Innisfallen ( ) or Inishfallen (from ga, Inis Faithlinn , meaning 'Faithlinn's island') is an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

Lough Leane Lough Leane (; ) is the largest of the three lakes of Killarney, in County Kerry. The River Laune flows from the lake into the Dingle Bay to the northwest. Etymology and history The lake's name means "lake of learning" probably in reference ...

; one of the three

Lakes of Killarney The Lakes of Killarney are a scenic attraction located in Killarney National Park near Killarney, County Kerry, in Ireland. They consist of three lakes - Lough Leane, Muckross Lake (also called Middle Lake) and Upper Lake. Surroundings The ...

in County Kerry,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Innisfallen is home to the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey.

Geography

Innisfallen is situated about the midway in

, County Kerry. The island is some in area, mostly wooded, with undulating hills and many slopes. It lies within the

Killarney National Park Killarney National Park ( ga, Páirc Náisiúnta Chill Airne), near the town of Killarney, County Kerry, was the first national park in Ireland, created when the Muckross Estate was donated to the Irish Free State in 1932. The park has sinc ...

Access

It is possible for tourists to visit the island during the summer months, with boats leaving from

Ross Castle Ross Castle ( ga, Caisleán an Rois) is a 15th-century tower house and keep on the edge of Lough Leane, in Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland. It is the ancestral home of the Chiefs of the Clan O'Donoghue, later associated wit ...

throughout the day.

History

Innisfallen is home to the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey, one of the most impressive archaeological remains dating from the early Christian period. The monastery was founded in 640 by Saint Finian and was occupied for approximately 950 years. Over a period of about 300 of these, the monks wrote the

Annals of Innisfallen 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 ...

, which chronicle the early history of Ireland as it was known to the monks. The monks were dispossessed of the abbey on 18 August 1594, by

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...

. The location of the monastery on the island is thought to have given rise to the name

(

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 ...

''Loch Léin''), which in English means "Lake of Learning". According to tradition the Irish High King

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. Br ...

received his education at Innisfallen under

Maelsuthain O'Carroll Maelsuthan Ua Cerbhail, Maelsuthain O'Carroll, or Maelsuthain O'Cearbhail (died 1010) was a political and academic figure in medieval Ireland. He was lord of the Eóganacht Locha Léin, advisor to High King Brian Boru, and an important scholar ...

. Maelsuthain has been credited as the possible originator of the ''Annals''.

Structures

While the abbey dates back to the seventh century, the oldest extant structure, dated to the tenth century, is the western two-thirds of the abbey church. The remainder of the church and the main abbey complex were constructed in the thirteenth century. A third structure, an oratory with a Hiberno-Romanesque doorway, dates from the twelfth century.

Literature

The island is the subject of the melody ''Innisfallen, the Island — Sweet Innisfallen'' by

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...

, of which the first verse is: It is also the subject of "The Abbot of Innisfallen. A Killarney Legend", a poem by

William Allingham William Allingham (19 March 1824 – 18 November 1889) was an Irish poet, diarist and editor. He wrote several volumes of lyric verse, and his poem "The Faeries" was much anthologised. But he is better known for his posthumously published ''Di ...

, first published in ''Macmillan's Magazine'' (August 1864).See https://www.proquest.com/openview/f325242db9144194/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2986; retrieved 13 June 2022; database subscription required. This was in turn set to music by

Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer (, 8 October 1882 – 29 November 1957) was an Irish composer, mainly of operas and vocal music, among them the first musical settings of poems by James Joyce. Biography Palmer was born of Protestant Irish parents in S ...

as ''The Abbot of Innisfalen'', Op. 5, for baritone, chorus and orchestra, which won the cantata prize at the 1908

Feis Ceoil Feis Ceoil ( ; "Festival of Music") is an Irish music organisation which holds an annual competitive festival of classical music. It was first organised in Dublin in 1897 by Dr. Annie Patterson and Edward Martyn for the purpose of stimulating musi ...

in Dublin.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * Archaeological sites in County Kerry Islands of County Kerry Lake islands of Ireland Uninhabited islands of Ireland Former populated places in Ireland Religion in County Kerry {{Ireland-archaeology-stub