 Inch Island from Grianan of Aileach | |
  Inch Island | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Lough Swilly |
| Coordinates | 55°03′54″N7°29′42″W / 55.065°N 7.495°W |
| Area | 13 km2 (5.0 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 222 m (728 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Province | Ulster |
| County | Donegal |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 396 (2022) [3] |
Inch Island (Irish : An Inis, meaning 'the island' [4] [5] ) is in Lough Swilly, a sea lough in County Donegal on the northern coast of Ireland. [6] [7] Inch is also the name of the civil parish covering the island. [4]
Inch Island is around 5 square miles (13 square kilometres) in area. [8] The island lies in Lough Swilly, Inch being just off the south-western coast of the Inishowen mainland, near the village of Burt. [6] Inch Island is connected to the mainland by a causeway road, known as the Inch Banks. The island's highest hill, Inch Top, is 222 metres in height. [6] [9] Another Irish language name for Inch Island is Inis na nOsirí, meaning 'Island of the Oysters'. [1] [2]
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| Source: John Chambers. "Islands - Change in Population 1841 - 2011". irishislands.info. Retrieved 19 February 2015. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The table reports data taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the Census of Ireland.
The remains of a portal tomb with a nearby burial chamber, probably constructed using parts of the original tomb, is located near Carnaghan (Irish: Baile Mhic Cearnachain) on the south-western part of the island. [10]
A 15th century castle, known as Inch Castle, stands on a cliff overlooking Lough Swilly. At the northern tip of the island is Inch Fort, an early 19C defensive structure.
The island's Presbyterian church is one of the smallest of the surrounding area (just some 14 families are members of it); [11] the island's Catholic church, usually known simply as 'the Chapel', is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and was built in 1932. [8]
Inch island is a well known birdwatching site with a relevant population of migratory and wintering birds. Bird species on the island include Greenland white fronted goose, whooper swan and greylag goose. [12]
Inch Wildfowl Reserve features an 8 km looped walk, catering for outdoor recreational activity including walking, running and cycling. The site includes two car parks, seating, viewpoints and a number of bird hides open to the public. This scenic pathway follows around the lake edge and offers panoramic views of the surrounding agricultural landscape and wetlands. [13]
County Donegal is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconnell or Tirconaill, after the historic territory. Donegal County Council is the local council and Lifford is the county town.
Inishowen is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland.
Dunfanaghy is a small town, former fishing port, and commercial centre on the north coast of County Donegal, Ireland. It lies on Donegal's North West coast, specifically the west side of Sheephaven Bay, on the N56 road, 30 km north-west of Letterkenny.
Buncrana is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is beside Lough Swilly on the Inishowen peninsula, 23 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of Derry and 43 kilometres (27 mi) north of Letterkenny. In the 2022 census, the population was 6,971, making it the second most populous town in County Donegal, after Letterkenny, and the largest in Inishowen.
Lough Swilly in Ireland is a glacial fjord or sea inlet lying between the western side of the Inishowen Peninsula and the Fanad Peninsula, in County Donegal. Along with Carlingford Lough and Killary Harbour it is one of three glacial fjords in Ireland.
Lough Ree, translated to English as King's Lake or King Lake, is a lake in the midlands of Ireland, the second of the three major lakes on the River Shannon. Lough Ree is the second largest lake on the Shannon after Lough Derg. The other two major lakes are Lough Allen to the north, and Lough Derg to the south. There are also several minor lakes along the length of the river. The lake serves as a border between the counties of Longford and Westmeath on the eastern side and County Roscommon in the province of Connacht on the western side. The lake is popular for fishing and boating. The lake supports a small commercial eel fishery and is locally famous for its eels on wheels truck. The town of Athlone is situated at the southern end of the lake, and has a harbour for boats going out on the lake. The small town of Lanesboro is at the northern end of the lake.
