Inishmeane () is a small island and a
townland
A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
off the coast of
Gweedore
Gweedore ( , officially known by its Irish language name, ) is a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) district, and parish, located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. It stretches some from Glasserchoo and Bloody For ...
,
County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county of the Republic of Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is the northernmost county of Ireland. The county mostly borders Northern Ireland, sharing only a small b ...
,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
and was once home to a vibrant fishing community. The island has been unpopulated for decades but in recent years some people have started to return.
Geography
Inishmeane is around 1 kilometre off the coast of Gweedore. It lies between
Gola Island
Gola ( or ''Oileán Ghabhla'') is a small island off the coast of Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland.
It was unpopulated as late as 1996 but more recently people have started to return. A ferry service operates during the summer holiday season an ...
(South-East) and
Inishsirrer (North).
History
The island was inhabited up until the 1960s; today most of the buildings are derelict, but about eight have been renovated for use as holiday homes or permanent habitation.
On Inishmeane there is no electricity nor freshwater public supply.
A concrete pier was installed during the
celtic tiger
The "Celtic Tiger" () is a term referring to the economy of the Republic of Ireland, economy of Ireland from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s, a period of rapid real economic growth fuelled by foreign direct investment. The boom was dampened by ...
years to allow residents to moor their boats.
Demographics
The table below reports data on Inishmeane's population taken from ''Discover the Islands of Ireland'' (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the
Census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of Ireland.
Gallery
File:Inishmeane House.jpg, House on Inishmeane
See also
*
List of islands of Ireland
This is a list of islands of Ireland. Ireland is itself an island, lying west of the island of Great Britain and northwest of mainland Europe.
The Hebrides off Scotland and Anglesey off Wales were grouped with Ireland ("Hibernia") by the Greco ...
*
Inis Meáin
Inishmaan ( ; , the official name, formerly spelled , meaning "middle island") is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht. Inishmaan has a ...
(
Aran Islands
The Aran Islands ( ; , ) or The Arans ( ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the historic barony (Ireland), barony of Aran in ...
)
References
External links
Ecological study of two Donegal islands: Inishfree and InishmeaneGuide to the islandAerial view of the entire island
{{County Donegal
Geography of Gweedore
Islands of County Donegal
Townlands of County Donegal