Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Four – Heat One (First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Britain 6:07.57, 2 Germany 6:09.56, 3 Russia 6:09.72; 4 Austria 6:25.53, 5 Ireland (M Bailey, A English, M O’Donovan, S O’Driscoll ) 6:38.91. Repechage (Three to A/B Semi-Finals): 1 Poland 6:23.21, 2 Czech Republic 6:24.04, 3 Austria 6:27.15; 4 Ireland 6:31.10.

Lightweight Double Sculls – Heat Three (Two Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 France 6:20.55, 2 Czech Republic 6:27.16; 3 Ireland (P O’Donovan, G O’Donovan) 6:28.06, 4 Greece 6:41.16, 5 Poland 7:04.83. Repechage (Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C Final): 1 Austria 5:54.92, 2 2 Switzerland 5:457.02, 3 Ireland 5:58.15; 4 Poland 5:58.52, 5 Denmark 6:00.12, 6 Ukraine 6:13.88.

Women

Pair – Heat Three (First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Netherlands 7:12.68, 2 Spain 7:16.31, 3 Ireland (L Kennedy, M Dukarska) 7:17.07; 4 Poland One 7:17.84.

Double Sculls (First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Poland 6:49.73, 2 Britain 6:53.58, 3 Serbia 6:55.67; 4 Romania 7:06.54, 5 Ireland (H Hannigan, L Dilleen) 7:24.08. Repechage (Three to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to C Final): 1 Denmark 7:11.44, 2 Sweden 7:12.78, 3 France 7:12.87; 4 Ireland 7:14.04, 5 Finland 7:16.42, 6 Romania 7:12.87.

Ireland

Lightweight Double Sculls (First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Poland 7:06.62, 2 Netherlands 7:09.30, 3 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:15.74; 4 Ukraine One 7:28.07.

Single Scull – Heat One (Winner to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Switzerland (J Gmelin) 7:38.33; 2 Lithuania 7:41.28, 3 Germany 7:45.59, 4 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:48.79, 5 Britain 7:53.18, 6 Poland 8:03.51.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Three (First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Germany 7:47.03, 2 Ireland (S Jennings) 7:47.61, 3 Denmark 7:49.41; 4 Poland 8:03.59.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Sanita Puspure is the Afloat Rower of the Month for October. The Old Collegians sculler lifted Irish rowing to a new level when she was invited to be part of the ‘Great Eight’ at the Head of the Charles River in Boston. The crew, made up of some of the top women’s scullers in the world, went on to win the Championship Eight  by a margin of almost 20 seconds from the US Rowing crew. Puspure then ended the month by winning the Ireland trial for single scullers, overcoming a tremendous challenge from Lisa Dilleen.

Rower of the Month awards: The judging panel is made up of Liam Gorman, rowing correspondent of The Irish Times and David O'Brien, Editor of Afloat magazine. Monthly awards for achievements during the year will appear on afloat.ie and the overall national award will be presented to the person or crew who, in the judges' opinion, achieved the most notable results in, or made the most significant contribution to rowing during 2014. Keep a monthly eye on progress and watch our 2014 champions list grow.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Lisa Dilleen and Leonora Kennedy kept the good results coming for Ireland on the first day of the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam. The women’s pair took an impressive second place in their heat behind the dominant crew, Olympic champions Helen Glover and Heather Stanning of the United Kingdom, thus qualifying directly for the semi-finals. Russia and Ireland battled it out for second in the middle stages, and as the Russians faded Canada launched an attack, but Dilleen and Kennedy won both battles. Canada took the third qualification spot.

World Rowing Championships, Amsterdam (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Men


Lightweight Single Sculls
– Heat Two (First Four Directly to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Portugal (P Fraga) 6:53.62, Australia (P Ward) 6:54.96, 3 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 6:57.65,

4 China (Jingbin Zhao) 7:03.13; 5 Slovakia 7:04.81, 6 Quatar 9:52.93.

Women

Pair – Heat Two (First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Britain (H Glover, H Stanning) 7:04.64, 2 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:15.29, 3 Canada (J Martins, K Bauder) 7:04.64; 4 Serbia 7:21.06, 5 Russia 7:24.48.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Sanita Puspure qualified for the semi-finals of the World Cup regatta in Lucerne today with a steady second place in her heat. Kim Crow of Australia was the clear winner, but Puspure slotted into the only other qualification spot early on and held off a challenge by Italy’s Sara Magnaghi.