Fanad is a peninsula that lies between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay on the north coast of County Donegal, Ireland. The origin of the name Fanad derives from the Irish language word Fána for "sloping ground". It is also referred to as Fannet or Fannett in older records. There are an estimated 700 people living in Fanad and 30% Irish speakers.
Newtown Cunningham, usually spelled Newtowncunningham or abbreviated to Newton, is a village and townland in the Laggan district in the east of County Donegal, Ireland, located on the N13 road 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of Letterkenny and 16 km (10 mi) west of Derry. At the 2016 census, the village population was 1,080.
The Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company was an Irish public transport and freight company that operated in parts of County Londonderry and County Donegal between 1853 and 2014. Incorporated in June 1853, it once operated 99 miles of railways. It began the transition to bus and road freight services in 1929. It closed its last railway line in July 1953 but continued to operate bus services under the name Lough Swilly Bus Company until April 2014, becoming the oldest railway company established in the Victorian era to continue trading as a commercial concern into the 21st century. Following a High Court petition by HM Revenue and Customs, the company went into liquidation and operated its final bus services on 19 April 2014.
Ramelton, also Rathmelton, is a town and townland in County Donegal, Ireland. As of 2022, its population was 1,288.
Quigley's Point is a village in County Donegal, Ireland. Located on the eastern shores of Inishowen and overlooking Lough Foyle, the village is sometimes known locally as "Carrowkeel" as it is in a townland of that name. To the south is the city of Derry and to the north lie the villages of Moville and Greencastle. A car ferry links Greencastle with Magilligan during the summer. The river Cabry, which flows through the area, is spanned by a late-18th century bridge at Quigley's Point.
Rathmullan is a seaside village and townland on the Fanad Peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. It is situated on the western shore of Lough Swilly, 11 kilometres (7 mi) north-east of Ramelton and 12 km (7 mi) east of Milford. Rathmullan was the point of departure during the Flight of the Earls in 1607, a major turning point in Irish history.
Downings or Downies is a Gaeltacht village and townland on the Rosguill peninsula in County Donegal, Ireland. The village is on the shores of Sheephaven Bay on the north coast of Ireland.
Urris is a valley to the west of the parish of Clonmany, in County Donegal, Ireland. It comprises the townlands of Crossconnell, Dunaff, Kinnea, Leenan, Letter, and Urrismenagh. It sits on the eastern side of Loch Swilly and it is bounded to the south-east by the Urris hills, and to the east by Binion hill. To the north, there is Rockstown bay and Tullagh peninsula. There are two entrances to Urris; the Gap of Mamore, and Crossconnell.
Burt is a parish in County Donegal, Ireland, on the main road between Letterkenny and Derry.
Drumardagh is a townland in the east of County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland. The townland is about 5 kilometres east of Letterkenny in the Laggan district of East Donegal. The townland is just outside the village of Manorcunningham. The Isle Burn flows along the eastern boundary of the townland. The Irish name means 'the Ridge (drum) on the High Place (ardagh)', and it is this elevation that gives Drumardagh its commanding views over Lough Swilly, from Glenswilly to Inch Island, and beyond to the peaks of the Fanad and Inishowen peninsulae.
Raghtin More or Slieve Keeroge is a mountain with a height of 502 metres (1,647 ft) in Inishowen, County Donegal, Ireland. There is a megalithic cairn on its summit, which can be climbed from Mamore Gap. From the summit there is a view of Lough Swilly and the coast stretching to Malin Head.
The Burn Dale is a burn or small river in the east of County Donegal in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. The burn is also known in English as the Dale Burn, the Burn Deele, the Burndale River, the Deele River or the River Deele. In the Ulster Scots dialect, a 'burn' is a stream or small river.
Shrove is a coastal hamlet and townland in Inishowen in the north of County Donegal in the north of Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. The hamlet is located a short distance to the north of Greencastle in the north-east of Inishowen, a peninsula on the north coast of Ireland. The name of both the hamlet and the townland is also sometimes written as Shroove, and is sometimes written as Stroove by some government bodies.
