Description
Innishmurray is uninhabited since 1947. The island is 2km long.
On the island, there is a famous 6th century monastery founded by St.Molaise, with its intact stone church and beehive cells in the stone cashel.
The monastery was one of the first to be plundered by the vikings in the 8th century.
Within the oval enclosure there is a number of buildings.
A wooden statue of St Molaise which was inside the church is now in the National museum in Dublin. Nearby the St Molaise church are 3 altarswith upright cross-engraved slabs, one of which has the famous "Clocha Breaca " or speckled stones. There is also a large , oval corbel-roofed building known as the schoolhouse as it was used as a school by the islanders.
Nearby is "House of fire" , a medieval building that housed a perpetual fire.
There are also approx. fifty early cross inscribed grave markers, the biggest collection in the country.
Around the 1880's, the island had 102 inhabitants, which fell to approx. 46 by the time of it's evacuation.
The island is now a protected and internationally important bird reserve. The island is the most southern breeding spot of the Eider duck.
The island can be reached by boat charter from Rosses point or Mullaghmore
On the island, there is a famous 6th century monastery founded by St.Molaise, with its intact stone church and beehive cells in the stone cashel.
The monastery was one of the first to be plundered by the vikings in the 8th century.
Within the oval enclosure there is a number of buildings.
A wooden statue of St Molaise which was inside the church is now in the National museum in Dublin. Nearby the St Molaise church are 3 altarswith upright cross-engraved slabs, one of which has the famous "Clocha Breaca " or speckled stones. There is also a large , oval corbel-roofed building known as the schoolhouse as it was used as a school by the islanders.
Nearby is "House of fire" , a medieval building that housed a perpetual fire.
There are also approx. fifty early cross inscribed grave markers, the biggest collection in the country.
Around the 1880's, the island had 102 inhabitants, which fell to approx. 46 by the time of it's evacuation.
The island is now a protected and internationally important bird reserve. The island is the most southern breeding spot of the Eider duck.
The island can be reached by boat charter from Rosses point or Mullaghmore