The Ireland women’s pair found it tougher in their heat. Britain’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning won and took the one qualifying spot. Ireland finished fifth.

World Cup Regatta, Lucerne, Day One (Selected Results, Irish interest)

Women

Pair – Heat Two (Winner directly to A Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Britain (H Glover, H Stanning) 7:13.07; 2 New Zealand 7:16.01,3

Netherlands 7:26.54, 4 Australia 7:32.52, 5 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:40.89, 6 Czech Republic 7:46.63.

Single Sculls – Heat One (First Two Directly to A/B Semi-Final; rest to Repechage): 1 Australia (K Crow) 7:39.88, 2 Ireland (S Puspure) 7:45.55; 3 Italy 7:52.04, 4 Lithuania 7:58.75, 5 Serbia 8:07.62.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Paul O’Donovan won the B Final of the lightweight single sculls at the World Cup Regatta in Aiguebelette in France this morning. The UCD man was fourth at 500 metres but headed the field in the final quarter and moved clear to win well and secure seventh overall.

The women’s pair of Leonora Kennedy and Lisa Dilleen finished third in their B Final, ninth overall. New Zealand’s Louise Trappitt and Rebecca Scown – who won the A Final at the first World Cup in Sydney – were impressive winners of this race, while Ireland and Canada battled for second, well ahead of Germany One, Britain Two and France.

The Ireland lightweight women’s double scull of Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh finished their first regatta together as a crew fifth in the B Final, 11th overall. China Two won from the United States, Australia and Denmark while behind them Ireland outpaced Brazil all the way down the course.

World Cup Regatta, Aiguebelette, France, Day Three (Irish interest, selected results)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 Ireland One (P O’Donovan) 7:07.46, 2 Azerbaijan (J Afandiyev) 7:08.23, 3 Britain (Z Lee-Green) 7:10.55, 4 France 7:13.96, 5 Algeria 7:17.64, 6 Switzerland 7:19.68.

Women

Pair – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 New Zealand (L Trappitt, R Scown) 7:10.55, 2 Canada (N Mastracci, S Grainger) 7:15.16, 3 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:16.53, 4 Germany 7:24.64, 5 Britain 7:26.55, 6 France 7:27.64.

Lightweight Double Scull – B Final (Places 7 to 12): 1 China Two (Huan Zhang, Le Chen) 7:11.20, 2 United States (D Karz, M Sechser) 7:12.17, 3 Australia (E Flecker, A McNamara) 7:13.42, 4 Denmark 7:14.02, 5 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:16.71, 6 Brazil 7:23.33.

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Published in Rowing

#ROWING: Ireland’s Lisa Dilleen and Leonora Kennedy finished fifth in the pairs’ semi-final at the World Cup Regatta in Aiguebelette today. Three United States crews drawn from their eight took the qualification spots with Canada – also a crew drawn from the country’s eight – fourth. Dilleen and Kennedy tried to break into the dominant leading group but could not.

The lightweight women’s double of Claire Lambe and Denise Walsh stuck gamely to their task in their semi-final, but finished sixth. China One, Sweden and Britain’s Kat Copeland and Imogen Walsh collared the three qualification spots, with Copeland and Walsh judging their finish well to win.

World Cup Regatta, Aiguebelette, France, Day Two (Selected Results, Irish interest)

Men

Single Sculls – D Final (Places 19 to 23): 1 Bulgaria 7:14.01, 2 Ireland (J Keohane) 7:16.48, 3 China 7:19.41.

Lightweight Single Sculls – Semi-Final Two (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Germany Two (J Schoemann-Finck) 7:00.71, 2 Bulgaria (V Nedelcho) 7:03.69, 3 France (D Piqueras) 7:04.23; 4 Ireland One (P O’Donovan) 7:06.99, 5 Switzerland One 7:14.8, 6 Algeria 7:21.36. C Final (places 13 to 18): 1 Ireland Two (M O’Donovan) 7:17.11, 2 Tunisia One 7:17.40, 3 Switzerland Two 7:19.58.

