geo.wikisort.org - Island

Inch Island (Irish: An Inse, meaning 'The Island';[3] Also spelled in Irish as An Inis.[4]) is in Inishowen, County Donegal, Ireland. The island is in Lough Swilly, a sea lough on the northern coast of Ireland.[5][6]

Inch Island

Native name: An Inse / Inis na nOsirí[1][2]
Inch Island from Grianan of Aileach
Inch Island
Geography
Location	Lough Swilly
Coordinates	55.065°N 7.495°W / 55.065; -7.495
Area	13 km2 (5.0 sq mi)
Highest elevation	222 m (728 ft)
Administration
Ireland
Province	Ulster
County	Donegal
Demographics
Population	448 (2011)

Geography and History

Inch Island is around 5 square miles (13 square kilometres) in area.[7] The island lies in Lough Swilly, Inch being just off the south-western coast of the Inishowen mainland, near the village of Burt.[5] Inch Island is connected to the mainland by a causeway road, known as the Inch Banks. The island's highest hill, Inch Top, is 222 metres in height.[5][8] Another Irish language name for Inch Island is Inis na nOsirí, meaning 'Island of the Oysters'.[1][2]

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1841 978 —     1851 769 −21.4% 1901 462 −39.9% 1951 414 −10.4%	Year Pop. ±% 1996 397 −4.1% 2002 438 +10.3% 2006 438 +0.0% 2011 448 +2.3%
Source: John Chambers. "Islands - Change in Population 1841 - 2011". irishislands.info. Retrieved 19 February 2015.

The table reports data taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the Census of Ireland.

Relevant buildings

The remains of a portal tomb with a nearby burial chamber, probably constructed using parts of the original tomb, is located near Carnaghan (Irish: Baile Mhic Cearnachain) on the south-western part of the island.[9]

A 15th century castle, known as Inch Castle, stands on a cliff overlooking Lough Swilly. At the northern tip of the island is Inch Fort, an early 19C defensive structure.

The island's Presbyterian church is one of the smallest of the surrounding area (just some 14 families are members of it);[10] the island's Catholic church, usually known simply as 'the Chapel', is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and was built in 1932.[7]

Nature

Inch island is a well known birdwatching site with a relevant population of migratory and wintering birds. Bird species on the island include Greenland white fronted goose, whooper swan and greylag goose.[11]

Tourism

Inch Wildfowl Reserve features an 8 km looped walk, catering for outdoor recreational activity including walking, running and cycling. The site includes two car parks, seating, viewpoints and a number of bird hides open to the public. This scenic pathway follows around the lake edge and offers panoramic views of the surrounding agricultural landscape and wetlands.[12]

See also

• List of islands of Ireland

References

External links

Media related to Inch Island at Wikimedia Commons

• The island page on discoverireland.ie

На других языках

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- [en] Inch Island

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[fr] Inch Island

Inch Island (en irlandais : An Inse) est une petite île du Lough Swilly dans le comté de Donegal en Irlande.

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[it] Inch Island

L'isola di Inch (An Inse in gaelico irlandese) è un'isola situata nei pressi della costa della contea di Donegal, Irlanda.

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