Inishturk

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

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
Coordinates53.7014°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

Geography
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. The British built a Martello tower on the western coast during the Napoleonic Wars.

History

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

Recent history

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

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.[9][10][11] These were examples of the type of "fake news" that arose during the 2016 US presidential election campaign.[12]

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.[13]

Demographics

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

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

  • 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

References
  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. "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. BC Inishturk case study
  8. New hope for Inishturk Archived 12 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, esbelectricmail.com. Accessed 29 September 2022.
  9. "Inishturk: The Tiny Irish Island That Will Welcome American Refugees". Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  10. Huffington Post - Looking to escape Donald Trump, Huffingtonpost.com. Accessed 29 September 2022.
  11. Remote Irish island seeks American fleeing Donald Trump presidency, Irishcentral.com. Accessed 29 September 2022.
  12. "Fake news is big business - and may have handed Trump the election". The Business Post. 20 November 2016.
  13. Three-pupil school urges families to consider move to 'idyllic' island, irishtimes.com. Accessed 29 September 2022.
  14. islander committed to her community
  15. Winter Inishturk
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