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Displaying items by tag: Irish Rowing Championships

#ROWING: Defending champions NUIG/Gráinne Mhaol came under severe pressure from Trinity, but held on to win their third successive men’s senior eights title at the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre today.

Trinity eked out a lead of three-quarters of a length by 500 metres and kept the champions at bay until 1800 metres. But the NUIG/Gráinne Mhaol lead was not a comfortable one, as Trinity came back at them. There was just .41 of a second in it at the end.

Cork Boat Club and NUIG teamed up to win the women’s senior eight, while Shane O’Driscoll and Gary O’Donovan teamed up to win the intermediate double sculls. There was an impressive win for Jasmine English in the women’s intermediate single sculls, and Skibbereen won the women’s junior quadruple sculls.

The men’s junior pair saw twins David and Brian Keohane of Presentation hold off a strong challenge from Portora, while NUIG were the fastest crew in the women’s club eight.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Cork (Selected Results; Finals)

Men

Eight – Senior: 1 Gráinne Mhaol/NUIG (D Mannion, K Neville, R Bennett, R O’Callaghan, F Tolan, A Martin, C Folan, J Wall; cox: R Cooke) 5:39.51, 2 Trinity 4:39.92, 3 UCD/Old Collegians 5:47.29.

Four – Club: 1 UCD 6:51.22, 2 Cork 6:40.62, 3 Skibbereen A 6:40.91.

Pair – Intermediate: 1 St Michael’s 6:49.21, 2 Carlow B 6:49.99, 3 Commercial 6:55.92. Junior: 1 Presentation (D Keohane, B Keohane) 6:57.14, 2 Portora 7:00.23, 3 Cork BC 7:02.05.

Sculling,

Double – Intermediate: 1 Skibbereen (S O’Driscoll, G O’Donvan) 6:25.84, 2 Shannon 6:39.93, 3 Queen’s 6:44.48. Junior: 1 St Michael’s (P O’Connor, D O’Malley) 6:38.32, 2 Waterford 6:39.34, 3 Shandon A 6:47.81.

Single – Senior: 1 Lee Valley (J Keohane) 6:56.48, 2 UCD (P O’Donovan) 6:58.36, 3 Three Castles (E Grigalius) 6:59.10.

Women

Eight – Senior: 1 NUIG/Cork BC (A Wickham, C Hurst, M O’Neill, L Hamel, E Tormey, F Judge, A Keogh, B O’Brien; cox: S Kelly) 6:29.49, 2 Trinity 6:35.66, 3 UCD 6:36.66. Club: 1 NUIG 6:38.62, 2 Portora6:39.86, 3 Queen’s 6:45.51.

Four, coxed – Intermediate: 1 St Michael’s 7:10.71, 2 Skibbereen 7:16.53, 3 Commercial 7:19.38.

Pair – Junior: 1 Cork Boat Club (D Forde, O Forde) 7:42.57, 2 Muckross 8:02.34, 3 Shandon 8:08.22.

Sculling, Quadruple – Junior: 1 Skibbereen 6:58.74, 2 Commercial 6:59.02, 3 Cork 7:08.09.

Single – Senior: 1 Old Collegians (C Lambe) 7:46.66, 2 Commercial (C Jennings) 8:01.90, 3 Commercial (Sarah Dolan) 8:03.35. Intermediate: 1 Belfast BC (J English) 8:00.93, 2 Cork (Desmond) 8:05.73, 3 Killorglin (Foley) 8:08.78.

Published in Rowing

#ROWING: It was morning of Limerick wins in Cork at the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre in Farran Wood.

Carlow led well in the men’s intermediate pair, only to be overhauled by a stunning finish by Robert Sheehan and Mark O’Brien – they won by .68 of a second.

In the men’s junior double, Patrick O’Connor and David O’Malley of St Michael’s chased down and passed Andrew Goff and Raymond O’Mahony of Waterford coming up to the line. The Waterford men, to their credit, kept going, but St Michael’s won by just over a second.

The women in the St Michael’s intermediate coxed four had started the good run for the club, with Skibbereen second.

Cork Boat Club had another reason to celebrate thanks to the Forde sisters from Torrevieja in Spain, who were totally dominant in the women’s junior pair.

Claire Lambe of Old Collegians led the women’s senior single sculls from early on, and completely dominated once Siobhán McCrohan dropped out after a quarter of the race.

The men’s single was a much better race. John Keohane completed his three-in-a-row with a come-from-behind win against Paul O’Donovan of UCD. Eimantas Grigalius of Three Castles also finished well to take third.

