Inishkeel () is a small tidal

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 isla ...

and a

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

off the coast of

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) 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 Tyrcon ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. The closest village on the mainland is Narin.

Geography

The island is located in

Gweebarra Bay Gweebarra Bay (Irish language, Irish: ''Gaoth Beara'') is located on the west coast of County Donegal, in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The mouth of the River Gweebarra and Innishkeel Island are here. The towns on the bay are Narin, County Done ...

around 250 m from the coast. A sandy tidal bank connects, with low tide, the island with the mainland.

History

During the 6th century A.D. a small community of monks settled on the island. Their religious leader was Saint Conall Cael, from whom the island later derived its name. During the following centuries Inishkeel was a traditional destination of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

s. Remains of the church and the connected buildings as well as some carved stones can be seen on the island. For its artistical and

archeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

importance the island was declared ''

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spe ...

'' (code: ''DG064-003''). A bell known as ''St Conall Cael's Bell'' remained on Inishkeel up to the 19th century and was then acquired by the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

Demography

A small community used to live on Inishkeel in the past, and in year 1841 23 inhabitants were registered on the island.Commissioner
4th Rpt, p.15
Newport West E Division The island was later abandoned and in 2011 census had no inhabitants.Population (Number) by Off Shore Island, Year and Sex
Central Statistics Office

References

Geography

History

Demography

References

See also