Capel Island (

Gaeilge Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was the p ...

: ''Oileán an Cháplaigh'') is a small island in

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 ...

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 ...

located a short distance from Knockadoon Head, near

Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long and narrow layout. ...

Features

Capel Island and Knockadoon Head were legally protected as a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1985. Most of the reserve, , is owned by the state, with a small part in private ownership . The reserve includes Capel Island, Knockadoon Head and the area of sea between. The tower on the island is an incomplete 19th century lighthouse. The island is home to a herd of goats. A story is told of how the island got its name. There was a swimming race to reach the island for ownership. As one man was about to touch land the other reached forth his sword and pipped him at the post. A name associated with this story is De Capel Brookes. Permission from

BirdWatch Ireland BirdWatch Ireland (BWI) is a voluntary conservation organisation devoted to the conservation and protection of wild birds and their habitats in Ireland. It was formerly known as the Irish Wildbird Conservancy (IWC). Irish Wildbird Conservancy was f ...

is required in order to land on the island.

References

{{County Cork Islands of County Cork Uninhabited islands of Ireland Geography of County Cork Nature reserves in the Republic of Ireland Protected areas established in 1985 1985 establishments in Ireland