Inishturk
Native name: Inis Toirc | |
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Geography | |
Location | Atlantic Ocean |
Coordinates | 53°42′05″N 10°06′30″W / 53.7014°N 10.1083°W |
Area | 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi)[1] |
Highest elevation | 189.3 m (621.1 ft)[2] |
Administration | |
Province | Connacht |
County | Mayo |
Demographics | |
Population | 51 (2016) |
Pop. density | 8.5/km2 (22/sq mi) |
Ethnic groups | Irish |
Inishturk (Inis Toirc in Irish, meaning Wild Boar Island) is an inhabited island of County Mayo, in Ireland.[3]
Geography
The island lies about 15 km (9 mi) off the coast; its highest point reaches 189.3 m (621.1 ft) above sea level.[2] Between Inisturk and Clare Island lies Caher Island. It has a permanent population of 58 people.[4] There are two main settlements, both on the more sheltered eastern end of the island, Ballyheer and Garranty. Bellavaun and Craggy are abandoned settlements. The British built a Martello tower on the western coast during the Napoleonic Wars. Inisturk has the highest per capita donation rate towards the RNLI in the whole of Ireland.[citation needed]
History
Inishturk has been inhabited on and off since 4,000 BCE and has been inhabited permanently since at least 1700.[5] Some of the more recent inhabitants are descended from evacuees from Inishark to the southwest.[citation needed] The social club Mountain Common is situated on the hill that separates the two settlements.
Recent history
In 1993 Inishturk Community centre was opened, this community centre doubles as a library and a pub.
In June 2014 the ESB commissioned three new Broadcrown BCP 110-50 100kVA diesel generators to supply electricity to the island[6] The ESB have operated a diesel power station on the island since the 1980s[7]
Inishturk gained international attention in 2016 after a number of websites claimed that the island would welcome any American "refugees" fleeing a potential Donald Trump presidency.[8][9][10] These claims were used as one example of the type of "fake news" that arose during the 2016 US presidential election campaign.[11] As of November 2016, no changes to inward migration have been reported.[citation needed]
The island is home to a primary school on the island which in 2011 had only 3 pupils, this believed to be the smallest primary school in Ireland[12]
Demographics
The table below reports data on Inisturk's population taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the Census of Ireland.
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Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved October 12, 2016. |
Transport
Prior to 1997 there was no scheduled ferry service and people traveled to and from the islands using local fishing boats. Since then a ferry service operates from Roonagh Quay, Louisburgh, County Mayo.[13] The pier was constructed during the 1980s by the Irish government, around this time the roads on the island were paved.[14]
Gallery
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Inisturk and Caher island
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Inishturk pier
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Harbour with Caher Island in background
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Community centre
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Freshwater lake
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Clare Island as seen from Inishturk
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Power station
See also
References
- ^ R. Lloyd Praeger (March 1907). "The Flora of Inishturk". The Irish Naturalist. 16 (3): 113–125. JSTOR 25523043.
Inishturk lies off the Mayo coast [..] It is also much smaller than either [of its neighbours], having an area of 2¼ square miles, as against Bofin's 4½ square miles (Inishark included), and Clare's 6⅙ square miles
- ^ a b "Inisturk". MountainViews. Ordnance Survey Ireland. Retrieved February 23, 2015.
- ^ Sometimes the island's name is reported as Inisturk, as for instance by Google Maps
- ^ http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/no-christmas-medical-cover-on-island-of-inishturk-655775.html
- ^ Mayo Walks - Inishturk
- ^ BC Inishturk case study
- ^ New hope for Inishturk
- ^ https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/491813/the-tiny-irish-island-that-will-welcome-american-refugees/
- ^ Huffington Post - Looking to escape Donald Trump
- ^ Remote Irish island seeks American fleeing Donald Trump presidency
- ^ "Fake news is big business - and may have handed Trump the election". The Business Post. 20 November 2016.
- ^ Three-pupil school urges families to consider move to 'idyllic' island
- ^ islander committed to her community
- ^ Winter Inishturk