geo.wikisort.org - Island

Inishmeane (Irish: Inis Meáin, meaning 'middle island[3]') is a small island and a townland off the coast of Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland and was once home to a vibrant fishing community. The island has been unpopulated for decades but in recent years some people have started to return.

Inishmeane

Native name: Inis Meáin[1]
Inishmeane from Magheragallon Cemetery
Inishmeane
Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	55°06′15″N 8°20′46″W
Area	0.473 km2 (0.183 sq mi)[2]
Administration
Ireland
Province	Ulster
County	Donegal
Demographics
Population	7 (2011)

Geography

Inishmeane is around 1 kilometre off the coast of Gweedore. It lies between Gola Island (South-East) and Inishsirrer (North).

History

The island was inhabited up until the 1960s; today most of the buildings are derelict, but about eight have been renovated for use as holiday homes or permanent habitation.[3]

On Inishmeane there is no electricity nor freshwater public supply.[4]

A concrete pier was installed during the celtic tiger years to allow residents to moor their boats.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

The table below reports data on Inishmeane's population taken from Discover the Islands of Ireland (Alex Ritsema, Collins Press, 1999) and the Census of Ireland.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1841 12 —     1851 57 +375.0% 1861 46 −19.3% 1871 34 −26.1% 1881 42 +23.5% 1891 68 +61.9% 1901 68 +0.0% 1911 82 +20.6%	Year Pop. ±% 1926 63 −23.2% 1936 66 +4.8% 1946 62 −6.1% 1951 58 −6.5% 1956 54 −6.9% 1961 47 −13.0% 1966 2 −95.7% 1971 0 −100.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1979 0 0.00% 1981 0 0.00% 1986 0 0.00% 1991 0 0.00% 1996 0 0.00% 2002 0 0.00% 2006 0 0.00% 2011 7 —
Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

Gallery

• 
  House on Inishmeane

See also

• List of islands of Ireland
• Inis Meáin (Aran Islands)

References

External links

Media related to Inishmeane at Wikimedia Commons

• Ecological study of two Donegal islands: Inishfree and Inishmeane
• Guide to the island
• Aerial view of the entire island

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