Inishturk

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This article is about the island in County Mayo. For the similarly named islands in Counties Mayo and Galway, see Inish Turk Beg and Inishturk South.

Inishturk
Native name:
Inis Toirc
North coast of Inishturk
Inishturk is located in island of Ireland
Inishturk
Inishturk
Geography
LocationAtlantic Ocean
Coordinates53°42′05″N 10°06′30″W / 53.7014°N 10.1083°W / 53.7014; -10.1083
Area6 km2 (2.3 sq mi)[1]
Highest elevation189.3 m (621.1 ft)[2]
Administration
ProvinceConnacht
CountyMayo
Demographics
Population56 (2022)[3]
Pop. density8.5/km2 (22/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsIrish

Inishturk (Inis Toirc in Irish, meaning Wild Boar Island) is an inhabited island of County Mayo, in Ireland.[4]

Geography

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Islands off County Mayo

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.[5] There are two main settlements, both on the more sheltered eastern end of the island, Ballyheer and Garranty. Bellavaun and Craggy are abandoned settlements.

History

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Inishturk has been inhabited on and off since 4,000 BCE and has been inhabited permanently since at least 1700.[6] Some of the island's more recent inhabitants are descended from evacuees from Inishark to the southwest.[citation needed]

A Martello tower was built during the Napoleonic Wars, c. 1805, on Inishturk's western coast.[7]

Recent history

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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.[8] The ESB have operated a diesel power station on the island since the 1980s[9]

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.[10][11][12] These were examples of the type of "fake news" that arose during the 2016 US presidential election campaign.[13]

The island is home to a primary school on the island which in 2011 had only 3 pupils; this is believed to be the smallest primary school in Ireland.[14]

Demographics

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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.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1841577—    
1851174−69.8%
1861110−36.8%
1871112+1.8%
1881116+3.6%
1891135+16.4%
1901135+0.0%
1911132−2.2%
1926101−23.5%
YearPop.±%
1936107+5.9%
1946125+16.8%
1951123−1.6%
1956110−10.6%
1961108−1.8%
196692−14.8%
197183−9.8%
197985+2.4%
198176−10.6%
YearPop.±%
198690+18.4%
199178−13.3%
199683+6.4%
200272−13.3%
200658−19.4%
201153−8.6%
201651−3.8%
202256+9.8%
Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

Transport

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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.[15] The pier was constructed during the 1980s by the Irish government, around this time the roads on the island were paved.[16]

[edit]
  • Inisturk and Caher island
    Inisturk and Caher island
  • Inishturk pier
    Inishturk pier
  • Harbour with Caher Island in background
    Harbour with Caher Island in background
  • Community centre
    Community centre
  • Freshwater lake
    Freshwater lake
  • Clare Island as seen from Inishturk
    Clare Island as seen from Inishturk
  • Power station
    Power station

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 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 21⁄4 square miles, as against Bofin's 41⁄2 square miles (Inishark included), and Clare's 61⁄6 square miles
  2. ^ a b "Inisturk". MountainViews. Ordnance Survey Ireland. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  3. ^ Population of Inhabited Islands Off the Coast (Report). Central Statistics Office. 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  4. ^ Sometimes the island's name is reported as Inisturk, as for instance by Google Maps
  5. ^ "No Christmas medical cover on island of Inishturk". breakingnews.ie. 24 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Mayo Walks - Inishturk". Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Ten Reasons to Take a Trip to Inishturk". destinationwestport.com. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  8. ^ BC Inishturk case study
  9. ^ New hope for Inishturk Archived 12 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, esbelectricmail.com. Accessed 29 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Inishturk: The Tiny Irish Island That Will Welcome American Refugees". Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  11. ^ Huffington Post - Looking to escape Donald Trump, Huffingtonpost.com. Accessed 29 September 2022.
  12. ^ Remote Irish island seeks American fleeing Donald Trump presidency, Irishcentral.com. Accessed 29 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Fake news is big business - and may have handed Trump the election". The Business Post. 20 November 2016.
  14. ^ Three-pupil school urges families to consider move to 'idyllic' island, irishtimes.com. Accessed 29 September 2022.
  15. ^ "islander committed to her community". Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  16. ^ Winter Inishturk
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