Lettermullen

Lettermullen, (Irish: Leitir Mealláin, meaning 'Mealláin's rough hillside' or possibly "the hill with the mill"), is a small island and village on the coast of southern Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. It is about 58 km (36 mi) west of Galway city, at the far western end of Galway Bay, Lettermullen is the westernmost of three islands; Lettermullen, Gorumna and Lettermore, along with smaller islands collectively known as Ceantar na nOileán ("District of the Islands") connected to the mainland by the bridges and causeways of R374.[2]

Lettermullen
Leitir Mealláin
Village
Lettermullen is located in Ireland
Lettermullen
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°14′38″N 9°43′34″W
CountryIreland
ProvinceConnacht
CountyCounty Galway
Elevation
1 m (3 ft)
Population
 (2022)[1]
 • Total214
Irish Grid ReferenceL848522

Geography and geology

Lettermullen is in the parish of Kilcummin, barony of Moycullen, and province of Connaught. It forms one side of Kiegall Bay, and its northern end is part of the shore of Casheen Bay. The island comprises about 100 hectares (250 acres) of arable and pasture land. The inhabitants are chiefly employed in herring and cod fisheries and in the collection of seaweed for manure. Lettermullen is connected to the islands of Dinish, Furnish, Inisherk and An Crappagh.

The northern third of Lettermullan is composed of the same intrusive Devonian-aged granite underlying most of Galway that formed from crustal melting as a result of the Caledonian Orogeny in the late Silurian. The remainder of the island is made up of Ordovician-aged bedrock of sedimentary marine rocks and basalt.[3]

Culture

Lettermullen is part of the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region of Ireland) and Irish is the most common spoken language. Accordingly, its official name is Leitir Mealláin.[4]

Landmarks

A very well preserved Signal Station is situated near Golam Head. These stations were built all along the Irish coast by the British from 1804 to 1806 to monitor for maritime invasions.

A picturesque cemetery is situated just south of R374 immediately after you cross the bridge from Gorumna to Lettermullen.

Demographics
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1841587—    
1851383−34.8%
1861433+13.1%
1871497+14.8%
1881626+26.0%
1891549−12.3%
1901533−2.9%
1911460−13.7%
1926346−24.8%
YearPop.±%
1936335−3.2%
1946329−1.8%
1951320−2.7%
1956315−1.6%
1961280−11.1%
1966245−12.5%
1971221−9.8%
1979216−2.3%
1981218+0.9%
YearPop.±%
1986211−3.2%
1991196−7.1%
1996204+4.1%
2002219+7.4%
2006213−2.7%
2011241+13.1%
2016204−15.4%
2022214+4.9%
Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

Notable people
The Ethnography of Garumna and Lettermullen in the County Galway; 1899

References
  1. Population of Inhabited Islands Off the Coast (Report). Central Statistics Office. 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  2. Robinson, Tim (1985). Mapping South Connemara. Folding Landscapes. ISBN 978-0950400235.
  3. Holland, C. H. (Charles Hepworth) Sanders, Ian. (2009). The geology of Ireland. Dunedin Academic. ISBN 978-1-903544-49-5. OCLC 679356088.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "Leitir Mealláin/Lettermullan Island". Logainm.ie. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
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