Inis Cathaigh or Scattery Island is an island in the

Shannon Estuary The Shannon Estuary ( gle, Inbhear na Sionainne) is a large estuary where the River Shannon flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary has Limerick City at its head and its seaward limits are marked by Loop Head to the north and Kerry Head to th ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

, off the coast of

Kilrush Kilrush () is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is also the name of a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the count ...

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...

. The island is home to a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses m ...

, a ruined

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

associated with

Saint Senan In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Orth ...

, an

Irish round tower Irish round towers ( ga, Cloigtheach (singular), (plural); literally 'bell house') are early mediaeval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with two in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man. As their name indicates, they were origin ...

and the remains of an

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

. The last residents left in 1969. Most of the island is now owned by the Office of Public Works, who run a small visitor centre and carry out repairs and maintenance on the island; it was bought by Dúchas in 1991.The

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

name Inis Cathaigh was formerly anglicised ''Iniscathy'', which later became ''Iniscattery'' and finally ''Scattery''.

History

Saint Senan

was born at Magh Lacha, Kilrush, County Clare, ca. 488. He founded the monastery of Inis Cathaigh, which became the seat of a bishopric, sometime between 535 and 540. At an early time the abbot-bishop of the monastery was deemed to have authority over what later became the

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

s of Killaloe,

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2 ...

and Ardfert. There are the remains of an oratory and house and of seven small churches or chapels, together with a

round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fu ...

and a

holy well A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its guar ...

. One of Senan's students was

Aidan of Lindisfarne Aidan of Lindisfarne ( ga, Naomh Aodhán; died 31 August 651) was an Irish monk and missionary credited with converting the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity in Northumbria. He founded a monastic cathedral on the island of Lindisfarne, known as Li ...

The legend of "St Senanus and the Lady", as told in Tom Moore's lyric, is founded on the fact that no woman was allowed on Inis Cathaigh. Yet St Senan founded two convents for nuns, and was visiting one of them when he died. Legend has it that when his sister St Cannera died, she willed it that she should be buried near Senan. To stay true to his own edicts, Senan waited until low tide to bury her in the inter-tidal zone, which was not officially part of the "island", thus fulfilling his sister's wish while not breaking his own rules. St Senan died in 560 and was buried in the abbey church of Inis Cathaigh on 8 March, on which day his feast is observed.

Viking period

The Vikings first raided Inis Cathaigh in 815, killing many of the monks. The monastery was plundered repeatedly until the Vikings came to settle there themselves in the mid-tenth century. This, in turn, led to attacks by Irish kings. Inis Cathaigh was a part of the Norse Kingdom of Limerick, which included not only

itself but also several other bases in western Ireland. Given its strategic location at the mouth of the Shannon estuary, it controlled all maritime traffic up the Shannon to Limerick. The ''

Annals of Inishfallen Annals ( la, annāles, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction between anna ...

'' record that during the 970s, Norse kings of Limerick were resident at Inis Cathaigh.

Ivar of Limerick Ivar of Limerick ( ga, Ímar Luimnich, rí Gall; Ímar ua Ímair; Ímar Ua hÍmair, Ard Rí Gall Muman ocus Gáedel; Íomhar Mór; non, Ívarr ; died 977), was the last Norse king of the city-state of Limerick, and penultimate ''King of the Fo ...

, the last Norse king of the city, along with two of his sons, was slain on Inis Cathaigh by

Brian Boru Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. ...

in 977.

Later ecclesiastical history

After the

Synod of Ráth Breasail The Synod of Ráth Breasail (also known as Rathbreasail) ( Irish: ''Sionad Ráth Bhreasail'') was an Irish Catholic church council which took place in Ireland in 1111. It marked the transition of the Irish church from a monastic to a diocesan and ...

in 1111 a canonical diocese of Inis Cathaig (the spelling then current) was established. This was absorbed by the Diocese of Killaloe in 1189, but was restored by

Pope Innocent VI Pope Innocent VI ( la, Innocentius VI; 1282 or 1295 – 12 September 1362), born Étienne Aubert, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 18 December 1352 to his death in September 1362. He was the fifth Avignon pope ...

and continued as a separate see under Bishop Thomas (1358–68). In 1378 its possessions were divided, and the island remained a portion of the Diocese of Killaloe, being later merged into the parish of Kilrush. However, there is mention of an Englishman, John Grene, as Bishop of Inis Cathaig in 1467. Inis Cathaigh is now listed among the

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

s of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

Titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox a ...

s of Inis Cathaigh: *

Thomas Jerome Welsh Thomas Jerome Welsh (December 20, 1921 – February 19, 2009) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Arlington in Virginia (1974–1983) and as bishop of the Diocese of Allentown in Pennsylv ...

(1970–1974) * William Anthony Hughes (1974–1979) *John Edward Heaps (1981–2004) *

Frank Joseph Caggiano Frank Joseph Caggiano (born March 29, 1959) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as the Bishop of Bridgeport in Connecticut since 2013. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn in ...

(2006–2013)

Artillery battery

Scattery artillery battery, located on the south of Inis Cathaigh, was built during the Napoleonic Wars and is preserved quite well. The Shannon Estuary was one of three invasion places the French had considered along the west of Ireland. As such, places along the estuary were considered for establishing a defence. Inis Cathaigh is one of six batteries in the estuary. It was chosen on the proposal of defected French general Charles-François du Périer Dumouriez. The battery forms a semi-circular D shape with a dry moat. The battery main armament consisted of six 24-pounder long guns arranged along the length of the curved D. These were mounted on traversing mounts in purpose built gun emplacements. Each gun could traverse 90 degrees on its mount, giving the battery a total engagement angle of over 200 degrees. These could fire out over the estuary and coordinated crossfire was possible with its southern shore sister battery on Carrig Island. The block house barracks had two 5½ inch howitzer gun emplacements on the roof for close quarters defence of its vulnerable rear, but these could be deployed to any incident due to their 360 degree mounting platforms. The choice of 5½ inch made interoperability of ammunition between the primary and secondary armaments possible. Even though they by themselves would not have been powerful enough to stop an invasion they would have been able to cause a lot of damage to any enemy fleet.