Women

Pair – A/B Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final):

1 United States Three (V Opitz, M Musnicki) 7:02.27, 2 United States One (M Kalmoe, K Simmonds) 7:02.33, 3 United States Four (A Polk, L Schmetterling) 7:04.23; 4 Canada 7:07.94, 5 Ireland (L Kennedy, L Dilleen) 7:16.80, 6 France 7:32.46.

Double Sculls – C Final (Places 13, 14): 1 France 7:12.84, 2 Ireland (M Dukarska, E Moran) 7:20.78.

Lightweight Double Sculls – A/B Semi-Final One (First Three to A Final; rest to B Final): 1 Britain (I Walsh, K Copeland) 7:05.84, 2 China One (Tianyu Teng, Wenyi Huang) 7:07.25, 3 Sweden (C Lilja, E Fredh) 7:08.90; 4 Australia 7:13.07, 5 China Two 7:13.17, 6 Ireland (C Lambe, D Walsh) 7:14.79.

Published in Rowing
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Ireland's offshore islands

Around 30 of Ireland's offshore islands are inhabited and hold a wealth of cultural heritage.

A central Government objective is to ensure that sustainable vibrant communities continue to live on the islands.

Irish offshore islands FAQs

Technically, it is Ireland itself, as the third largest island in Europe.

Ireland is surrounded by approximately 80 islands of significant size, of which only about 20 are inhabited.

Achill island is the largest of the Irish isles with a coastline of almost 80 miles and has a population of 2,569.

The smallest inhabited offshore island is Inishfree, off Donegal.

The total voting population in the Republic's inhabited islands is just over 2,600 people, according to the Department of Housing.

Starting with west Cork, and giving voting register numbers as of 2020, here you go - Bere island (177), Cape Clear island (131),Dursey island (6), Hare island (29), Whiddy island (26), Long island, Schull (16), Sherkin island (95). The Galway islands are Inis Mór (675), Inis Meáin (148), Inis Oírr (210), Inishbofin (183). The Donegal islands are Arranmore (513), Gola (30), Inishboffin (63), Inishfree (4), Tory (140). The Mayo islands, apart from Achill which is connected by a bridge, are Clare island (116), Inishbiggle (25) and Inishturk (52).

No, the Gaeltacht islands are the Donegal islands, three of the four Galway islands (Inishbofin, like Clifden, is English-speaking primarily), and Cape Clear or Oileán Chléire in west Cork.

Lack of a pier was one of the main factors in the evacuation of a number of islands, the best known being the Blasket islands off Kerry, which were evacuated in November 1953. There are now three cottages available to rent on the Great Blasket island.

In the early 20th century, scholars visited the Great Blasket to learn Irish and to collect folklore and they encouraged the islanders to record their life stories in their native tongue. The three best known island books are An tOileánach (The Islandman) by Tomás Ó Criomhthain, Peig by Peig Sayers, and Fiche Blian ag Fás (Twenty Years A-Growing) by Muiris Ó Súilleabháin. Former taoiseach Charles J Haughey also kept a residence on his island, Inishvickillaune, which is one of the smaller and less accessible Blasket islands.

Charles J Haughey, as above, or late Beatle musician, John Lennon. Lennon bought Dorinish island in Clew Bay, south Mayo, in 1967 for a reported £1,700 sterling. Vendor was Westport Harbour Board which had used it for marine pilots. Lennon reportedly planned to spend his retirement there, and The Guardian newspaper quoted local estate agent Andrew Crowley as saying he was "besotted with the place by all accounts". He did lodge a planning application for a house, but never built on the 19 acres. He offered it to Sid Rawle, founder of the Digger Action Movement and known as the "King of the Hippies". Rawle and 30 others lived there until 1972 when their tents were burned by an oil lamp. Lennon and Yoko Ono visited it once more before his death in 1980. Ono sold the island for £30,000 in 1984, and it is widely reported that she donated the proceeds of the sale to an Irish orphanage

 

Yes, Rathlin island, off Co Antrim's Causeway Coast, is Ireland's most northerly inhabited island. As a special area of conservation, it is home to tens of thousands of sea birds, including puffins, kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots. It is known for its Rathlin golden hare. It is almost famous for the fact that Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, retreated after being defeated by the English at Perth and hid in a sea cave where he was so inspired by a spider's tenacity that he returned to defeat his enemy.

