Inishkeel () is a small tidal island and

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

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. The closest village on the mainland is Narin. The island is in a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

of the same name.

Geography

The island is located in Gweebarra Bay around 250 m from the coast. A sandy tidal bank connects, with low tide, the island with the mainland.

History

During the 6th century A.D. a small community of monks settled on the island. Their religious leader was Saint Conall Cael, from whom the island later derived its name. During the following centuries Inishkeel was a traditional destination of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

s. Remains of the church and the connected buildings as well as some carved stones can be seen on the island. For its artistical and archeological importance the island was declared ''

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

'' (code: ''DG064-003''). A bell known as ''St Conall Cael's Bell'' remained on Inishkeel up to the 19th century and was then acquired by the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

Demography

A small community used to live on Inishkeel in the past, and in year 1841 23 inhabitants were registered on the island.Commissioner
4th Rpt, p.15
Newport West E Division The island was later abandoned and in 2011 census had no inhabitants.Population (Number) by Off Shore Island, Year and Sex
Central Statistics Office

Geography

History

Demography

References

See also