Clare Island

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Clare Island in Clew Bay

Clare Island (Oileán Chliara in Irish) is a mountainous island guarding the entrance to Clew Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It is famous as the home of the pirate queen, Grace O'Malley. Approximately 125 people live there today.

Geographical stats:

Area (approx): 4000 acres (16 km²)
Highest point: 462 meters (1515 ft)
Latitude/Longitude: 53°48′18″N, 9°59′37″W

Clare Island in Ireland

1 History
2 Flora and Flora
3 Transportation and Infrastructure
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

Through the Middle-Ages Clare Island was part of the lands of the O' Malley family. The ruins of an O'Malley tower-house, known as Grace O' Malley's castle because of its most famous resident, are close to the pier at the eastern edge of the island. The small Cistercian Abbey near the south coast of the island was founded by the O'Malleys and contains the O'Malley Tomb, a possible burial site of Grace O'Malley. The Abbey is known for its rare medieval roof paintings. In 1588 a ship from the Spanish Armada was wrecked on Clare Island and its men killed by the O' Malleys.

A very prominent landmark of the island is the Clare Island Lighthouse, established by John Denis Browne, the 1^st Marquess of Sligo, in 1806. On 29 September 1813 a fire, caused by careless disposal of the oil-lamp wicks, destroyed part of the tower and the lantern. The rebuilt light was ready in 1818. In 1834 the tower was struck by lightning. The cylindrical masonry lighthouse tower is 118 meters (387 ft) tall and 11 m (36 ft) across. After 159 years of faithful service the lighthouse was taken out of service on 28 September 1965, replaced by the modern Achillbeg Island lighthouse on the south side of Achill Island. Since 1965 the property has been a bed-and-breakfast, and now is a private residence.

[edit] Flora and Flora

Between 1909 and 1911, the Belfast naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger led an exhaustive biological survey of the island, which was unprecedented at the time and served as a template for future studies. Based on a preliminary survey two shores were selected for study: an exposed shore at Leckanny and a less exposed shore at Portnakilly also a survey of the barnacles, a study of the morphology of the cypris larvae, the limpets and the mussels. The resulting survey was published in 2002 edited by A.Mayers ^[1]

Islands off County Mayo
Click for larger view

[edit] Transportation and Infrastructure

Clare Island is accessible by daily ferry services from Roonagh Pier near Louisburgh. The island has a hotel. An old light-house has been transformed into a restaurant. Maps are available for walkers and hill-walkers. The island is also suitable for exploration by bicycle. The island has its own primary school. Children go to the mainland for post-primary (high school) education.