No. The Aran islands have a regular ferry and plane service, with ferries from Ros-a-Mhíl, south Connemara all year round and from Doolin, Co Clare in the tourist season. The plane service flies from Indreabhán to all three islands. Inishbofin is connected by ferry from Cleggan, Co Galway, while Clare island and Inishturk are connected from Roonagh pier, outside Louisburgh. The Donegal islands of Arranmore and Tory island also have ferry services, as has Bere island, Cape Clear and Sherkin off Cork. How are the island transport services financed? The Government subsidises transport services to and from the islands. The Irish Coast Guard carries out medical evacuations, as to the RNLI lifeboats. Former Fianna Fáíl minister Éamon Ó Cuív is widely credited with improving transport services to and from offshore islands, earning his department the nickname "Craggy island".

Craggy Island is an bleak, isolated community located of the west coast, inhabited by Irish, a Chinese community and one Maori. Three priests and housekeeper Mrs Doyle live in a parochial house There is a pub, a very small golf course, a McDonald's fast food restaurant and a Chinatown... Actually, that is all fiction. Craggy island is a figment of the imagination of the Father Ted series writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews, for the highly successful Channel 4 television series, and the Georgian style parochial house on the "island" is actually Glenquin House in Co Clare.

Yes, that is of the Plassey, a freighter which was washed up on Inis Oírr in bad weather in 1960.

There are some small privately owned islands,and islands like Inishlyre in Co Mayo with only a small number of residents providing their own transport. Several Connemara islands such as Turbot and Inishturk South have a growing summer population, with some residents extending their stay during Covid-19. Turbot island off Eyrephort is one such example – the island, which was first spotted by Alcock and Brown as they approached Ireland during their epic transatlantic flight in 1919, was evacuated in 1978, four years after three of its fishermen drowned on the way home from watching an All Ireland final in Clifden. However, it is slowly being repopulated

Responsibility for the islands was taking over by the Department of Rural and Community Development . It was previously with the Gaeltacht section in the Department of Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht.

It is a periodic bone of contention, as Ireland does not have the same approach to its islands as Norway, which believes in right of access. However, many improvements were made during Fianna Fáíl Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív's time as minister. The Irish Island Federation, Comdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, represents island issues at national and international level.

The 12 offshore islands with registered voters have long argued that having to cast their vote early puts them at a disadvantage – especially as improved transport links mean that ballot boxes can be transported to the mainland in most weather conditions, bar the winter months. Legislation allowing them to vote on the same day as the rest of the State wasn't passed in time for the February 2020 general election.

Yes, but check tide tables ! Omey island off north Connemara is accessible at low tide and also runs a summer race meeting on the strand. In Sligo, 14 pillars mark the way to Coney island – one of several islands bearing this name off the Irish coast.

Cape Clear or Oileán Chléire is the country's most southerly inhabited island, eight miles off the west Cork coast, and within sight of the Fastnet Rock lighthouse, also known as the "teardrop of Ireland".
Skellig Michael off the Kerry coast, which has a monastic site dating from the 6th century. It is accessible by boat – prebooking essential – from Portmagee, Co Kerry. However, due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was not open to visitors in 2020.
All islands have bird life, but puffins and gannets and kittiwakes are synonymous with Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. Rathlin island off Antrim and Cape Clear off west Cork have bird observatories. The Saltee islands off the Wexford coast are privately owned by the O'Neill family, but day visitors are permitted access to the Great Saltee during certain hours. The Saltees have gannets, gulls, puffins and Manx shearwaters.
Vikings used Dublin as a European slaving capital, and one of their bases was on Dalkey island, which can be viewed from Killiney's Vico road. Boat trips available from Coliemore harbour in Dalkey. Birdwatch Ireland has set up nestboxes here for roseate terns. Keep an eye out also for feral goats.
Plenty! There are regular boat trips in summer to Inchagoill island on Lough Corrib, while the best known Irish inshore island might be the lake isle of Innisfree on Sligo's Lough Gill, immortalised by WB Yeats in his poem of the same name. Roscommon's Lough Key has several islands, the most prominent being the privately-owned Castle Island. Trinity island is more accessible to the public - it was once occupied by Cistercian monks from Boyle Abbey.

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