Inishbiggle

Inishbiggle (Irish: Inis Bigil) is a small inhabited island off the coast of Ballycroy in County Mayo. Its name in Irish means "Vigil Island"

Inishbiggle
Native name:
Inis Bigil
View to Inisbiggle from nearby Achill Island
Inishbiggle is located in island of Ireland
Inishbiggle
Inishbiggle
Geography
LocationAtlantic Ocean
Coordinates53°59′45″N 9°54′15″W
Administration
ProvinceConnacht
CountyMayo
Demographics
Population12 (2022)[1]

Geography

The island is situated between the northeast of Achill Island and the mainland, and is accessed by boat from either Doran's point at Ballycroy or Bullsmouth, Dooniver on Achill Island. The island is 2½ km x 1½ km, or 650 acres (2.6 km2) in area.

Description

The main activities are sheep and cattle farming, fishing and winkle picking. Facilities on the island included a school and a post office, both now closed.

Plans to build a cable-car link across the Bullsmouth Channel, one of the strongest currents in Europe separating the island from Achill had been under discussion since 1996, but have now been abandoned. Planning permission for the cablecar was denied by Mayo County Council on the grounds that "It would be visually obtrusive in an area of special scenic importance, that it would create traffic problems and that it would devalue houses in the vicinity."[2]

Unpredictable currents in the channel during winter months can render the island inaccessible, even though the passage during fair weather is about ten minutes in the traditional boat, the currach. Emergency access is by helicopter.

Demographics

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

Historical population
YearPop.±%
184167—    
185161−9.0%
18610−100.0%
1871154—    
1881171+11.0%
1891135−21.1%
1901135+0.0%
1911149+10.4%
1926162+8.7%
YearPop.±%
1936157−3.1%
1946106−32.5%
1951123+16.0%
1956116−5.7%
1961113−2.6%
1966103−8.8%
1971112+8.7%
197997−13.4%
198189−8.2%
YearPop.±%
198669−22.5%
199151−26.1%
199648−5.9%
200239−18.8%
200624−38.5%
2011 25+4.2%
2016 18[3]−28.0%
202212−33.3%
Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". irishislands.info. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

See also

References
  1. Population of Inhabited Islands Off the Coast (Report). Central Statistics Office. 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  2. Cable Car Battle On Isolated Inishbiggle Continues 1997
  3. E2021: Population of Inhabited Islands Off the Coast 2011 to 2016 by Sex, Islands and CensusYear


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