Inishmurray is an island situated 7km off the coast of County Sligo. It is uninhabited now which means that there are no people living there anymore. The island is 228 acres in size and it still has the remains of a 6th century monastery.
Inishmurray
Inishmurray island as seen from the air. Inishmurray is roughly 7km frm the mainland of County Sligo.
Image courtesy of Sligo County LibraryInishmurray
Image courtesy of Sligo County Library
Image courtesy of Sligo County Library
Inishmurray
Inishmurray island as seen from the air. Inishmurray is roughly 7km frm the mainland of County Sligo.
Image courtesy of Sligo County LibraryThis monastery was founded by Saint Molaise and has been attacked at least two times. Firstly, in 795AD which was also the date of the first recorded Viking attacks on Ireland and later in 807AD. The same year Rathlin Island and Inisbofin were attacked, possibly all by the same group of raiders.
There are few animals on the island. Not even rats live there, indeed the clay of the island was believed to be fatal to rats. It is said that mainland farmers often got clay from Inishmurray to spread about their farmland to kill rats although we can't be certain of this.
In 1880, Inishmurray boasted a population of 102 persons. But this had fallen to forty-six by the time of its evacuation in 1948 when the relative wealth of life on the mainland and in towns and cities drew people away.