UCD won the final race of the session, the men’s club coxed four.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Cork (Selected Results; Finals)

Men

Four – Club: 1 UCD 6:51.22, 2 Cork 6:40.62, 3 Skibbereen A 6:40.91.

Pair – Intermediate: 1 St Michael’s 6:49.21, 2 Carlow B 6:49.99, 3 Commercial 6:55.92.

Sculling,

Double – Junior: 1 St Michael’s (P O’Connor, D O’Malley) 6:38.32, 2 Waterford 6:39.34, 3 Shandon A 6:47.81.

Single – Senior: 1 Lee Valley (J Keohane) 6:56.48, 2 UCD (P O’Donovan) 6:58.36, 3 Three Castles (E Grigalius) 6:59.10.

Women

Four, coxed – Intermediate: 1 St Michael’s 7:10.71, 2 Skibbereen 7:16.53, 3 Commercial 7:19.38.

Pair – Junior: 1 Cork Boat Club (D Forde, O Forde) 7:42.57, 2 Muckross 8:02.34, 3 Shandon 8:08.22.

Sculling

Single – Senior: 1 Old Collegians (C Lambe) 7:46.66, 2 Commercial (C Jennings) 8:01.90, 3 Commercial (Sarah Dolan) 8:03.35.

Published in Rowing

#IrishRowingChampionships: NUIG/Gráinne Mhaol produced one of their best ever rows to win the senior eights championship of Ireland at the National Rowing Centre in Cork today. The defending champions had a fine start and upped the tempo down the course to burn off their rivals. They set a time of six minutes 13.38 seconds in headwind conditions. Queen's University were second and UCD third.

The women’s senior eight from St Michael’s created history by becoming the first senior eight solely from the club to win a senior eights championship. Sinéad Jennings, who was not originally entered, but had been part of the crew as it was formed, came in for Emily Tormey.

Skibbereen brought their tally of titles at the Championships to six with wins in the men’s intermediate double sculls and the women’s junior quadruple sculls, while Lee won the men’s junior pairs and Sinéad Dolan of Trinity the intermediate single sculls.

The last race of Championships, which were sponsored by Hanley Calibration, was the women’s novice eight, where Queen’s University took the title.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods, Cork – Day Three (Selected Results, Finals)

Men

Eight – Senior: 1 Gráinne Mhaol/NUIG (R O’Callaghan, R Bennett, D Mannion, N Kenny, E Donnelly, A Martin, C Folan, J Wall; cox: R Cooke) 6:13.38, 2 Queen’s University, Belfast 6:17.87, 3 UCD 6:17.94.

Four – Novice, coxed: 1 Queen’s 7:49.87, 2 UCD 7:50.79, 3 UCC 7:55.25.

Pair – Intermediate: 1 UCC 8:13.04, 2 Portora 8:36.82, 3 Bann 8:42.84. Junior: 1 Lee 7:45.41, 2 Clonmel 7:49.17, 3 Shandon 7:56.48.

Sculling, Double – Intermediate: 1 Skibbereen B 7:30.60, 2 Skibbereen A 7:36.20, 3 Belfast BC 7:36.79. Junior: 1 Shandon (J Casey, A Harrington) 7:55.13, 2 Skibbereen 8:13.06, 3 Lee 8:19.07.

Single – Senior: 1 Lee Valley (J Keohane) 8:00.96, 2 Three Castles (E Grigalius) 8:03.83, 3 Portadown (S McKeown) 8:21.55.

Women

Eight – Senior: 1 St Michael’s (A Leahy, S Jennings, J O’Keeffe, A O’Sullivan, K O’Brien, A Sheehan, O McEvoy, H O’Sullivan; cox C McGowan) 7:14.80, 2 UCD 7:22.21, 3 Cork/Skibbereen 7:22.95. Four, Intermediate, coxed: 1 St Michael’s 8:10.43, 2 UCD C 8:18.36, 3 UCD A 8:28.10. Novice: 1 Queen’s 7:34.56, 2 Bann 7:36.42, 3 Commercial 7:43.41.

Pair – Junior: 1 Portora (D Maguire, P Mulligan) 9:04.90, 2 Muckross 9:16.42, 3 Shannon 9:19.32.

Sculling, Quadruple – Junior: 1 Skibbereen 7:52.92, 2 Cork BC A 8:03.87, 3 Cork BC B 8:06.00.

