Inishturk
Native name: Inis Toirc | |
|---|---|
 North coast of Inishturk | |
  Location within island of Ireland | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 53°42′05″N 10°06′30″W / 53.7014°N 10.1083°W |
| Area | 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 189.3 m (621.1 ft)[2] |
| Administration | |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | Mayo |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 56 (2022)[3] |
| Pop. density | 8.5/km2 (22/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Irish |
Inishturk (Inis Toirc in Irish, meaning Wild Boar Island) is an inhabited island of County Mayo, in Ireland.[4]
Geography
[edit source]
The island lies about 15 km (9 mi) off the coast; its highest point reaches 189.3 m (621.1 ft) above sea level.[2] Between Inisturk and Clare Island lies Caher Island. It has a permanent population of 58 people.[5] The main settlements, Ballyheer, Garranty, Bellavaun and Craggy are all on the more sheltered southern and eastern sides of the island.
History
[edit source]Inishturk has been inhabited on and off since 4,000 BCE and has been inhabited permanently since at least 1700.[6] Some of the island's more recent inhabitants are descended from evacuees from Inishark to the southwest.[citation needed]
A Martello tower was built during the Napoleonic Wars, c. 1805, on Inishturk's western coast.[7]
Recent history
[edit source]In 1993, Inishturk Community centre was opened, this community centre doubles as a library and a pub. In June 2014 the ESB commissioned three new Broadcrown BCP 110-50 100kVA diesel generators to supply electricity to the island.[8] The ESB have operated a diesel power station on the island since the 1980s.[9]
Inishturk gained international attention in 2016 after a number of websites claimed that the island would welcome any American "refugees" fleeing a potential Donald Trump presidency.[10][11][12]
The island is home to a primary school on the island which in 2011 had only 3 pupils; this is believed to be the smallest primary school in Ireland.[13]
In May 2025, a new helipad was opened on the island, allowing for quick evacuations by helicopter in the event of an emergency.[14]
In May 2026, Ireland's "first dedicated native honey bee sanctuary" was established on the island.[15]
Demographics
[edit source]The table below reports data on Inisturk's population taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the Census of Ireland.
Historical population | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2016. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transport
[edit source]Prior to 1997 there was no scheduled ferry service and people traveled to and from the islands using local fishing boats. Since then a ferry service operates from Roonagh Quay, Louisburgh, County Mayo.[16] The pier was constructed during the 1980s by the Irish government, around this time the roads on the island were paved.[17]
Gallery
[edit source]
Inisturk and Caher island
Inishturk pier
Harbour with Caher Island in background
Community centre
Freshwater lake
Clare Island as seen from Inishturk
Power station
See also
[edit source]
References
[edit source]- ↑ R. Lloyd Praeger (March 1907). "The Flora of Inishturk". The Irish Naturalist. 16 (3): 113–125. JSTOR 25523043.
Inishturk lies off the Mayo coast [..] It is also much smaller than either [of its neighbours], having an area of 21⁄4 square miles, as against Bofin's 41⁄2 square miles (Inishark included), and Clare's 61⁄6 square miles
- 1 2 "Inisturk". MountainViews.ie.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Population of Inhabited Islands Off the Coast (Report). Central Statistics Office. 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ↑ Sometimes the island's name is reported as Inisturk, as for instance by Google Maps
- ↑ "No Christmas medical cover on island of Inishturk". www.breakingnews.ie. 24 December 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Mayo Walks - Inishturk". www.mayowalks.ie. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ↑ "Ten Reasons to Take a Trip to Inishturk". www.destinationwestport.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021.
- ↑ "BC Inishturk case study" (PDF). www.broadcrown.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2016.
- ↑ "New hope for Inishturk". Esbelectricmail.com. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
- ↑ Nadine Ajaka (19 July 2016). "The Tiny Irish Island That Will Welcome American Refugees". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016.
- ↑ Ed Mazza (8 July 2016). "Looking To Escape Donald Trump? This Irish Island Welcomes You". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016.
- ↑ Nick Bramhill (21 March 2016). "Remote Irish island seeks Americans fleeing Donald Trump presidency". IrishCentral.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016.
- ↑ Aine Ryan (14 September 2011). "Three-pupil school urges families to consider move to 'idyllic' island". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020.
- ↑ "Mayo County Council".
- ↑ https://americanbeejournal.com/remote-island-to-host-irelands-first-native-honey-bee-sanctuary/
- ↑ "Inishturk islander committed to her community". The Mayo News. 19 April 2016. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ↑ Rubsam, Robert. "Winter in Inishturk". Roads & Kingdoms. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015.
External links
[edit source]
Media related to Inishturk at Wikimedia Commons- Podcast series on Mayo's Heritage, including a heritage Tour of Inishturk Archived 20 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- Mayo News - Inishturk islander committed to her community Archived 11 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine
- Island life Inishbofin Inishturk
- Irish Islands - Inishturk
