County Cork - Sherkin Abbey - 20150806104724

Sherkin Island, historically called Inisherkin (), lies southwest of

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

in Ireland alongside other islands of Roaringwater Bay. It had a population of 111 people at the time of the 2016 Census, and measures long by wide. The island has one pub, a bed and breakfast, a community centre and a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church.

Climate

Sherkin is one of the most southerly points of Ireland after the

Fastnet Rock Fastnet Lighthouse is a lighthouse situated on the remote Fastnet Rock in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the most southerly point of Ireland and lies southwest of Cape Clear Island and from County Cork on the Irish mainland. The current lighthou ...

, Cape Clear, and

Brow Head Brow Head () is the most southerly point of mainland Ireland. It is in the rural townland of Mallavoge near Crookhaven in County Cork, Ireland. It is 3.8 km east of Mizen Head at latitude 51.43ºN. History Ptolemy's ''Geography'' (2nd cen ...

. It is said that when the frost covers the lawns of

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

just across the bay, the grass remains unfrosted on the island.

Population

Sherkin once had a population of around 1,000, which started to decline during the

Great Irish Famine The Great Famine, also known as the Great Hunger ( ), the Famine and the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of mass starvation and disease in Ireland lasting from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a historical social crisis and had a major impact o ...

in the mid-19th century. Now the population is reduced and varies between the summer and the winter months, with increases in summer as people return to holiday houses and tourists arrive. The population of Sherkin include artists, writers, craft workers, musicians, photographers, beekeepers, cattle farmers, mussel and oyster farmers, oceanologists, fishermen, sailors, teachers, and doctors.

Transport

Sherkin is served year-round by a ferry service operating from the port of Baltimore. The roads on Sherkin are narrow and maintained by

Cork County Council Cork County Council () is the local authority of County Cork, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001, as amended. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban pl ...

. Most of the cars on the island are old and unsuitable for use on the mainland. Given the size of the island, many residents also walk or cycle. The island also has a bus service which primarily transports people to and from the ferry.

History

There are a number of archaeological remains on Sherkin. A

franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

friary 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 which may ...

, known locally as the Abbey, stands above Abbey strand, where the pier is. The seat of the O'Driscoll Clan was Dún na Long. These two buildings were heavily damaged in 1537 when citizens of Waterford invaded the island after a dispute over a seized and plundered ship. Sherkin has an automated

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

, maintained by locals. It is situated at Barrack Point and dates from 1835. The lighthouse marks the southern entrance to Baltimore Harbour, along with the Baltimore Beacon. On the south-western side of the island there is a functioning Roman Catholic church. The main historic sites include: *

Promontory fort A promontory fort is a fortification, defensive structure located above a steep cliff, often only connected to the mainland by a small neck of land, thus using the topography to reduce the Rampart (fortification), ramparts needed. The oldest kno ...

– Celtic Iron Age – 600 BC – 400 AD *

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

friary – Medieval – 1460 AD * O'Driscoll Castle – Medieval – post 1200 AD

Tourism

The ferry to Sherkin sails from

on the mainland. The island is a tourist destination and it typically takes between 10 and 15 minutes to get to Sherkin from Baltimore. The journey to the neighbouring

Gaeltacht A ( , , ) is a district of Ireland, either individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The districts were first officially recognised ...

island Cape Clear takes on average approximately 40 minutes. A number of Sherkin's residents are active in the fields of art, including

craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...

s, painting and writing. The busiest season starts with school summer holidays when families visit the island. Visitors can book a sea safari trip around the islands. Once on Sherkin pier, people can visit the Franciscan friary, if it is open. Known locally as "the Abbey", it has a photo exhibition inside and some displays outside. Sherkin also has camp facilities. Because the island has no local refuse disposal facilities, campers and picnickers are encouraged to bring minimum packaging and take any litter back to the mainland or recycle cans and bottles on Sherkin Pier. Silver Strand is popular for barbecues.

Festivals

The busiest day of the year coincides with the Sherkin Regatta festival, a rowing regatta usually held in late July or early August. On this day the island is visited by sea rowers and their supporters, with children's activities, music and food stalls. Music festivals are also occasionally held. Since 2016, Sherkin Island has hosted the Open Ear music festival annually, normally at the start of the summer. The festival focuses on "experimental" and avante garde electronic music.

Development and infrastructure

The island has a local development officer, and a community-based organisation called "Sherkin Island Development Society" (SIDS). Sherkin Island is supplied with mains power from the mainland through a

submarine power cable A submarine power cable is a transmission cable for carrying electric power below the surface of the water.Cape Clear island Clear Island or Cape Clear Island (officially known by its Irish name: Cléire, and sometimes also called Oileán Chléire) is an island off the south-west coast of County Cork in Ireland. It is the southernmost inhabited part of Ireland and h ...

Research

Sherkin Island Marine Station is a privately run operation located on the north-west of the island. Founded in 1975, it is mainly involved in gathering baseline marine data, and also produces a number of reports, books and the quarterly 'Sherkin Comment' journal.

References

{{County Cork Islands of County Cork Tourist attractions in County Cork Gaeltacht places in County Cork Ruins in the Republic of Ireland