Single – Senior: 1 UCD (C Lambe) 9:09.20, 2 St Michael’s (S Jennings) 9:10.31, 3 Three Castles (H Walshe) 9:28.57. Intermediate: 1 Trinity (Sinéad Dolan) 9:22.10, 2 NUIG (C Hurst) 9:30.96, 3 Trinity (S O’Brien) 9:35.91.

 

Published in Rowing

#IrishRowingChampionships: Claire Lambe and John Keohane won the men’s and women’s senior single sculls titles at the Irish Rowing Championships at Farran Woods in Cork today. Both had hard battles before crossing the line as winners.

Lambe had a disappointing start and saw Sinéad Jennings take and hold the lead until halfway. Lambe came back and led by 1500 metres, but Jennings mounted challenge after challenge.

Keohane took the lead early on but had to battle to retain it. Eimantas Grigalius, a World Junior Champion in 2003, drove hard a the Corkman through the closing 500 metres, but Keohane, rating below his opponent, retained his lead – and the title he won last year.

There was great excitement in the closing stages of the men’s novice coxed four. UCD’s lead was eaten away and then completely lost to Queen’s University, who won by .92 of a second. UCD also lost out in the women’s intermediate coxed four to a strong St Michael’s crew of Hannah McCarthy, Emily Tormey, Kate O’Brien, Hanah O’Sullivan and cox Conor McGowan.

The men’s intermediate pair and the women’s junior pair and men’s junior double sculls were convincingly won by UCC, Portora and Shandon respectively.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods, Cork – Day Three (Selected Results, Finals)

Men

Four – Novice, coxed: 1 Queen’s 7:49.87, 2 UCD 7:50.79, 3 UCC 7:55.25.

Pair – Intermediate: 1 UCC 8:13.04, 2 Portora 8:36.82, 3 Bann 8:42.84.

Sculling, Double – Junior: 1 Shandon (J Casey, A Harrington) 7:55.13, 2 Skibbereen 8:13.06, 3 Lee 8:19.07.

Single – Senior: 1 Lee Valley (J Keohane) 8:00.96, 2 Three Castles (E Grigalius) 8:03.83, 3 Portadown (S McKeown) 8:21.55.

Women

Four, Intermediate, coxed: 1 St Michael’s 8:10.43, 2 UCD C 8:18.36, 3 UCD A 8:28.10.

Pair – Junior: 1 Portora (D Maguire, P Mulligan) 9:04.90, 2 Muckross 9:16.42, 3 Shannon 9:19.32.

Sculling, Single – Senior: 1 UCD (C Lambe) 9:09.20, 2 St Michael’s (S Jennings) 9:10.31, 3 Three Castles (H Walshe) 9:28.57.

Published in Rowing

#IrishRowingChampionships: Experience counts in difficult conditions, and the water became very choppy for the second session of finals at the Irish Rowing Championships. Sinead Jennings described it as “the hardest conditions I have rowed in” but the 36-year-old former world champion stayed out in front of Orla Hayes to win the lightweight single sculls. Catríona Jennings battled hard in the novice single sculls but had to settle for fourth, in a race won by Emily Hegarty of Skibbereen.

The final of the women’s senior pair was also a battle – but one which the NUIG crew of Lisa Dilleen and Aifric Keogh had won with hundreds of metres to go. Their closest rivals were Ailish Sheehan and Emily Tormey of St Michael’s – the two rowers who will join them in the Ireland four at the World Under-23 Championships next week.

The duel between Skibbereen and Shandon in the men’s junior quadruple sculls was also a fascinating one, with Shandon coming out on top by the closing stages. However Aodhán Burns of Skibbereen left the destination of the title in no doubt in the intermediate single - he led all the way down the course.

What Albert Maher called the “mileage” put in by the Commercial senior quadruple stood to them in their contest with a brave UCD crew which continued to fight it out down the course.

The junior women’s eight of Galway Rowing Club brought the club their second title of the day with a good win. Remarkably, the eight rowers – Femhe Caffrey, Claire Caulfield, Cara Cunningham, Ruth Cummins, Megan Donnelly, Kellie Wade, Fiona Murtagh and Clare Elwood – had also won this title last year. Last year they were coxed by Affraic O’Regan, while his year Normagh Heaney coxed the crew.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods, Cork – Day Two

Men

Eight – Intermediate: 1 NUIG, 2 UCD, 3 UCC.

