County Cork - Sherkin Abbey - 20150806104724

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

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

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 two pubs, a hotel, a bed and breakfast, a community centre, a coffee shop, and a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church.

Climate

Sherkin is one of the most southerly points of Ireland after the Fastnet Rock, Cape Clear, and

Brow Head Brow Head ( ga, Ceann Bró) is the most southerly point of mainland Ireland. It is in the rural townland of Mallavogue near Crookhaven in County Cork, Ireland. It is 3.8 km east of Mizen Head at latitude 51.43ºN. History Ptolemy's ''Geo ...

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

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

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 ( ga, an Gorta Mór ), also known within Ireland as the Great Hunger or simply the Famine and outside Ireland as the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a ...

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 ( ga, Comhairle Contae Chorcaí) is the authority responsible for local government in County Cork, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and co ...

. 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 Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

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 ...

, 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 lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

, 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 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 ramparts needed. Although their dating is problematic, most seem to da ...

– Celtic Iron Age – 600 BC – 400 AD *

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

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 ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially recog ...

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 prod ...

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 Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically att ...

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.

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 ha ...

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

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