Former residents

In 1842, after the salvaging the ''Windsor Castle'', Inis Cathaigh was home to Shannon Estuary Pilots and their families. The primary families of the island were the Brennan, Melican, Scanlan, McMahon, Costelloe, Hehir, Moran, and Griffin. The

river pilots A maritime pilot, marine pilot, harbor pilot, port pilot, ship pilot, or simply pilot, is a mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbors or river mouths. Maritime pilots are regarded as skilled professionals ...

were highly skilled mariners, using only native currachs (canvas boats) to reach incoming and outgoing ships. The inhabitants of Inis Cathaigh appear to have escaped the deaths and emigration associated within Kilrush and most of Ireland during the Great Famine. The total population of the island including the soldiers, actually rose from 65 in 1841 to 99 in 1851 and to 139 in 1861. The number of houses in this period rose from nine in 1841 to 24 in 1861. The memorial inscriptions on the gravestones do not show any deaths of islanders during the period 1845 to 1850. It is thought that a combination of fishing, additional shipping due to famine exports to England, along with piloting provided good employment for the pilots and their families. The last residents left in 1969.

Annalistic references

See

Annals of Inisfallen Annals ( la, annāles, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction between ann ...

(AI) * ''AI797.2 Ólchobar, son of Flann, abbot of Inis Cathaig, rested.'' * ''AI863.2 Repose of Aedán, abbot of Inis Cathaig.'' * ''AI901.1 Bissextile. Kl. Repose of Mael Brigte son of Brolach, abbot of Inis Cathaig.'' * ''AI958.3 Repose of Cinaed Ua Con Minn, bishop of Les Mór and Inis Cathaig.'' * ''AI974.2 The son of Aralt made a circuit of Ireland with a great company, and plundered Inis Cathaig, and brought Ímar from it into captivity.'' * ''AI974.4 Repose of Scandlán Ua hEirc, learned bishop and abbot of Inis Cathaig.'' * ''AI992.5 Repose of Cathal son of Ledbán, abbot of Inis Cathaig.'' * ''AI994.2 Repose of Fínnechta Ua Ciarucáin, vice-abbot of Inis Cathaig.'' * ''AI1024.7 Senchán, son of Flaithbertach, on his pilgrimage to Inis Cathaig.'' * ''AI1057.5 Inis Cathaig was plundered by the foreigners of the son of Mael na mBó, and a great slaughter as inflictedon them.'' * ''AI1094.13 A great mortality of the men of Ireland, so that it is impossible to enumerate all the people that died. From that pestilence died: ..Ua Maíl Muine, abbot of Inis Cathaig'' * ''AI1101.2 A great hosting around Ireland by Muirchertach, son of Tairdelbach, and he destroyed Ailech and Cúil Rathain at Tuag Inbir, took the hostages of the Ulaid, and proceeded along Slige Midluachra. It was then a naval force came round ... from(?) the north, and they destroyed Inis Cathaig, taking many valuables from it, and committed many other evil deeds.'' * ''AI1130.2 Mac Raith Ua Conchobuir, son of the king of Ciarraige Luachra, was treacherously slain in the termon of Inis Cathaig.''

Gallery

File:Inis Cathaigh 1.JPG, St. Senan's Church (undergoing restorative work(s)) File:Inis Cathaigh 2.JPG, Lighthouse, Cottage and Artillery Battery File:Inis Cathaigh 3.JPG, Visitor Center with artifacts and the only restored pilot home File:Inis Cathaigh 4.JPG, Grass path File:Inis Cathaigh 5.JPG, Bogland File:Inis Cathaigh 6.JPG, Beach with

Moneypoint Moneypoint power station () is Ireland's largest electricity generation station (output 915 MW) and only coal-fired power station. Commissioned between 1985 and 1987, it is located on the River Shannon near Kilrush, County Clare. It was construc ...

in background File:Inis Cathaigh 7.JPG, Beach with lighthouse visible File:Inis Cathaigh 8.JPG, Abandoned Dwelling File:Inis Cathaigh 9.JPG, Stream File:Inis Cathaigh 10.JPG, Iron gate File:Inis Cathaigh 12.JPG, Coastal Defence Battery powder magazine File:Inis Cathaigh 13.JPG, Disused cottage File:Inis Cathaigh 16.JPG, St. Senan's Church with the family graveyard partially visible.

References

* *

External links

Scattery Island
by Clare County Library at AskAboutIreland {{Authority control Christian monasteries in the Republic of Ireland Buildings and structures in County Clare Christian monasteries established in the 6th century Religion in County Clare Ruins in the Republic of Ireland 6th-century churches National Monuments in County Clare Holy wells in Ireland Uninhabited islands of Ireland Ghost towns in Europe Former populated places in Ireland Islands of County Clare

Inis Cathaigh Inis Cathaigh or Scattery Island is an island in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland, off the coast of Kilrush, County Clare. The island is home to a lighthouse, a ruined monastery associated with Saint Senan, an Irish round tower and the remains of ...

Catholic titular sees in Europe Former churches in the Republic of Ireland