Pair – Senior: 1 Galway RC A (A Miller, M Ewing) 7:29, 2 NUIG (R Bennett, R O’Callaghan) 7:30, 3 St Michael’s B (D Power, K O’Connor) 7:44.

Sculling, Quadruple – Senior: 1 Commercial 7:17, 2 UCD 7:19, 3 Skibbereen 7:28. Junior: 1 Shandon 7:16, 2 Skibbereen 7:21, 3 Lee 7:31.

Single – Intermediate: 1 Skibbereen (A Burns) 9:04, 2 Shannon (Carmody) 9:12.78, 3 Clonmel (Prendergast) 9:13.29. Novice: 1 Portadown (S McKeown) 8:21, 2 Athlone (Munnelly) 8:24, 3 University of Limerick (Haugh) 8:28.

Women

Eight – Junior: 1 Galway RC 8:11, 2 Portora 8:20, 3 Bann 8:24.

Pair – Senior: 1 NUIG (A Keogh, L Dilleen) 9:11, 2 St Michael’s RC 9:22, 3 Skibbereen 9:45.

Sculling, Quadruple – Senior: 1 Skibbereen/Killorglin, 2 Commercial/ Three Castles.

Double – Intermediate: 1 NUIG (C Hurst, A Keogh), 2 Trinity, 3 St Michael’s.

Single – Lightweight: 1 St Michael’s (S Jennings) 9:51, 2 Skibbereen (O Hayes) 9:56, 3 St Michael’s (S Clavin) 10.29. Novice: 1 Skibbereen (E Hegarty) 10:42, 2 Commercial (Foley) 10:52, 3 Queen’s (Edwards) 11:10. Junior: 1 Fermoy (H Shinnick) 9:20, 2 Belfast (K Turner) 9:44, 3 Carrick-on-Shannon (C Kelly) 9:48.

Published in Rowing

#IrishRowingChampionships: NUIG continued where they left off on the second day of the Irish Rowing Championships at the National Rowing Centre in Cork. Their intermediate eight were full of conviction as they charged through the line to beat UCD, and the NUIG women’s intermediate double scull of Cliona Hurst and Aifric Keogh snapped up their title soon after.

The men’s pair went to Michael Ewing and Alex Miller, who are based in Belfast and England respectively but were representing Galway Rowing Club. St Michael’s won the men’s junior coxed four and Killorglin/Skibbereen the two-boat senior women’s quadruple sculls.

The irrepressible Hilary Shinnick brought her tally of junior single sculls’ titles to three with a pillar-to-post win, while novice single sculler Sam McKeown got off the mark in Irish titles with a good win for his club, Portadown.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods, Cork – Day Two

Men

Eight – Intermediate: 1 NUIG, 2 UCD, 3 UCC.

Pair – Senior: 1 Galway RC A (A Miller, M Ewing) 7:29, 2 NUIG (R Bennett, R O’Callaghan) 7:30, 3 St Michael’s B (D Power, K O’Connor) 7:44.

Sculling, Single – Novice: 1 Portadown (S McKeown) 8:21, 2 Athlone (Munnelly) 8:24, 3 University of Limerick (Haugh) 8:28.

Women

Sculling, Quadruple – Senior: 1 Skibbereen/Killorglin, 2 Commercial/ Three Castles.

Double – Intermediate: 1 NUIG (C Hurst, A Keogh), 2 Trinity, 3 St Michael’s.

Single – Junior: 1 Fermoy (H Shinnick) 9:20, 2 Belfast (K Turner) 9:44, 3 Carrick-on-Shannon (C Kelly) 9:48

Published in Rowing

#IrishRowingChampionships: Alan Martin won his eighth senior fours title as Gráinne Mhaol laid down a marker for the senior eights on the first day of the the Irish Rowing Championships in Cork today. The experienced crew of Martin, Dave Mannion, Cormac Folan and James Wall were quickly joined by another Gráinne Mhaol winner in Niall Kenny, taking his second successive title in the lightweight single sculls.

Trinity brought their tally of wins up to three when the men’s novice eight and women’s intermediate eight added to the earlier win by the women’s intermediate pair. Three Castles matched their surprise win in the men’s senior double with a more predictable victory in the women’s double by Eimear Moran and Helen Walshe.

Skibbereen’s junior women’s four gave them their only Championship win of the day, while St Joseph’s of Galway took the junior men’s eight – their third in-a-row.

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods, Day One (Selected Results; Finals)

Men

Eight, Junior: 1 St Joseph’s 6:49, 2 Portora 6:54, 3 Neptune 6:58. Novice: 1 Trinity 6:50, 2 UCD 6:56, 3 UCC 7:01.

Four – Senior: 1 Grainne Mhaol (D Mannion, A Martin, C Folan, J Wall) 6:51, 2 St Michael’s 6:59, 3 UCD 7:00.

Intermediate, coxed: 1 UCC 7:14, 2 NUIG A 7:20, 3 Trinity A 7:22.

Sculling, Double – Senior: 1 Three Castles (R Corcoran, E Grigalius) 7:09.86, 3 Commercial 7:17.43, 3 Skibbereen 7:17.51.

Single – Senior Lightweight: 1 Grainne Mhaol (N Kenny) 8:09, 2 Clonmel (A Prendergast) 8:19, 3 Skibbereen (A Burns) 8:30.

Junior 18: 1 Shannon (C Carmody) 8:43, 2 St Michael’s (O’Malley) 8:48, 3 Belfast BC (McKillan) 9:05.

Women

Eight, Intermediate: 1 Trinity 7:47, 2 Galway RC 7:49, 3 UCD A 7:50.

Four – Senior: 1 Cork/NUIG (F Judge, M O’Neill, A Wickham, L Dilleen) 7:33.22, 2 Skibbereen/Killorglin 7:33.52, 3 St Michael’s 7:25.21. Novice, coxed: 1 Commercial 8:11, 2 NUIG 8:14, 3 Queen’s 8:24. Junior: 1 Skibbereen 8:18, 2 Cork BC 8:29, 3 St Michael’s 8:40.

Pair – Intermediate: 1 Trinity (G Crowe, S O’Brien) 9:22, 2 St Michael’s 9:42, 3 Commercial 9:47.

Sculling, Double – Senior: 1 Three Castles (H Walshe, E Moran) 8:13, 2 St Michael’s 8:25.

Junior: 1 Belfast BC (J English, B Jacques) 8:21, 2 Cork BC 8:32, 3 Castleconnell 8:41.

Published in Rowing

#IrishRowingChampionships: The first session of senior finals at the Irish Rowing Championships started with a tremendous win for the women’s four of Frances Judge, Marie O’Neill, Anna Wickham and Lisa Dilleen from NUIG/Cork Boat Club. The Skibbereen/Killorglin four headed them in the middle stages of the race but Cork/NUIG fought back into the headwind and pipped their rivals by .3 of a second.

In very warm and clear conditions at the National Rowing Centre in Cork, the titles were spread widely. Shannon’s Conor Carmody won the men’s junior single sculls, seeing off a good fight by David O’Malley of St Michael’s; Bridget Jacques and Jasmine English of Belfast Boat Club were clear winners of the junior double sculls; Gill Crowe and Sally O’Brien, who are lightweights, brought the women’s intermediate pair to Trinity with plenty to spare; UCC and Commercial had good wins in the men’s intermediate coxed four and the women’s novice coxed four respectively.

Amongst the most impressive winners were Eimantas Grigalius (27) and Ryan Corcoran (35) of Three Castles. They powered well clear of Commercial and Skibbereen by the finis to win the first Irish Championship for both of them. 

Irish Rowing Championships, National Rowing Centre, Farran Woods, Day One (Selected Results; Finals)

Men

Four – Intermediate, coxed: 1 UCC 7:14, 2 NUIG A 7:20, 3 Trinity A 7:22.

Sculling, Double – Senior: 1 Three Castles (R Corcoran, E Grigalius) 7:09.86, 2 Commercial 7:17.43, 3 Skibbereen 7:17.51.

Single – Junior 18: 1 Shannon (C Carmody) 8:43, 2 St Michael’s (D O’Malley) 8:48, 3 Belfast BC (G McKillan) 9:05.

Women

Four – Senior: 1 Cork/NUIG (F Judge, M O’Neill, A Wickham, L Dilleen) 7:33.22, 2 Skibbereen/Killorglin 7:33.52, 3 St Michael’s 7:25.21. Novice, coxed: 1 Commercial 8:11, 2 NUIG 8:14, 3 Queen’s 8:24.

Pair – Intermediate: 1 Trinity (G Crowe, S O’Brien) 9:22, 2 St Michael’s 9:42, 3 Commercial 9:47.

Sculling, Double – Junior: 1 Belfast BC (J English, B Jacques) 8:21, 2 Cork BC 8:32, 3 Castleconnell 8:41.

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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